Parliamentary procedure in a community group: Communication and vigilant decision making

Abstract

Parliamentary procedure is pervasive in most decision‐making groups of a dozen or more persons, but it is has been understudied as an important influence on the group communication process. It is not well understood by members of groups who claim to have adopted it, and procedures are seldom invoked in ways that suggest a very sophisticated model. However, parliamentary procedure need not be considered as simply a rigid set of laws. This multi‐phase research project provides insight into how parliamentary procedure is selectively used in community groups and functions as a set of rules that influences the vigilance of the communication process.

Key words:

• Parliamentary Procedure
• Group Communication
• Vigilant Interaction Theory
• Case Study Research