Reception or Deception?- Participants’ Disengagement during Teleconferencing in the Gambia Context

Abstract

Purpose: Teleconferencing, a mode of organizational and informal group communication, has become so dominant in the epidemic era that it impacts highly on organizational functions. This descriptive study  carried out among teleconferencing users in Kanifing Municipal Council of The Gambia sought to investigate the respondents’ perceptions of the prevalence of the practice of disengaging during teleconferencing, the reasons why people disengage during teleconferencing, the gender dimension to disengaging during teleconferencing and how participants can be kept actively engaged during teleconferencing. Methodology: Both the quantitative and qualitative survey methods were adopted. 77 people responded to the questionnaire. In-depth interviews were also conducted with 5 frequent users of teleconferencing platforms. Findings: The results show that the practice of disengagement during teleconferencing is highly prevalent. 52 percent of the respondents admitted that they don’t listen all through the teleconferencing events; 76.1 percent have got up at one time or the other to attend to other issues; 19.7 percent have got up more than 20 times to attend to other issues; and 81.3 percent of the participants have experienced situations where participants stayed signed in even though they were no longer in the meeting. Major reasons given for participants’ disengagement include internet accessibility, cited by 40.5 percent of the respondents; distraction, cited by 40.4 percent. 14.4 percent of the respondents cited the fact that participants have the confidence that others in the meeting will be unaware of their disengagement. This claim was also buttressed by 4 of the key informants during the in-depth interview. Most of the respondents, 87 percent, were of the view that females disengage more often  than males. 60 percent of those who express this view gave engagement with domestic chores as the reason for this. Ways suggested to keep participants engaged include ensuring meeting adopt the participatory mode, suggested by 24.3 percent of the respondents; solving internet issues of instability, suggested by 24.3percent; demanding that participants keep on their videos, suggested by 17.1 percent; ensuring meeting schedules and timing are favourable, suggested by 15.7 percent and  lowering internet data costs, suggested by 7.1 percent. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study concludes that disengagement during teleconferencing is highly prevalent, distractions and internet problems of connectivity and affordability are major reasons for disengagement and organisers of teleconferencing must control for these factors. It is recommended that organisations offer their staff gadgets for internet access; the government on its own part should explore all means possible to ensure internet stability in the Gambia.