Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Creativity and Rationale pp 327–351Cite as

Managing Conflict in Information System Design Stakeholder Conferences: The Role of Transparency Work

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS,volume 20))

Abstract

This chapter examines the management of disagreement and conflict during an information systems design conference that sought agreement on a data-flow-model and design requirements among stakeholders in a new information system. The case identifies micro design practices, such as fashioning-a-record, employed in facilitating creativity and capturing rationale during the design conference. The micro-practices reveal the layers of transparency work performed by the facilita-tors that involves: (1) setting up the usability and usefulness of the technology and (2) persuading participants about the essence of their interaction. Transparency work draws attention away from the actions of the facilitators and the social-political complications while highlighting any features of the scene reflecting ideals of collaborative decision-making. The persuasion aims to remove doubt about the nature of the activity and trustworthiness of the intervention. The analysis shows how the ethnomethodological principle of the documentary method of interpretation operates in bridging the gap between technology and use, which addresses key matters in the literature on technologically supported facilitation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aakhus, M. (2000). Constituting deliberation as “buy-in” through GDSS design and implementation. The Electronic Journal of Communication/La Revue Electronique de Communication [Online], 10(1). Available at http://www.cios.org/www/ejcrec2.htm

  • Aakhus, M. (2001). Technocratic and design stances toward communication expertise: How GDSS facilitators understand their work. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 29(4), 341–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aakhus, M. (2003). Neither naïve nor normative reconstruction: Dispute mediators, impasse, and the design of argumentation. Argumentation: An International Journal on Reasoning, 17(3), 265–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aakhus, M. (2007). Communication as design. Communication Monographs, 74(1), 112–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aakhus, M., & Jackson, S. (2005). Technology, interaction, design. Handbook of language and social interaction. In K. Fitch & R. Sanders (Eds.), Handbook of language and social interaction (pp. 411–437). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J. (1993). Groupware and social reality. Computers and Society, 22, 24–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anson, R., Bostrom, R., & Wynne, B. (1995). An experiment assessing group support system and facilitator effects on meeting outcomes. Management Science, 41(2), 189–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baecker, R., Grudin, J., Buxton, W., & Greenberg, S. (1995). Groupware computer supported cooperative work. In R. Baecker, J. Grudin, W. Buxton, & S. Greenberg (Eds.), Readings in human computer interaction: Towards the year 2000 (pp. 741–754). San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banks, S., & Riley, P. (1993). Structuration theory as an ontology for communication research. In S. Deetz (Ed.), Communication yearbook 16 (pp. 167–196). Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bikson, T. (1996). Groupware at the world bank. In C. Ciborra (Ed.), Groupware and teamwork: Invisible aid or technical hindrance? (pp. 145–184). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bostrom, R., & Anson, R. (1992). The face-to-face electronic meeting: A tutorial. In R. Bostrom, R. Watson, & S. Kinney (Eds.), Computer augmented teamwork: A guided tour (pp. 16–33). New York: Van Nostrand and Rheinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bostrom, R., Anson, R., & Clawson, V. (1993). Group facilitation and group support systems. In L. M. Jessup & J. S. Valacich (Eds.), Group support systems: New perspectives (pp. 146–168). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broome, B., & Keever, D. (1989). Next generation group facilitation: Proposed principles. Management Communication Quarterly, 3(1), 107–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clawson, V., & Bostrom, R. (1996). Research-driven facilitation training for computer-supported environments. Group Decision and Negotiation, 5(1), 7–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clawson, V., Bostrom, R., & Anson, R. (1993). The role of the facilitator in computer-supported meetings. Small Group Research, 24(4), 547–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connelly, T., Jessup, L., & Valacich, J. (1990). Effects of anonymity and evaluative tone on idea generation in computer-mediated groups. Management Science, 36(6), 689–703.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Contractor, N., & Seibold, D. (1993). Theoretical frameworks for the study of structuring processes in group decision support systems: Adaptive structuration theory and self organizing systems theory. Human Communication Research, 19, 528–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Contractor, N., Seibold, D., & Heller, M. (1996). Interactional influence in the structuring of media use in groups: Influence in member’s perceptions of group decision support system use. Human Communication Research, 22(4), 451–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Craig, R. (1989). Communication as practical discipline. In B. Dervin, L. Grossberg, B. J. O’Keefe, & E. Wartella (Eds.), Rethinking communication vol. 1, paradigm issues (pp. 97–122). Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, R., & Tracy, K. (1995). Grounded practical theory: The case of intellectual discussion. Communication Theory, 5(3), 248–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dannelmiller, K., & Jacobs, R. (1992). Changing the way organizations change: A revolution of common sense. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 28(4), 480–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeSanctis, G., & Poole, M. S. (1994). Capturing the complexity in advanced technology use: Adaptive Structuration Theory. Organization Science, 5(2), 121–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Vreede, G., & de Bruijn, H. (1999). Exploring the boundaries of successful GSS application: Supporting inter-organizational policy networks. Database, 30(3–4), 111–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickson, G., Lee-Partridge, J., Limayem, M., & De Sanctis, G. (1996). Facilitating computer-supported meetings: A cumulative analysis in a multiple-criteria task environment. Group Decision and Negotiation, 5(1), 51–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doyle, M., & Straus, D. (1976). How to make meetings work. New York: Jove Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garfinkel, H. (1967). Studies in ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1983). Felicity’s condition. The American Journal of Sociology, 89(1), 1–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grice, H. (1975). Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J. Morgan (Eds.), Syntax and semantics, vol. 3: Speech acts. New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grudin, J. (1994). Groupware and social dynamics: Eight challenges for developers. Communications of the ACM, 37(1), 71–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heritage, J. (1984). Garfinkel and ethnomethodology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, S., & Aakhus, M. (2002). What mediators do with words: Implementing three models of rational discussion in dispute mediation. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 20(4), 177–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansen, R. (1989). Groupware: Computer support for business teams. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaner, S., Lind, L., Toldi, C., Fisk, S., & Berger, D. (1996). Facilitator’s guide to participatory decision-making. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer, K., & King, J. (1988). Computer-based systems for cooperative work and group decision making. ACM Computing Surveys, 20(2), 115–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, K. (1980). A primer on ethnomethodology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, S. (1979). Activity types and language. Linguistics, 17, 365–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyytinen, K., Maaranen, P., & Knuutila, J. (1994). Groups are not always the same: An analysis of group behaviors in electronic meeting systems. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 2, 261–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mateosian, G. (1993). Reproducing rape: Domination through talk in the courtroom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nader, L. (1990). Harmony ideology: Justice and control in a zapotec mountain villavge. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngwenyama, O., Bryson, N., & Moboluren, A. (1996). Supporting facilitation in group support systems: Techniques for analyzing consensus relevant data. Decision Support Systems, 16, 155–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niederman, F., Biese, C., & Beranek, P. (1996). Issues and concerns about computer-supported meetings: The facilitator’s perspective. MIS Quarterly, 20(1), 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunamaker, J., Dennis, A., Valacich, J., Vogel, D., & George, J. (1991). Electronic meetings to support group work. Communications of the ACM, 34(7), 40–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunamaker, J., Briggs, B., & Mittleman, D. (1994). Electronic meeting systems: Ten years of lessons learned. In D. Coleman & R. Khanna (Eds.), Groupware: Technologies applications (pp. 149–193). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlikowski, W., Yates, J., Okamura, K., & Fujimoto, M. (1995). Shaping electronic communication: The metastructuring of technology in the context of use. Organization Science, 6(4), 423–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinsonneault, A., & Kraemer, K. (1989). The impact of technical support on groups: An assessment of empirical research. Decision Support Systems, 5(2), 197–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poole, M., & De Sanctis, G. (1990). Understanding the use of group decision support systems: The theory of adaptive structuration. In J. Fulk & C. Steinfeld (Eds.), Organizations and communication technology. Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poole, M., & De Sanctis, G. (1992). Microlevel structuration in computer-supported group decision making. Human Communication Research, 19, 5–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poole, M. S., & Holmes, M. E. (1995). Decision development in computer-assisted group decision making. Human Communication Research, 22, 90–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poole, M., De Sanctis, G., Kirsch, L., & Jackson, M. (1995). Group decision support systems as facilitators of quality team efforts. In L. Frey (Ed.), Innovations in group facilitation (pp. 299–322). Cresskill: Hampton Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, R. (1994). The skilled facilitator: Practical wisdom for developing effective groups. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seibold, D., Heller, M. A., & Contractor, N. (1994). Review and critique of empirical research on group decision support systems. In B. Kovacic (Ed.), Organizational communication: New perspectives (pp. 143–168). Albany: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weatherall, A., & Nunamaker, J. (1995). Introduction to electronic meetings: Informed decisions, better planning, reduced timescales. Hampshire: Electronic Meeting Services Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weick, K., & Meader, D. (1993). Sensemaking and group support systems. In L. Jessup & J. Valacich (Eds.), Group support systems: New perspectives (pp. 230–251). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weider, L. (1976). Language and social reality: The case of telling the convict code. The Hague: Mouton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yates, J. (1989). Control through communication: The rise of system in American management. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yates, J., & Orlikowski, W. (1992). Genres of organizational communication: A structurational approach to studying communication and media. The Academy of Management Review, 17, 299–326.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

An earlier version this chapter appeared as: Aakhus, M. (2004). Understanding the Socio-Technical Gap: A case of GDSS Facilitation. In G. Goldkuhl, M. Lind, & S. Cronholm (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Action in Language, Organisations, and Information Systems (pp. 137–148). Linköping, Sweden: Research Network VITS.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication, School of Communication and Information, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901-1071, USA

    Mark Aakhus

Authors
  1. Mark Aakhus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Aakhus .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Information Sciences and Tech, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 332, Pennsylvania, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    John M. Carroll

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag London

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Aakhus, M. (2013). Managing Conflict in Information System Design Stakeholder Conferences: The Role of Transparency Work. In: Carroll, J. (eds) Creativity and Rationale. Human–Computer Interaction Series, vol 20. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4111-2_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4111-2_16

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4110-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4111-2

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation