Group decision support systems for current times: Overcoming the challenges of dispersed group decision-making

We are living a change of paradigm regarding decision-making. On the one hand, there is a growing need to make decisions in group at both professional and personal levels, on the other hand, it is increasingly difficult for decision-makers to meet at the same place and at the same time. The Web-based Group Decision Support Systems intend to overcome this limitation, allowing decision-makers to contribute to the decision process anytime and anywhere. However, they have been defined inadequately which has been compromising its success. This work discusses the current Group Decision Support Systems limitations in terms of challenges and possible impediments for their acceptance by the organizations and propose a conceptual definition of a Web-based Group Decision Support System that intends to overcome the existing limitations and help them to affirm as a reliable and useful tool. In addition, some crucial topics are addressed, such as communication and perception, that are essential and sometimes forgotten in the support of dispersed decision-makers. We concluded that there are still some limitations, mostly in terms of models and applications, that prevent the design of higher quality systems. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

There is a paradigm shift in decision-making towards group decisions, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for decision-makers to gather in one place at one time. Web-based Group Decision Support Systems aim to address this issue, but their inadequate definition has hindered their success. This study identifies challenges and potential barriers to acceptance by organizations, and proposes a conceptual definition for a Web-based Group Decision Support System. Various crucial topics, including communication and perception, are essential for supporting dispersed decision-makers, but often overlooked. Limitations still exist in terms of models and applications, preventing the development of higher quality systems.