Participation in ICT-Enabled Meetings

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Abstract:

Meetings are a common occurrence in contemporary organizations, and almost everyone shares an understanding of what a meeting is and what participation in a meeting looks like. Yet our exploratory study at Intel, an innovative global technology company, suggests that meetings are evolving beyond this familiar perspective as the pervasive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) changes work practices associated with meetings. Drawing on data gathered from interviews prompted by entries in the employees’ electronic calendar system, we examine the multiple ways in which meetings build and reflect work in the organization and derive propositions to guide future research. Specifically, we identified four aspects of meetings that reflect work in the 21st century: meetings are integral to work in team-centered organizations, tension between group and personal objectives, discontinuities, and ICT support for fragmented work environment.