Dialogue Orientations in Workplace Meetings

This study examined conversation preferences in workplace meetings via a cross-sectional survey of working adults ( N = 217). Dialogue orientations from the argumentation literature were employed in conjunction with a typology of meetings proposed by the authors to examine communication and satisfaction in various types of meetings. Results revealed that three dialogue orientations (negotiation, information-giving, and eristic) predicted meeting satisfaction to a moderate degree. In addition, the use of several dialogue orientations differed depending on meeting type and an individual’s supervisory role. We discuss how these results can inform our understanding of dialogue opportunities and constraints during meetings, and recommend ways for improving meetings. These results are discussed in the context of organizational communication, including practical recommendations and theoretical implications.

Meeting mirth: The critical role of impression management and humor style in meetings

Drawing from theory on humor styles, impression management, and workplace meetings, we conducted two survey studies of working adults to examine the role of positive and negative humor on meeting satisfaction. We began by investigating the positive effects of humor on meeting satisfaction as moderated by impression management. In an online survey of working adults, we found that humor use in meetings was positively related to meeting satisfaction. Impression management moderates this relationship, such that the positive relationship between the use of humor in meetings and meeting satisfaction is significantly stronger for individuals who report relatively low impression management. In a second study, we investigated perceptions of impression management use in meeting humor. Using an experimental 2×2 factorial design, we investigated how use of impression management strategies differentially impacts meeting attendees’ perceptions of humor styles. We found that affiliative humor resulted in greater meeting satisfaction than aggressive humor. Furthermore, use of impression management enhanced meeting satisfaction following aggressive humor and diminished meeting satisfaction following affiliative humor.

Patient Satisfaction in Tertiary Private Hospitals in Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Aim This study is aimed to assess the level of satisfaction of patients in tertiary private hospitals in Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This study used descriptive crosssectional design through a survey questionnaire. Results A great majority (57%) of respondents are male. Almost half (46.7%) of the respondents are 26 to 35 years old, some (30.3%) are more than 35 years old. The majority (54.5%) of hospitalized patients are married. Some (35.8%) of them reached the secondary level and some (31.5%) completed college. A great majority (57.6%) of the respondents’ salary was below 5,000 SR. A great majority pay their hospitalization by themselves (60.6%). Mean scores revealed: For facilities, the mean was 4.12, standard deviation (SD) = 0.85. For general services, the mean was = 4.13, SD= 0.77. The physician services scored mean = 4.06, SD= 0.88. The highest level of satisfaction according to mean is nursing services with mean= 4.22, SD= 0.80 and the lowest among the variables is convenience with mean= 4.05, SD= 0.84. The overall level of patient satisfaction with the services they received indicated by the mean is 3.91, SD= 1.1. Conclusion Researchers conclude that patients catered by the private tertiary hospitals in Najran Saudi Arabia are more of males, at middle adulthood, and are married who reached the secondary level and have an income of below 5,000 SR and have no health insurance. The level of satisfaction of patients in the private tertiary hospitals is satisfactory and that nursing service has the highest satisfaction level, which is very satisfactory. Clinical significance: The findings of this study are beneficial to the success of the organization. A patient who is satisfied will spread his experience to other people. A satisfied patient will also equate to return of investment. Meeting satisfaction of patients will also decrease the risk of malpractice lawsuits. Clinical significance The findings of this study are beneficial to the success of the organization. A patient who is satisfied will spread his experience to other people. A satisfied patient will also equate to return of investment. Meeting satisfaction of patients will also decrease the risk of malpractice lawsuits. How to cite this article Llego JH, Al Shirah MO. Patient Satisfaction in Tertiary Private Hospitals in Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2017;5(1):42-46.

Our love/hate relationship with meetings

Purpose Employees at all organizational levels spend large portions of their work lives in meetings, many of which are not effective. Previous process-analytical research has identified counterproductive communication patterns to help explain why many meetings go wrong. This study aims to illustrate the ways in which counterproductive – and productive – meeting behaviors are related to individual work engagement and emotional exhaustion. Design/methodology/approach The authors built a new research-based survey tool for measuring counterproductive meeting behaviors. An online sample of working adults (N = 440) was recruited to test the factor structure of this new survey and to examine the relationships between both good and bad meeting behaviors and employee attitudes beyond the meeting context. Findings Using structural equation modeling, this study found that counterproductive meeting behaviors were linked to decreased employee engagement and increased emotional exhaustion, whereas good meeting behaviors were linked to increased engagement and decreased emotional exhaustion. These relationships were mediated via individual meeting satisfaction and perceived meeting effectiveness. Research limitations/implications The study findings provide a nuanced view of meeting outcomes by showing that the behaviors that people observe in their meetings connect not only to meeting satisfaction and effectiveness but also to important workplace attitudes (i.e. employee engagement and emotional exhaustion). In other words, managers and meeting leaders need to be mindful of behavior in meetings, seek ways to mitigate poor behavior and seek opportunities to reward and encourage citizenship behavior. Originality/value This study shows how good and bad meeting behaviors relate to employee perceptions of meeting effectiveness and individual job attitudes. The authors develop a science-based, practitioner-friendly new survey tool for observing counterproductive meeting behavior and offer a juxtaposition of good and bad meeting behaviors in a single model.

The Interaction of Process Losses, Process Gains, and Meeting Satisfaction Within Technology-Supported Environments

Although computer mediated communication (CMC) technology has been shown to enhance productivity, increase participation equality, and improve decision quality, these reported increases in performance have not always been accompanied by related increases in meeting satisfaction. Various input-process-output models in the CMC literature have portrayed process losses and process gains as important variables affecting meeting satisfaction. A research model portraying the impact of process losses and process gains upon two dimensions of meeting satisfaction (outcome satisfaction and process satisfaction) is developed and tested. Results indicate that process losses generate negative effects upon both dimensions of meeting satisfaction, but only within identified CMC environments. Within anonymous CMC environments, however, the effect of process losses upon either outcome satisfaction or process satisfaction is negligible. Conversely, process gains generate positive effects upon both outcome and process satisfaction regardless of anonymity levels. These findings suggest that the inconsistencies in research outcomes regarding CMC meeting satisfaction may be resolved if researchers distinguish between outcome satisfaction and process satisfaction as separate dimensions of meeting satisfaction.