To read this content please select one of the options below:

Employees' feelings about more meetings: An overt analysis and recommendations for improving meetings

Joseph A. Allen (Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA)
Stephanie J. Sands (Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA)
Stephanie L. Mueller (Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA)
Katherine A. Frear (Department of Organizational Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA)
Mara Mudd (Bank of America, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA)
Steven G. Rogelberg (Department of Organizational Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA)

Management Research Review

ISSN: 2040-8269

Article publication date: 20 April 2012

2281

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify how employees feel about having more meetings and what can be done to improve employees' feelings about their work meetings.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from three samples of working adults. The first was a convenience sample recruited by undergraduate students (n=120), the second was a stratified random sample from a metropolitan area in the southern USA (n=126), and the third was an internet‐based panel sample (n=402). Constant comparative analysis of responses to open‐ended questions was used to investigate the overarching research questions.

Findings

It is found that employees enjoy meetings when they have a clear objective, and when important relevant information is shared. Consistent with conservation of resources theory, most employees are unhappy with meetings when they reduce their work‐related resources (e.g. meetings constrain their time, lack structure and are unproductive).

Practical implications

The data suggest that meetings appear to be both resource‐draining and resource‐supplying activities in the workplace. Researchers and managers should consider overtly asking about how people feel about meetings, as a means of identifying areas for future research inquiry and targets for improvement in the workplace generally.

Originality/value

The paper describes one of the few studies on meetings that ask the participants overtly what their feelings are regarding their workplace meetings. Additionally, the paper illustrates the usefulness of qualitative data analysis as a means for further understanding workplace activities viewing respondents as informants.

Keywords

Citation

Allen, J.A., Sands, S.J., Mueller, S.L., Frear, K.A., Mudd, M. and Rogelberg, S.G. (2012), "Employees' feelings about more meetings: An overt analysis and recommendations for improving meetings", Management Research Review, Vol. 35 No. 5, pp. 405-418. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211222331

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles