Recapping SW&CR: Meetings, Meetings, Meetings (Ch. 18)

Chapter 18: At the Rendezvous Point: Meetings, Councils, and Conflict (Joseph A. Allen, Emilee Eden, and Katherine Castro)

Did you know that there is a science of meetings? Meeting scientists analyze all aspects, from preparation to outcomes, of formal and informal meetings. In the final chapter of Star Wars and Conflict Resolution, three meeting scientists and professors explore what the various meetings of Star Wars can tell us about how the great battle of good and evil unfolds.

After defining what counts as a “meeting,” the authors track all the meetings in the nine Skywalker Saga films as well as Rogue One, coming up with 439 meetings in all (that’s almost 44 meetings per film). They further categorize each meeting in terms of (1) light side or dark side and (2) the presence of conflict in the meeting, either verbal or physical or both. Their study reveals some fascinating trends, including that the light side meets almost four times as frequently as the dark side. Generally speaking, more frequent meetings is an indicator of greater collaboration and less hierarchy, which is a pretty good description of the interactions within the Rebellion and the Resistance.

The authors then expand upon two examples of meetings, one from the light side (Rogue One meeting in which the Alliance discusses whether to send troops to Scarif) and one from the dark (Kylo Ren menacing some of his officers at the start of The Rise of Skywalker). As the authors describe, the Rogue One meeting is characterized by collaboration and participation, while The Rise of Skywalker meeting showcases the First Order’s tendency toward hierarchy and authoritarianism. Although the authors do not conclude that collaboration is always good and hierarchy is always bad, they point out that how you treat people in meetings may affect your outcomes down the road: 

The dark side embraced an approach to decision-making and conflict within their own organization that mirrored how they sought to rule. Aggressive forms of conflict and conflict resolution in their meetings—just as their aggressive approach to war and governance—ultimately contributed to their demise.

Enjoy!