In today’s complex societies the issue of communication gets one of the most challenging tasks among human beings. Especially in organizations the role of communication has become a key factor of success and gaining competitive advantage. The presence of communication is represented in every level of a company, ranging from the enterprise to the functional level. Meetings are used as intermediaries to find ways through implement company missions and visions from the strategic to the operational level.
The following meeting arranged by the management is intended to involve all consultants to participate and take responsibility of increasing assignments but Göran is in argument with Torbjörn and MD Bertil. Torbjörn and Bertil expect Göran not only to arrange a LOOP-seminar and write sales letters about LOOP, which is what he proposed on the meeting, but also to take the responsibility of sending letters in addition to the general letter. The intentions of Bertil and Torbjörn were to get everyone to participate and to take on responsibility for increasing assignment, as well as to result in more sales initiatives.
The goal of the following paper is to analyze the above mentioned meeting and its outcome out of two different perspectives. To reach this goal, first the problems during the meeting as well as the roles of the participants in the meeting are described, analyzed, and interpreted out of a perspective which focuses on the decision-making process itself. Second, several recommendations to improve the way of making decisions and the effectiveness of meetings are provided. Third, an analysis of the meeting with the focus on the use of accounts during the discussion is provided before ending with the conclusions. Additionally, it can be remarked that the analysis is mainly based on the theory of the textbook ‘organizational communication’ written by Katherine Miller as well as the literature provided in the task.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction and Way of Investigation
2 Problems and Roles of the Meeting
3 Recommendations
4 Results of the Meeting out of the Account-focused perspective
5 Conclusions
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to conduct a multi-perspective analysis of a management-led meeting to identify communication shortcomings, role conflicts, and the resulting organizational impact. By applying theories from organizational communication, the study examines why decision-making processes fail when participants lack alignment and utilize ineffective conflict management styles.
- Analysis of participant roles in decision-making processes.
- Evaluation of conflict management styles such as competition and avoidance.
- Application of the "Account-focused perspective" to understand justification and excuses.
- Review of "Functional Theory of group decision making" standards.
- Assessment of the link between communication, group identity, and organizational success.
Excerpt from the Book
The second role fulfills Bertil, the managing director and chairman at the meeting.
By analyzing the dialogue it becomes visible that Bertil is not deeply involved in the discussion as well as in the decision-making process. Furthermore, he does not show any willingness to get more involved in these processes, which shows the fact that he only speaks up three times and stops the meeting without any solution. Thus, he adapts the conflict management style of avoidance.
In the beginning he tried to bring in organization in the process but interrupts himself by directly referring back to the main problem. Additionally, he gets interrupted by another participant when he wanted to contribute his suggestions. This results in a loss of motivation to further participate. In general, he shows no concern for his team members and it seems that his main goal is to finish the meeting as soon as possible.
An effector of his attitude might be the fact that he is the managing director of the team and is just interested in the quantitative outcomes. The other explanation might be the above described interruptions of other participants which made Bertil losing motivation and willingness to find a solution. Anyway, his acting contradicts the role of a leader, since according to literature a leader should motivate, support, and encourage new approaches in order to guide people fulfilling their tasks.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction and Way of Investigation: This chapter outlines the importance of communication in organizational success and defines the scope of analyzing a specific management-led meeting.
2 Problems and Roles of the Meeting: This section details the conflicting roles of the participants and illustrates how individual attitudes and personality clashes hinder effective decision-making.
3 Recommendations: This chapter provides actionable strategies based on organizational communication theories to improve meeting efficiency, such as the use of a devil's advocate.
4 Results of the Meeting out of the Account-focused perspective: This analysis explores how participants use excuses and justifications to avoid responsibility for tasks following the meeting's breakdown.
5 Conclusions: The final chapter summarizes how the failure to adhere to communication rules led to poor outcomes and emphasizes the necessity of aligning individual and organizational values.
Keywords
Business Communication, Decision-making, Conflict Management, Accountability, Organizational Communication, Leadership, Group Dynamics, Functional Theory, Symbolic Convergence, Cognitive Conflict, Affective Conflict, Impression Management, Strategy, Management, Meeting Effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper examines communication patterns and decision-making failures within a professional environment during a specific management-consultant meeting.
Which theoretical frameworks are used?
The analysis utilizes Katherine Miller’s 'Organizational Communication' textbook, the 'Functional Theory of group decision making' by Hirokawa and Gouran, and concepts related to conflict management styles.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The study aims to analyze the ineffective outcomes of the meeting by identifying the dysfunctional roles of participants and providing recommendations for better communication structures.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The paper uses a qualitative analytical approach, contrasting the observed meeting dialogue against established organizational communication theories to derive insights.
What constitutes the main content of the study?
The main body covers the identification of role-related conflicts, the analysis of conflict management styles, and the evaluation of how participants use accounts to distance themselves from responsibility.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include decision-making, conflict management, accountability, leadership, organizational communication, and group dynamics.
Why did the meeting fail to produce actionable results?
The failure was attributed to a lack of leadership, the absence of an agenda, the use of unproductive conflict styles like avoidance and competition, and a failure to reach group consensus.
What is the 'Account-focused perspective' mentioned in the study?
It refers to how participants use linguistic devices—such as justifications and defenses of innocence—to manage their public image and shift blame when goals are not achieved.
- Quote paper
- Niklas Kürten (Author), 2006, Accountability and communication in meetings, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/79071
