Meeting effectiveness and task performance: meeting size matters

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate how a key meeting design characteristic, meeting size, affects the relationship between meeting effectiveness and task performance through employee engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-wave time-lagged survey design was used to gather data concerning meeting experiences from employees for statistical model testing.

Findings

Using a moderated mediated path analysis, we found that effective meetings only translated into end-of-the-day task performance through engagement when the meeting size was small.

Research limitations/implications

Although much research supports the current findings related to group size and meetings, meeting science has not investigated meeting design characteristics as levers to be pulled to enhance or detract from both meeting outcomes and organizationally desired outcomes. The findings, though are limited, due to potential common method bias, which was limited using methodological and statistical processes.

Practical implications

Managers and meeting attendees should consider how to maintain relatively small meeting size when possible so as to maximize both engagement and performance.

Originality/value

The current study is one of the few to look at meeting size directly as a moderator and helps demonstrate, once again, the importance of effectively designing meetings for success.

Citation

Allen, J.A., Tong, J. and Landowski, N. (2021), "Meeting effectiveness and task performance: meeting size matters", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 40 No. 5, pp. 339-351. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-12-2019-0510