ABSTRACT
Many construction sector reports have claimed that the interaction between management and design teams are often conducted in an adversarial environment, with interaction being characterised by tension, negative emotion and conflict. Contrary to such perceptions, the data collected from the progress meetings did not reveal high levels of emotional interaction, but more subtle traits of interaction. Although the research findings are based on a small sample of meetings compared with the number of meetings that take place on a daily basis, the findings tend to suggest that the behaviour of the participants, and thus the culture that exists within, and between, progress meetings may be less adversarial than the reports allude to. Indeed, the research shows that there is a lack of emotional expression within meetings.
