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Electronic meeting facilitation (e‐facilitation) continues to be a critical success factor in the use of information technology to support face‐to‐face collaborative work. Yet researchers and practitioners continue to struggle to understand the subtleties and difficulties in the application of meeting facilitation techniques in the ‘electronic’ context. To clarify that understanding, this paper develops a new theoretical framework that examines how technology interacts with human facilitator behavior in an electronic group meeting. This framework, The Dualities of E‐Facilitation, is composed of two dualities: the Duality of Computer and Human Interaction, and the Duality of Routine and Intuitive Actions. The framework emerged from an analysis of the e‐facilitation behaviors of newly trained face‐to‐face electronic meeting facilitators.

The Worldwide Web has recently emerged as a highly effective technology to permit individuals to exchange and share information from around the globe. This paper investigates the applicability of the Web‐based technology to the support of team meetings in Korean corporations. We first examine key cultural characteristics of Korean enterprises as they relate to the way the firms conduct team meetings, and discuss a few design issues in the context of the characteristics. We argue that the organizational culture of Korean firms calls for a merger of text‐based electronic meeting support with video conferencing capability if meetings are to be productive. Ultimately, we envision an integrated team support system that meets the needs of Korean firms for collaborative tasks regardless of the time and location dimensions.

We all could make a list of what's wrong with most meetings. What's said doesn't reflect what people are thinking. People with good ideas don't get heard. Contradicting your boss is bad politics. Precious time is lost in endless debates. What if you could just press a button to put an end to the wrangling? What if everyone's ideas were automatically added to the agenda? Welcome to the brave new world of Electronic Meeting Systems.

Face‐to‐face business meetings are a widely used method of group interaction, and a rich source of data on what actually happens in group discussions. Active participation in a meeting is usually perceived to be making an oral contribution of some kind to the discussion. This paper describes a field study of ten face‐to‐face business meetings which were videotaped and subsequently analysed. Participant contributions were coded, and the data summarized. The mean contribution was approximately 12 seconds and 18 words. The most common contribution type was information giving. The highest single contributor in each meeting captured, on average, about 30% of the available airtime, while the two highest, combined, captured over half of the airtime. These findings are discussed within the context of requirements for designers of collaborative technology systems to support group interpersonal communication through the use of computing and data communication technologies.

Effective meeting facilitation is recognised as a critical factor in group support systems (GSS) use but relatively little is known about how organisations can train and develop their “electronic meeting facilitators”. This article describes an action learning (AL) approach to the training of GSS facilitators. It begins with a description of the three schools of AL. The application of the “experiential” school of AL in GSS facilitation training is then explained. Finally, the article describes some lessons learned for both practitioners and researchers.

Addresses the vital issue of effective meetings in today′s organizations. Compares and contrasts the differences between using traditional brainstorming and electronic brain‐storming (EBS) in meetings. An analysis of EBS and its uses will furnish organizations with an insight of this powerful technology. Groups usually meet in order to generate ideas, to share information, and to initiate action. These group meetings may not always be effective. Frequently the discussion will bypass the focal points of the meetings or members will be apprehensive as to how other members will perceive their ideas. Recommends that organizations utilize EBS, for this technology can improve group effectiveness and communication.

Reports part of a grounded theory study in which 15 facilitators, already experienced in conventional meetings, were trained to become facilitators of face‐to‐face electronic meetings. Presents a model ‐ “Active reflection” ‐ of the reflective practice processes used by the trainee facilitators. Active reflection is a term which describes the trainees’ accounts of the two complementary action reflection processes: reflection on action (thinking back on what was done) and reflection in action (thinking about the action while one is doing it). Identifies a number of implications for group support systems facilitation training and practice.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.