The Effect of Junk Comments Filtering on Computer-Based Group Idea Generation Performance: An Individual-Level Analysis Using Group Simulation

Companies have recognized a successful utilization of Groupware as a key driver for performance enhancement. Accordingly, computer-based group decision making has been widely adopted in the workplace as more than a management fashion. However, researchers have cautioned the widespread use of Groupware due to critical process losses that could undermine its benefits. Among various process losses identified, this study focuses on the role of junk comments that cause a domino effect from cognitive interference to social loafing to negative productivity matching. Given that recent studies suggest sanctions in the form of junk filtering as a plausible solution to reduce or eliminate junk comments, a real-time filtering mechanism (no filtering vs. weak filtering vs. strong filtering) with varying degrees of junk comments (0% vs. 20% vs. 45%) was incorporated into a computer-based group idea-generation simulator to measure the performance of individuals; comment stimulation was operationalized by presenting controlled comment submissions from simulated group members throughout the idea-generation session. The result showed no interaction effect between junk comments and the filtering mechanisms. To be specific, the junk filtering mechanisms under anonymity did not have an effect on idea generation performance, whereas an adequate proportion of junk comments turned out to be not necessarily a deterrent to idea generation performance. The implications of these findings for future research, as well as the implications for the design of group idea generation procedures are discussed.