Despite these drawbacks, meetings remain an indispensable instrument for professional advancement and knowledge transfer. A 2026 study of more than 9,000 Norwegian workers led by Harvard University economist David Deming and published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) evaluated the economic trade-offs of corporate gatherings. Utilizing data collected by the research firm Norstat, the study revealed that higher meeting intensity was positively correlated with subsequent wage growth and accelerated on-the-job skill acquisition.
While the correlational nature of the NBER study prevents establishing direct causation, the findings suggest that meetings offer crucial opportunities for junior employees to observe, interact with, and learn from senior colleagues. Although the immediate operational cost of pulling highly paid staff into meetings is significant, the long-term benefits of organizational learning may outweigh those expenses. As the study’s authors framed it, meetings act as the "broccoli of work"—frequently disliked by employees, yet fundamentally beneficial for long-term career development.
Strategies for Success
To optimize meeting performance, researchers have identified several nuanced tactical adjustments, including the strategic use of humor. Authentic, supportive, and positive humor can foster creative problem-solving and bolster team cohesion. However, video analysis of corporate meetings in Germany conducted by Lehmann-Willenbrock indicates that humor is effective primarily when team members already possess established, trusting relationships that make lighthearted banter feel psychologically safe.
When humor is introduced in formal or unfamiliar environments, social hierarchies significantly influence who feels comfortable making jokes. Science educator and comedian Vita Stout investigated this dynamic during the 2022 International Congress for Bat Research in Austin, Texas. Stout transcribed the timing, exact quotes, and audience reactions to jokes delivered during research presentations.
The study, coauthored with bat researchers and published in Proceedings of Biological Sciences B, concluded that while well-timed humor builds community in academic settings, joke-telling was disproportionately dominated by established, senior male scientists. Early-career researchers and individuals from underrepresented demographic groups were far less likely to use humor during formal presentations.
Timing and scheduling represent another critical component of meeting design. Meeting planners must account for basic human circadian rhythms and avoid scheduling intensive collaborative work during the post-lunch dip in physiological energy. Lehmann-Willenbrock notes that academic and corporate environments frequently violate this principle by slating complex policy or administrative discussions for early afternoon hours when participants experience peak fatigue.
Scheduling practices must also accommodate personal and family commitments outside of work. Session organizers who schedule mandatory late-afternoon gatherings—such as scheduling inclusion committees at 5:00 p.m.—risk alienating employees with caregiving responsibilities.
Finally, organizational leaders must navigate cultural variations in meeting norms, particularly regarding punctuality. In a cross-cultural survey of 1,432 professionals across six nations, Lehmann-Willenbrock and her collaborators analyzed worker reactions to meeting leaders arriving 5, 10, or 15 minutes late. Participants from the United States and the Netherlands reported high levels of frustration and irritation when leaders were tardy. In contrast, respondents from China and Chile demonstrated significantly greater tolerance for late arrivals under identical conditions.
Despite thirty years of accumulated data, the vast majority of meeting science literature remains centered on North American and European corporate environments. Researchers like Kreamer emphasize that expanding empirical studies into broader international contexts remains an essential next step for the field, ensuring that management best practices can be adapted accurately across a globalized workforce.
