Abstract. This paper presents design science research that aims to improve decision support systems (DSS) development in organizations. Evolutionary development has been central to DSS theory and practice for decades, but a significant problem for DSS analysts remains how to conceptualize the improvement of a decision task during evolutionary DSS development. The objective of a DSS project is to improve the decision process and outcome for a manager making an important decision. The DSS analyst needs to have a clear idea of the nature of the target decision task and a clear strategy of how to support the decision process. Existing psychological research was examined for help with the conceptualization problem, and the theory of cognitive bias is proposed as a candidate for this assistance. A taxonomy of 37 cognitive biases that codifies a complex area of psychological research is developed. The core of the project involves the construction of a design artefact - an evolutionary DSS development methodology that uses cognitive bias theory as a focusing construct, especially in its analysis cycles. The methodology is the major contribution of the project. The feasibility and effectiveness of the development methodology are evaluated in a participatory case study of a strategic DSS project where a managing director is supported in a decision about whether to close a division of a company.
%0 Journal Article
%1 arnott06bias
%A Arnott, David
%D 2006
%J Information Systems Journal
%K cites.dss.r
%N 1
%P 55-78
%R 10.1111/j.1365-2575.2006.00208.x
%T Cognitive biases and decision support systems development: a design science approach
%U http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2575.2006.00208.x
%V 16
%X Abstract. This paper presents design science research that aims to improve decision support systems (DSS) development in organizations. Evolutionary development has been central to DSS theory and practice for decades, but a significant problem for DSS analysts remains how to conceptualize the improvement of a decision task during evolutionary DSS development. The objective of a DSS project is to improve the decision process and outcome for a manager making an important decision. The DSS analyst needs to have a clear idea of the nature of the target decision task and a clear strategy of how to support the decision process. Existing psychological research was examined for help with the conceptualization problem, and the theory of cognitive bias is proposed as a candidate for this assistance. A taxonomy of 37 cognitive biases that codifies a complex area of psychological research is developed. The core of the project involves the construction of a design artefact - an evolutionary DSS development methodology that uses cognitive bias theory as a focusing construct, especially in its analysis cycles. The methodology is the major contribution of the project. The feasibility and effectiveness of the development methodology are evaluated in a participatory case study of a strategic DSS project where a managing director is supported in a decision about whether to close a division of a company.
@article{arnott06bias,
abstract = { Abstract. This paper presents design science research that aims to improve decision support systems (DSS) development in organizations. Evolutionary development has been central to DSS theory and practice for decades, but a significant problem for DSS analysts remains how to conceptualize the improvement of a decision task during evolutionary DSS development. The objective of a DSS project is to improve the decision process and outcome for a manager making an important decision. The DSS analyst needs to have a clear idea of the nature of the target decision task and a clear strategy of how to support the decision process. Existing psychological research was examined for help with the conceptualization problem, and the theory of cognitive bias is proposed as a candidate for this assistance. A taxonomy of 37 cognitive biases that codifies a complex area of psychological research is developed. The core of the project involves the construction of a design artefact - an evolutionary DSS development methodology that uses cognitive bias theory as a focusing construct, especially in its analysis cycles. The methodology is the major contribution of the project. The feasibility and effectiveness of the development methodology are evaluated in a participatory case study of a strategic DSS project where a managing director is supported in a decision about whether to close a division of a company. },
added-at = {2008-05-12T13:50:25.000+0200},
author = {Arnott, David},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2b96b23da10398cddba5b876b656f6cbc/msn},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2575.2006.00208.x},
eprint = {http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2575.2006.00208.x},
interhash = {1e5e5c830e08781a84ef56b0510466b9},
intrahash = {b96b23da10398cddba5b876b656f6cbc},
journal = {Information Systems Journal},
keywords = {cites.dss.r},
number = 1,
pages = {55-78},
timestamp = {2009-06-25T15:59:15.000+0200},
title = {Cognitive biases and decision support systems development: a design science approach},
url = {http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2575.2006.00208.x},
volume = 16,
year = 2006
}