Synthetic wisdom: the design of a mixed mode modelling system for organizational decision making

This paper discusses some of the early thinking about the development of a conference-based decision support system. It presents a scheme for the practical development of the mapping of argumentation (`cognitive mapping'), particularly in the field of strategic planning. The objective is to redesign software (COPE) so that it may become both an effective conferencing system for the collection of `synthetic wisdom' and yet also facilitate the analysis of the qualitative and quantitative features of the models so constructed. It stresses the need for the system to be able to cope with both the political and the behavioural aspects of the decision-making arena.