An analysis of meetings management in organisations: The case of Zimbabwe newspapers (1980) Limited

Abstract

The study sought to identify and assess the impact of meeting design characteristics on the meeting effectiveness with specific reference to Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited. The research reviewed both theoretical and empirical literature underpinning meeting design characteristics and meetings in general. The researcher used a mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative which gave rise to descriptive research design which was found to be the most appropriate for this study. From an initial population of 890 management and staff at Zimpapers, a sample size of 150 was used. The sample was selected using first purposive sampling and then simple random sampling. The questionnaire was used as the main data collection instrument and was complimented by participant observation and face-to-face selective interviews and other secondary data sources both internally and externally generated. The research confirmed that agenda use, punctuality practices, leadership of meetings, quality of facilities, decision making approaches and minute keeping as meeting design characteristics are antecedents to the effectiveness of organisational meetings. However, the study indicated that there is little match between what reviewed literature on meetings informs and the actual current practices of meetings in organisations such as Zimpapers. Failure to allocate specific time on each agenda item coupled with participants coming late for meetings resulted in meeting taking more time than necessary at Zimpapers. Minutes were not properly used as a tool of creating a group memory resulting in delayed implementation of decisions made in meetings. For this reason, this tended to negatively affect the effectiveness of meetings as an organisational communication tool. The study recommended that companies should invest in meetings management training and new technologically advanced meeting platforms. The study recommended that further studies can be done on exploring fully the four P's- people, place, process and period, of context on meeting management.