Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation
Purpose – This paper aims to report on research into managers’ and facilitators’ perceptions of effective facilitation.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 20 managers from across five industry sectors, and 20 facilitators from larger organisations or working as consultants, were interviewed in-...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30912 |
| _version_ | 1848753227078565888 |
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| author | Wardale, Dorothy |
| author_facet | Wardale, Dorothy |
| author_sort | Wardale, Dorothy |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Purpose – This paper aims to report on research into managers’ and facilitators’ perceptions of effective facilitation.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 20 managers from across five industry sectors, and 20 facilitators from larger organisations or working as consultants, were interviewed in-depth regarding stories of effective and wholly or partially ineffective facilitation experiences. These stories are analysed within a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm.Findings – Four stages important to facilitation are identified: Preparation, Event, Satisfactory Outcomes and Transfer. Strategies and considerations are evident in the first three stages but poorly discussed and under-utilised strategies in the last.Research limitations/implications – Further research is suggested to identify strategies for implementing outcomes; consider the contribution internal facilitators can make to the facilitation process; appreciate of the context within which the facilitation takes place; and the impact of organisational size and culture of the facilitation process.Practical implications – Facilitation is likely to be more effective if facilitators share a common language with the participant group; are conscious of the Transfer stage through-out the process; and work to ensure affective, as well as effective, outcomes. Managers may also consider training, empowering and utilising their internal facilitators to a greater extent, in recognition of the value-adding their knowledge about the organisation brings.Originality/value – This paper adds a multi-dimensional framework of facilitation to the empirical evidence for academics and practitioners working in the areas of facilitation and group effectiveness. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:21:09Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-30912 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:21:09Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-309122017-09-13T15:10:08Z Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation Wardale, Dorothy Purpose – This paper aims to report on research into managers’ and facilitators’ perceptions of effective facilitation.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 20 managers from across five industry sectors, and 20 facilitators from larger organisations or working as consultants, were interviewed in-depth regarding stories of effective and wholly or partially ineffective facilitation experiences. These stories are analysed within a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm.Findings – Four stages important to facilitation are identified: Preparation, Event, Satisfactory Outcomes and Transfer. Strategies and considerations are evident in the first three stages but poorly discussed and under-utilised strategies in the last.Research limitations/implications – Further research is suggested to identify strategies for implementing outcomes; consider the contribution internal facilitators can make to the facilitation process; appreciate of the context within which the facilitation takes place; and the impact of organisational size and culture of the facilitation process.Practical implications – Facilitation is likely to be more effective if facilitators share a common language with the participant group; are conscious of the Transfer stage through-out the process; and work to ensure affective, as well as effective, outcomes. Managers may also consider training, empowering and utilising their internal facilitators to a greater extent, in recognition of the value-adding their knowledge about the organisation brings.Originality/value – This paper adds a multi-dimensional framework of facilitation to the empirical evidence for academics and practitioners working in the areas of facilitation and group effectiveness. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30912 10.1108/01437731311321896 Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. restricted |
| spellingShingle | Wardale, Dorothy Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation |
| title | Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation |
| title_full | Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation |
| title_fullStr | Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation |
| title_short | Towards a Model of Effective Group Facilitation |
| title_sort | towards a model of effective group facilitation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30912 |