GROUP DEVELOPMENT .2. IMPLICATIONS FOR GSS RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

This article is the second of a two-part series that examines the issu e of group development and its impact on the study and design of group support systems. II builds on the ideas del eloped in the preceding a rticle and discusses the implications of group development for group s upport systems (GSS) research. Specifically, the paper examines the im pact of computer support systems on group development processes. Our p revious paper reviewed models of development--based on two competing p aradigms, sequential and nonsequential-proposed by various researchers . Despite differences between the two paradigms, individual models sha re some common aspects, from the types of processes experienced to the nature of outputs produced, that jointly help describe group developm ent. Common processes displayed in the evolution of a group, distilled from the various models, include cohesiveness, conflict management, b alance between socioemotional and task needs, effective communication, and involvement in group activities. Additionally, the various models also indicate that groups have critical periods in their developmenta l path. This paper develops the idea that GSS structures can support g roups with their developmental processes and help them deal with criti cal periods. Most GSS provide global structures like anonymity, simult aneity, and the capacity for enhanced information processing. These st ructures, if appropriated effectively by groups, can influence their d evelopmental paths over time. In many cases these structures can help the development of groups by improving their ability to manage conflic t, increasing their cohesiveness, developing a sense of group identity , and enhancing open communication. This paper develops a set of testa ble propositions that can guide researchers of group behavior, organiz ational users of GSS, and developers of these systems.