Hender et al., 2002, Santanen et al., 2000, Gallupe et al., 1992]) provide no detailed information about the facilitation instructions that were used during an experiment. As a result, the possible effect of style or complexity of facilitation instructions used on the experiment results is not described, which makes it difficult to compare the results of different experiments. To compensate this weakness, researchers can make use of the concept of a thinXel to explicitly and precisely describe an experiment as a scien-tific protocol that uses instruction elements to define the facilitation instructions of an experiment. The resulting scientific protocol can be used to repeat or compare exist-ing experiments. Furthermore, by changexist-ing the stimuli used in an existexist-ing experiment, researchers can use the scientific protocol to analyse the influence of stimuli charac-teristics on the ideation process. Research results can be used to define guidelines for the selection and use of external stimuli to guide the cognitive process of a group of participants.
A key component of the prototype is theParticipant Flow Algorithm, an approach to compute the active position and the next step of a participant in a predefined collabo-ration process. This algorithm makes use of the underlying process logic of a collab-oration process model and distinguishes between the workflow of an individual and a group of participants. Furthermore, the algorithm reflects the property of the collabo-ration modelling language to allow a switch between the individual and the group flow.
Summarized, theParticipant Flow Algorithmcombines the following components:
Group Algorithm to compute the next process step for a group of participants based on the active element of the group in the collaboration process.
Participant Algorithm to compute the next step for an individual based on the active element of the partici-pant in the collaboration process.
Synchronization Algorithm to monitor the state of the individual and group process and to switch between the participant and group algorithm.
To support the flexible adaptation of a groupware technology for a predefined collabo-ration process, the thesis makes use of the property of the collabocollabo-ration modelling lan-guage to define the collaboration workflow by a sequence of atomic activities, which are represented by the concept of thinXels. Here, the prototype provides a set of generic user interfaces, which represent common context and data-oriented thinXels. During the execution of a collaboration process, the prototype uses the information about the type and configuration of a thinXel element to select, provide and configure webpages that allow the participants to execute the intended activities of a collaboration workflow.
Besides the flexible adaptation of a groupware technology for a predefined collabora-tion process, the thesis develops different components to intervene directly in a collab-oration process to handle negative group behaviours and support group performance in a collaboration process. Here, the prototype provides different modules that can be connected to the webpage of an active activity. These modules are independent of a collaboration process model and provide functionalities to support group communica-tion, group coordination and group performance.
The thesis uses functional tests to evaluate the conceptual design in an formative pro-cess. Here, the prototype of the groupware technology is verified at different imple-mentation stages against the predefined basic and specific requirements. The research results show first indications that the conceptual design can be used to develop adapt-able groupware technologies that provide functionalities to support a virtual group dur-ing a collaborative ideation process.
6.4.1 Limitations of the research results
A number of limitations exist for the research results. The prototype represents one possible implementation of the conceptual design of an adaptable groupware technol-ogy. Currently, the prototype was used in some student projects to verify the feasibility of using an adaptable groupware technology to support a collaborative ideation process in a global virtual group. However, case studies in organisations are needed to analyse and compare the conceptual design against alternative design solutions. Furthermore, research is needed to analyse the application of an adaptable groupware technology for collaboration other than the ideation process. In this context, research needs to evalu-ate and refine the given set of generic user interfaces and modules with regard to their feasibility to support the intended collaboration activity of an individual as well as to support group communication, group coordination and group performance.
6.4.2 Practical applications of the research results for industry
The approaches introduced can be used by organisations to support collaboration in global virtual groups by using technological support. With regard to pre-development phase of the innovation process, the conceptual design can be used to develop an adapt-able groupware technology that provides functionalities to support a virtual groups in using the technology to identify customer needs or generate ideas for new products and services of an organisation. In this context, organisations can use the introduced mod-elling language for collaboration to predefine the workflow of a collaborative ideation process by experts in collaboration process design. In contrast to given groupware technologies like a workflow management system [Georgakopoulos et al., 1995], the conceptual design uses a modelling language to capture and transfer knowledge about collaboration. Here, a collaboration process designer can use the modelling language to predefine the activation and configuration of user interfaces that allow the participants to execute the intended activities of a collaboration workflow. This property is new in a groupware technology and supports global virtual groups in using the technology in an appropriate way.
6.4.3 Applications of the research results for research
With regard to collaboration research, the conceptual design of an adaptable groupware technology can be used to analyse and improve technological support for collaboration.
Here, researchers can focus on the relationship between the intended activities of a col-laboration workflow and their implementation by a groupware technology. Research results can be applied to the research field of human computer interaction to define guidelines for the design of user interfaces that support less experienced users during collaboration. These guidelines could extend given pattern approaches for the design of groupware technologies [Sch¨ummer and Lukosch, 2007]. For example, design patterns can provide guidelines for software developers on how to implement and support recur-ring activities of a collaboration workflow by generic user interfaces. In this context, design patterns can further make use of the introduced knowledge transfer approach to support the users of a groupware technology by transferring knowledge on how to
define process parameters and facilitation instructions for the adaptation of a generic user interface.
Besides the design and adaptation of a collaboration process, collaboration researchers can use the conceptual design to analyse how groupware technology can be used to monitor and support group communication, group coordination and group performance during collaboration. Currently, the prototype provides different modules to monitor the collaboration process and to intervene directly in the process to handle negative group behaviours. These modules are implemented independently of the generic user interfaces and can be combined flexibly during the collaboration process. Researchers can use this property of the prototype to design and evaluate new approaches on how to affect possible group behaviours like Evaluation Apprehension or Social Loafing.
Here, researchers can extend the given set of modules to analyse their possible effect on a collaboration process during different experiments. In this context, the collabora-tion modelling language can be used to describe the experiments as a scientific proto-col, which allows researchers to repeat or compare the experiments results. Resulting knowledge can be used to define new guidelines on how groupware technology can support collaboration.