Developing Dialogue Skill-A Qualitative Investigation of an On-Line Collaboration Exercise in a Team Management Course

Business managers, crossfunctional team members, and boundary spanners in organizations often face situations that require the application of dialogue skill, a process of inquiry to create shared meaning or shared understanding among parties. Previous research has suggested that dialogue skill can be developed through use of specifically designed on-line, collaborative activities. In this article, we describe the qualitative investigation of one such activity and Web-based software that can create an environment for developing dialogue skill.