The influence of group decision support systems on contribution and commitment levels in multicultural and culturally homogeneous decision-making groups

Research concerning cultural diversity reports that the cultural composition of a group differentially affects group member contribution and commitment levels. In multicultural groups, the majority culture may dominate the decision-making process and ethnic minorities can be perceived to have a lower status due to their position within the social hierarchy. However, research also suggests that group decision making may be structured to promote a more equitable group process. Studies on group decision support systems (GDSS) cite improvements in group processing via the structure and anonymity that can be offered by the technology. This paper presents the results of a pilot study which compared the effects of group decision making, both with and without GDSS technology, on multicultural and homogeneous groups. Findings revealed that both multicultural and homogeneous groups had significantly higher levels of perceived contribution in the GDSS environment. However, there were no significant differences in terms of perceived contribution, commitment, or personal influence between groups in either environment. None the less, all groups achieved a higher number of brainstormed ideas in the GDSS environment. In addition, multicultural groups achieved a statistically higher number of ideas in the GDSS environment in comparison with homogenous groups in the GDSS environment. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.