CALL FOR PAPERS FOR the Mini-track

Emerging Issues in Distributed Group Decision-Making: Opportunities and Challenges

 

(Part of the Collaboration Systems and Technology Track )

for the Forty- Fifth Annual
HAWAI'I INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SYSTEM SCIENCES
(HICSS-45)
January 4-7, 2012

at

The Grand Wailea

on the beautiful Island of Maui

Given the current turbulent state of world economy, outsourcing is coming under tremendous pressure. Companies are no longer providing long-term contracts but are renewing them based on deliverables from outsourced companies. This is putting tremendous pressure on teams to deliver quality product on time. Team adaptability and team configuration are becoming crucial to meet deadlines. Teams must be able to adapt quickly to the changing environment. Agile teams adapt and deliver quickly and provide maximum customer satisfaction. By definition, however, agile teams must be co-located. Can distributed teams be agile and adaptable? This requires careful team configuration. This mini-track examines the emerging issues related to team configuration and performance in distributed environment.  Some research related to outsourcing of structured tasks has been done, but research related to emerging issues like diversity, cohesiveness, agility and adaptability related to group collaboration across semi or unstructured tasks is still emerging. In addition, the “e (Internet)” to “m (mobile)” transformation is creating exciting opportunities for groups to make real time decisions in a mobile environment.

Distributed teams, however, face many challenges of time, location, infrastructure, language, customs, socialization and politics. This is further compounded in globally distributed teams by diversity, nationality and cultural issues. As old issue are resolved, new challenges emerge that require knowledge from multiple disciplines such as information systems, social sciences, international management, leadership and political science. It is almost impossible for one individual to have expertise in so many domains, which makes this a very challenging but ultimately rewarding collaborative area of research. Given the richness and research potential of this area, it is essential to brainstorm and bring diverse points of view to develop underlying theory and frameworks. The mini track will attempt to accomplish these objectives.

The mini track will address emerging issue such as diversity, culture, adaptability and agility related to teams in distributed group decision making, as well as the underlying theories of group dynamics, coordination, communications and decision-making in distributed environments, in creation of competitive advantage. Examples of topics in the discussion of globally distributed decision making mini-track will include the following (but are not limited to):

 

·        Framework for distributed decision making in the cloud.

·        Economics of distributed decision making in the clouds

·        Trust and distrust as motivator in distributed decision making

·        Can agile teams be globally distributed?

·        Agile/Adaptable team configuration in globally distributed teams

·        The “e (internet)” to “m (mobile)” transformation of globally distributed teams

·        Communication and coordination in globally distributed teams

·        Diversity issues in globally distributed teams

·        Customer satisfaction, performance and “trust” building in globally distributed  teams

·        Synchronous and asynchronous decision making in globally distributed teams

·        Comparison of issues across internal, inter-, intra and offshore distributed teams

·        Turbulent economy and its impact on outsourcing

·        Models of globally distributed agile/adaptable teams

·        Knowledge creation, transfer and integration across globally distributed teams

·        Leadership/cohesiveness issues in globally distributed teams

·        Issues related to functional and dysfunctional globally distributed teams

·        Security, privacy and risk associated with globally distributed teams

·        Case Studies (success/failures) related to decision making by globally distributed teams

Contact Information for Mini-Track Chair:

Important Deadlines:

  • Abstracts -Authors may contact Mini-track Chairs for guidance and indication of appropriate content at anytime.

  • June 15 Submit full manuscripts for review as instructed. The review is double-blind; therefore, this initial submission must be without author names.
  • Aug 15 Review System emails Acceptance Notices to authors. It is very important that at least one author of

each accepted paper attend the conference. Therefore, all travel guarantees – including visa or fiscal/ funding procedures – should begin immediately. Make sure your server accepts the address from our review system https://precisionconference.com/~hicss.

  • Sept 15 Early Registration fee deadline. (Fees will increase on Sept 16 and Dec 16.) Add author names to paper, and submit Final Paper for Publication. At least one author of each paper should register by this date in order secure publication in the Proceedings.
  • Oct 15 Papers without at least one registered author will be deleted from the Proceedings and not scheduled for presentation; authors will be so notified by the Conference Office.

Instructions for Paper Submission:

  • HICSS papers must contain original material not previously published, or currently submitted elsewhere.
  • Do not submit the manuscript to more than one mini-track. If unsure which mini-track is appropriate, submit the abstract to the Track Chair for guidance.
  • Submit your full paper according to the detailed formatting and submission instructions found on the HICSS website. Note: All papers will be submitted in double column publication format and limited to 10 pages including diagrams and references. HICSS will conduct double-blind reviews of each submitted paper. 

HICSS conferences are devoted to advances in the information, computer, and system sciences, and encompass developments in both theory and practice. Invited papers may be theoretical, conceptual, tutorial or descriptive in nature. Submissions undergo a double-blind peer referee process and those selected for presentation will be published in the Conference Proceedings. Submissions must not have been previously published.

For the latest information visit the HICSS web site at: http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/

 

CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION:


Ralph Sprague, Conference Chair
Email: sprague@hawaii.edu  

Sandra Laney, Conference Administrator
Email: hicss@hawaii.edu