Impact of an electronic meeting system on the group decision-making process

Traditional face-to-face meetings are effective for many meeting formats; however, there are occasions when communication needs to be conducted in a more open, anonymous style. When the discussion centers on controversial and/or emotional issues, such as curriculum planning, the need for a nontraditional style may even be greater. Our nursing program decided to utilize a new campus resource called the Group Decision Center to facilitate undergraduate curriculum planning. The Group Decision Center is an electronic meeting system in which the discussion takes place in a face-to-face electronic format. The advantages of an electronic meeting system format include participant anonymity, equal and increased participation by group members, increased productivity and efficiency, automated record keeping, group synergy, and a more structured meeting. The disadvantages include the potential for inappropriate or hostile conversations, loss of acknowledgment for individual idea generation, breakdown of linear conversation, and lack of the nonverbal communication that often influences the meaning within a traditional conversation. The process of developing, planning, and participating in the electronic meeting and the automated record are discussed.