Collaborative Dynamic Queries: Supporting Distributed Small Group Decision-making

Communication is critical in small group decision-making processes during which each member must be able to express preferences to reach consensus. Finding consensus can be difficult when each member in a group has a perspective that potentially conflicts with those of others. To support groups attempting to harmonize diverse preferences, we propose Collaborative Dynamic Queries (C-DQ), a UI component that enables a group to filter queries over decision criteria while being aware of others’ preferences. To understand how C-DQ affects a group’s behavior and perception in the decision-making process, we conducted 2 studies with groups who were prompted to make decisions together on mobile devices in a dispersed and synchronous situation. In Study 1, we found showing group preferences with C-DQ helped groups to communicate more efficiently and effectively. In Study 2, we found filtering candidates based on each member’s own filter range further improved a groups’ communication efficiency and effectiveness.