Computer support for cooperative work

Introduction

People have been known to interact and work together for thousands of years. Only recently, they have discovered the computer to solve problems. Yet, already this machine is likely to change the way we work (together) as different forms of computer-mediated communication continue to converge rapidly.

Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) systems are defined by Ellis et. al. [1991] as

computer-based systems that support groups of people engaged in a common task (or goal) and that provide an interface to a shared environment.

This is a very neutral definition. It does not pay attention to some of the characteristics of cooperative work which I mentioned. For one, there is little attention for the communicative aspects of cooperative work. Having access to a shared environment not necessarily implies some form of interpersonal communication. Also, this interpretation does not mention the distribution of tasks within a group nor does it notice the responsibilities that group members share. Still, it is an excellent starting point for a discussion and classification of CSCW systems. A restricted delineation for the remainder of my thesis will be given afterward.

Characteristics of CSCW systems

CSCW systems can be characterised in many ways. Particularly Nunamaker et. al. [1991], Rodden [1991], and McGrath and Hollingshead [1994] have contributed to research in this area. I enumerate the factors that apply to all CSCW systems:

• The functional role of technology in cooperative work.
• Environmental facets of group work.
• Characteristics of the task on which the group is working.

The larger part of this work deals with the design and implementation of The COOPerator, a co-authoring system, that is under development at the Infolab at Tilburg University. Therefore, a closer look at computer supported collaborative writing systems is provided.

Providing computer support for cooperative work cannot be done blindly. Computer-mediated communication tends to have a rather large impact on individuals and groups. Designers of computer supported cooperative work applications should be aware of the effects of CSCW. These should be taken into consideration prior to building a groupware application.