Chapter Seven Meetings: Conflict and Interventions.

Chapter Seven

Meetings: Conflict and Interventions

Chapter Objectives

1. Identify common conflicts that surface during meetings.

2. Describe counterproductive tendencies of participants and groups.

3. List and explain conflict-reducing techniques.

4. Identify and describe types of meeting leaders.

5. Explain what is meant by same-site electronic meetings.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Values of Organizational

Meetings1. To announce organizational

change.

2. To produce or solicit solutions to organizational problems.

3. To gain acceptance of decisions through participation.

4. To “cultivate members as individuals” and create group cohesion.


Primary and Secondary Tensions

• Primary tensions are the feelings of uneasiness experienced when people first meet.

• Secondary tensions occur later in group development.


Reasons for Primary Tensions

• High communication apprehension.

• Participants imagine potential topics that make them uncomfortable.

• Anxiety regarding the topic.

• Worry of increased workload or assignment outside their range of ability.

• Participants are unprepared to participate

• Their past experience with this or other groups has been negative.

• Participants have had bad experiences with other group members.

• They have more urgent projects to worry about.


Four Types of Secondary Tensions

1. Procedural– Stem from belief that procedures are

not effective.

2. Equity– Occurs from perceptions of inequality.

• When members feel they have to do more than others (taking up the slack from social loafers).

• When they believe that they are being ignored by more powerful or controlling members.


Four Types of Secondary Tensions

3. Affective– Occurs when people start to dislike

one another.

4. Substantive – Positive tension that occurs from

legitimate disagreements. • Promotes creativity/helps in problem

solving• Promotes the sharing of ideas• Helps test the strength of opposing

ideas.Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Counterproductive Group Tendencies

Groupthink• Refers to the tendency on groups

to make decisions without considering alternatives.

• Causes for groupthink include:– A desire to conform.– Fear of “rocking the boat.”



The Asch Effect• Refers to self-perceived “peer

pressure,” or pressure to conform.Goal Lining • The tendency for group members to

view reaching the goal as the only criterion towards meaningful interaction.– The potential for valuable discussion and

creativity may be stifled as group members rush toward goals.


(continued)


Ethnocentrism• The tendency to believe one’s own culture is

superior to others.– Fosters affective and equity tensions.

Inadequate Agendas • Offer the illusion of structure instead of

offering real facilitation.• Agendas that are ignored also pose problemsHidden Agendas • Refer to personal and/pr political meeting

objectives that are hidden from the group.


(continued)


Competition vs. Cooperation• Competition reduces constructive

interaction.– People become ego-involved and

less flexible towards other opinions.

– Goals change from group goals to individual ones; namely “to win.”


(continued)


Tolerating High-level Term Abstraction

• Abstract words are open to multiple interpretations.– This may lead people to have a

different understanding of what is being discussed.

– Clarifying vague or abstract terms is necessary to enhance a group’s understanding of what is to be accomplished.


(continued)

Interventions

An intervention is a tool or technique used to alter behavior that would not likely be altered had there been no intervention.Types of interventions include:

1. Buzz Groups

2. Brainstorming and Brainwriting.3. Nominal Group Techniques.4. Problem Census.5. Risk Technique6. General Procedural ModelOrganizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Types of Interventions

Buzz Groups• Large groups are split into

smaller groups which meet separate from the others and reconvene after discussion. Benefits include– Participation from all group members.– A decrease in equity problems.– Highly apprehensive speakers are more

likely to contribute in discussion. Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©


Brainstorming and Brainwriting• Are idea-generating processes

that identify and record all ideas germane to a specific topic.– People are not allowed to criticize

ideas during brainstorming sessions.

– People are typically encouraged to offer outlandish ideas or use others ideas as springboards for their own thoughts.


(continued)


Nominal Group Techniques• Similar to brainwriting in that

people write down their solutions to a problem individually.– The leader then reviews each item

so the authors can elaborate and clarify each of them.

– Participants then vote on the most preferable solutions which are then discussed.


(continued)


Problem Census• Members are initially polled regarding

their individual perspective and perceptions of the problem.– This helps members stay on the same

page regarding the nature and dimensions of the topic.

– This also gives a group a better sense of the task at hand and the methods used to proceed towards group goals.


(continued)


General Procedural Model• Combines many of the other

techniques and is effective for groups experiencing procedural conflict.

1. Identify the problem.2. Brainstorm.3. Evaluate ideas.4. Select best idea.5. Put the solution into effect.


(continued)

Making Interventions Work

1. Group Members need to become participant/observers.– Be vigilant and follow procedural

processes.– Try not to default to

counterproductive tendencies.

2. Groups need strong leadership.– Leaders have many responsibilities.


Leadership Responsibilities

• Plan the meeting.• Get the meeting

started.• Keep the

discussion on track.• Summarize

Periodically.• Solicit comments

from quiet members

• Curtail verbose members.

• Employ interventions.

• Conclude the meeting

• Plan for the next session.


Leadership Styles

Authoritarian or Autocratic Leaders

• Dictorial and nondemocratic.

• Would determine meeting agenda.Laissez-Faire Leaders• Take a hands off approach to

leadership.• Would assume that if the group

needed an agenda, they would create one.Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Leadership Styles

Democratic Leaders• Seek input from group members.• Make decisions with the concerns of

group members recognized.• Ask for input from others about what

should be in the agenda and when a meeting might be. Then creates the agenda.


Electronic Meetings

Advantages of electronic meetings:

• Anonymity.– Increase of substantive conflict and a

reduction of equity conflict.

• Simultaneous entry.• Structured format allows for less

procedural conflict.• An immediate record is available.


Electronic Meetings

Disadvantages of electronic meetings:

• May be considered dehumanizing.• Lacks nonverbal components that

compliment verbal messages.• Anonymity is an illusion since people

can be identified by their writing style or use of catch phrases.

• People deserve credit for good ideas.• Cost of technology is high.


Chapter Seven Meetings: Conflict and Interventions.

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