Group Support System And Facilitator Effects On Meeting Outcomes

Differences between teleconferencing, web conferencing and videoconferencing.

Discuss about the Group Support System And Facilitator Effects On Meeting Outcomes.

1. Common terms used in a meeting

• Agenda- this is well-organized list of things to be discussed in a meeting. They help the meeting attendees to know what they should expect to be discussed in the meeting, the role they are expected to play in the meeting and also the likely outcomes they could expect to get after the meeting.
• Minutes- this can termed as a summarized proceeding of a meeting that are written during a meeting. They use a formal language band are somehow permanent. Once approved in the next meeting, they can be useful as evidence or even in any legal matters.
• Chairperson- this is the person who can be termed to be the highest ranking in an organizations. He is responsible of preceding over the meeting to ensure everyone stays in the objectives of the meeting.
• Secretary- he/she can also be termed as the personal assistance. He supports the management in diverse ways such as organizing information on behalf of the boss. In a meeting set up he ensures all member have the relevant information at the right time. This can include the venue and agendas and other related.  He/she also record the proceeding of a meeting.
• Timekeeper- this a person tasked with the responsibility the meeting happens according to the schedule by timing individual as the agendas indicate.
• Casting vote- this is the vote given by the chair person on cases where the votes of rthe meeting attendees ties or equals. This make the thing been voted for to fall on one side.
• Censure- this an expression that formally indicate a total disapproval of something.
• Quorum- this generally the minimum number of members required for a meeting to be validated and to proceed.
• Proxy- this is an individual who has been designated with the role of representing another person in a meeting.

2. Factors related to meeting structures and arrangements that leads to a successful meeting.

• For a successful meeting, there must be utmost control. Many meetings tend to be a failure when either members becomes uncontrollable or even the chairperson loses the ability to control them (Anson, Bostrom and Wynne 1995). If meetings are poorly controlled then they can be perceived to be a waste of time. This bring the need of agendas in a meetings since they serves as goals and defines the boundaries as well. The chair person should not fear to cut people off when they get out of the business of the day.
• The other important thing for the success meeting is a correct choosing of the environment where to conduct the meeting at. Inappropriate environment could at times distort the meeting making them a waste of time (Seferian, et al 2016). For example, if a meeting is conducted in a noisy place, chances of distraction are very high and the main objective could be hard to achieve. It’s important that the meeting place be serene and the room too ought to be well aerated.
• Meeting are also bound to fail if the incorrect people are in attendance. This causes a lot of misunderstand and even at times conflict. These people might not be aware of the purpose and the objective of the meeting.
• Meeting be successful because of scheduling then in the right time Kuo, et al 2005). The term ‘right time at time can be ambiguous but it is simply choosing a time that all members are comfortable with. For example, a meeting in a weekend will inconvenience many people and it might be not be successful. Also in a hot afternoon the members might be struggling with concertation hence timings are very key.

3. The process for planning and arranging and planning a meeting where members are located in different places.

• The very first step will be to make the purpose of the meeting as explicit as possible. This is by having goals and objectives that should be aimed at by the meeting.
• Once the purpose is created, it would be wise to note the type of meeting that we should hold to accomplish this purpose. it can be either formal or informal
• The third step will be to know the participants of the meeting so as to notify them in the observation of the organization procedure.
• The next step will now be to notify these participant. This can be done by the mailing a formal notice.
• Lastly, it would be important top confirm to all the members of the arrangement such as the venue and the accommodation information. This can go handy with the dispatching of all the relevant papers required for the meeting.

4. When is face to face type of meeting the best and why?

Face to face is always the best option when the scope of the meeting is big and detailed. Despite there being advancement in the technology, face to face meetings tends to get things done in the shortest time possible. For example, where there are many and detailed agendas to be discussed, face to face choice of meeting will do with utmost efficiency. This kind of meeting is important since it accompanies facial and body languages which are important for a meeting and cannot be ignored. This type also ensures people are engaged in the meeting and that they all participate.

5. (a) Similarities between teleconferencing, web conferencing and videoconferencing.

One of the major similarity is that these meeting is that members do not have to gather in one place for their success. They are conducted at the convenience of the members. They also both saves time and expenses of holding a meeting if they are compared with the face to face type of meeting.

The difference between these three is that teleconferencing is the oldest and the most known but videoconferencing and web conferencing were recently invented courtesy of the technological advancement. Teleconferencing is also less engaging as it  people cannot see each other unlike in video conferencing where people can see each other facial expression and conduct as the meeting goes on.

6. The responsibility of the chair summarized.

• The major responsibility is that he is a leader and therefore he/she is expected to exercise his authority in the group
• He also acts as he watchdog in the group in diverse action such as protecting them that are weak and controlling them that are jokers among others.
• He plays the role of a referee in case there are conflicts that have arisen.
• He is also the administrator in that he organizes and sets most of the things among others.

