What is Meeting? – Advantages, Disadvantages and Preconditions of Meeting

What is Meeting

Generally, meeting means an occasion where people come together to discuss or make adventurous decisions on something. Meeting participants get together and discuss a problem or issue or a special matter. It is also defined as a type of meeting, be it formal meeting or informal meeting, in which two or more people meet together in order to take a decision. It is an effective and important tool in the communication process. Meeting enables face-to-face contact with a number of people at the same time to discuss meeting agenda. Many meetings take place in a business organization. Some definitions of people at the same time. Many meeting types take place in a business organization. Some definitions of meetings are as follows:

According to Denyer, ”Company means an organized assembly of persons according to law for transaction of business of common interest.”

According to Thill and Bovee, “Meetings are called to solve problems or share information’s.”

So, meeting is a situation in which two or more people meet together for formal group discussion about a specific problem, issues, predetermined topic.

Advantages of Meetings

In the business, organizations meetings are used for a variety of purpose. There are some advantages of meeting which are stated below:

• Democratic process: Meeting is a democratic process of taking decision. None can blame other for the decision because it is taken in presence of all the meeting attendees.
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• Improve decision: Improved decision can be taken through meeting. Because every matter is discussed pros and cons and nothing is left unconsidered. Proverb says “Two heads are better than one.” Successful meeting discuss the key issues of the agenda topic.
• Participative management: Participative management can be materialized through comprehensive meeting. All the departmental heads and supervisors may sit together for taking common decision.
• Help in coordination: Meeting can help for co-coordinating the work as a whole because all the parties or members are present in the meeting.
• Covey information to a large gathering: Board meeting can convey information for all departments. Besides the members present exchange their views, idea, opinion and feeling at a large gathering.
• Others: Provide necessary information to a group of people, report on some incidents or activities, create involvement and interest, formulate policies etc. They decide on the choice of topic and their is clarity of expectation about the meeting to be held at conference spaces and other locations.

Disadvantages of meetings:

There are some limitations and disadvantages of meeting. These limitations and disadvantages are discussed below:

• Time-consuming: Meeting takes much time to take decision. We know that to hold a meeting is very time-consuming.
• Costly: It is too much expensive. Because the company has to decorate the conference room, pay the T.A. and D. A. to the members, pay for cards etc.
• Formalities: There are many formalities to hold on a meeting. Agenda, minutes, regulations are needed for a valid meeting.
• Difficult to control: Sometimes it becomes very difficult for the speaker or chairman to control over the meeting because proverb says, “Many men many minds.”

Preconditions of a valid meeting

Valid meeting should have the following elements:

• Legal objectives: Any meeting must have legal objectives. Meetings on illegal or unethical purposes cannot be valid in the eye of law.
• Convened by proper authority: A valid meeting should be contended by the proper authority of the company.
• Serving proper notice in proper time: Notice of a meeting must be served timely by maintaining rules and regulations of the companies act.
• Presence of authorized persons: To make a meeting valid person who is entitled to present in a particular type of meeting should be present at the meeting.
• Presided over by a chairman: A valid meeting should be presided over by a chairman who will be selected by the members.
• Specific agenda: A detail agenda should be prepared before the meeting and the meeting should be operated by following agenda.
• Quorum: Quorum is the minimum number of persons that must be present at the meeting to make it valid.