The effects of scenario planning on perceptions of conversation quality and engagement

Abstract

This article presents a replication and extension study of the relationship between scenario planning and perceptions of conversation quality and engagement. The key contribution of this article is that it addresses a major limitation of the previous study - a small sample size. This article begins with descriptions of scenario planning, conversation quality, and dialogue which establish a foundation for scenario planning and theoretical framework for measuring the effects of scenario planning on perceptions of conversation quality and engagement. Data from participant perceptions of strategic conversations skills were collected pre–and post–scenario planning project, and were subsequently compared using paired samples t–test for data analysis. For testing the construct validities of the proposed measurement models, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also conducted. This study suggests strong evidence of construct validity for the scale measuring conversation quality and engagement and further demonstrates that scenario planning is associated with significant increases in self–reported personal and interpersonal conversation and engagement skills, with moderate and strong effect sizes respectively.