7. Effects of dynamics in the success of the meeting.

People in a group have different ways of behaving and this is cannot be debated about in any way since it’s by nature. As you continue to working with these individuals in a meeting, you will realize that group dynamics starts to affect the way your business is conducted. One of the advantages is that these differences are very vital when it comes to innovativeness and creativeness in a meeting (Christensen and Overdorf 2000). With these dynamics conflicts become easy to solve should they arise. They also cause a lot of energy in the meeting which is a plus to the meeting. They are however the great cause of conflicts in a meeting and therefore they should be well monitored. Members tend to be always motivated in their work because of the connection they have with others. Positive dynamics at most time help in ensuring that decisions are arrive at in the fastest way possible with limited conflict.

Having noted the importance of these dynamics, one ought to come up with ways of improving them in aid of a successful meeting. One of the popular strategies will be to know your team so that you can facilitate development where need might be (Montgomery and Strick 1994). Also in the case of a problem, it ought to be handled with an immediate effect without further delays. This is a strategy that call one as a leader to be very watchful of his group. Another strategy will be for one to clearly define the roles and responsibility of each and every person in the team (Nunamaker, Dennis Valacich, Vogel and George 1991). This gives them a sense of direction and failure to develop them always results to poor dynamics. The other strategy will be to focus on good communication among the team to avoid disconnect. For example, in case of any change, the members ought to be well communicated so that all have the same information. Paying close attention to the members is also one of the strategies that can lead to development of good dynamics. This calls the leader to always be updated with what the members are going through

9. What the chair need to check and brief the minute-taker before the task.

Importance of group dynamics in a meeting.

Minute taking can be a tiresome task if not handled in a good way. It requires prior planning to avoid been stacked in the middle of the task. The chairperson however has some role to play on this to ensure that the meeting flows well without any hindrances (Chon  and Feiertag 1990). One of the role is ensuring that the minute taker has a copy of the agendas so that he can be able to follow the meeting with the outline made out of the same. He can also ensure that the minute taker has prepared the attendance list prior from the attendance section of the previous meeting minutes. Lastly and the most important will be to ensure that he/she is well conversant with the minutes of the previous meeting so that he/she can give a response with ease if need may arise in the procession of the meeting

10. Two different styles that minutes may be produced for different meetings.

Minutes can be recorded in two different ways depending on the objective and the purpose of the meeting. One of the style that can be uses is the Agenda-based king of minutes (Bagire Byarugaba and Kyogabiirwe, 2015). This is a formal and a traditional way of doing this where agendas are distributed earlier to the member before the meeting starts. The other style is called the summary. They are somewhat informal and they record the main decision arrived at for the responsibility clarity and for follow up too

1. Checklist for the meeting

Agenda for the meeting.

• Preliminaries
• Reading of the previous meeting’s minutes.
• Matters arising
• Operations update
• Marketing update
• Finance update
• IT status report
• Employee report
• Talk on the office environment
• O.B
• Adjournment

3. Best style for the meeting.

Face to face will be the best style because of the many report that are to bee made.

4. Instructions that will aid participant organization.

• Members shall receive a meeting notification or cancelation in not than 12 hours to the specified meeting time.
• Apologies should be sent 12hrs before the meeting is held.
• Lateness shall attract some disciplinary actions.

5. Relevant parts of the organization procedures and policies to be aware before conducting the meeting.

• Organizational code of conduct.
• Meeting’s expenses requisition procedure
• The quorum needed for a meeting to start.

6. Arrangement checklist

• Confirm the venue
• Ensure the accommodation and meals for the attendees are well catered for.
• Write a reminder to all the attendees.

7. Provisions to budget for.

• Reimbursement of the attendees on the expenses they will incur.
• Meals for the meeting.

References

Anson, R., Bostrom, R. and Wynne, B., 1995. An experiment assessing group support system and facilitator effects on meeting outcomes. Management Science, 41(2), pp.189-208.

Bagire, V., Byarugaba, J. and Kyogabiirwe, J., 2015. Organizational meetings: management and benefits. Journal of Management Development, 34(8), pp.960-972.

Chon, K.S. and Feiertag, H., 1990. The essence of meetings management. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 31(2), p.95.

Christensen, C.M. and Overdorf, M., 2000. Meeting the challenge of disruptive change. Harvard business review, 78(2), pp.66-77.

Kuo, J., Chang, A., Lee, K.P., Young, K., Lin, S.S. and Lai, D., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) Ltd, 2005. Meeting management system. U.S. Patent Application 10/636,439.

Montgomery, R.J. and Strick, S.K., 1994. Meetings, conventions, and expositions: An introduction to the industry. Wiley.

Nunamaker, J.F., Dennis, A.R., Valacich, J.S., Vogel, D. and George, J.F., 1991. Electronic meeting systems. Communications of the ACM, 34(7), pp.40-61.

Seferian, A., Hanson, A., Leerentveld, T. and Jackson, D., Creston Electronics Inc, 2016. Meeting management system including automated equipment setup. U.S. Patent 9,294,723.