I am a member of a committee that meets in a living room type room
with no central table.  I had the idea that it might be interesting to
try meeting in a room with a table around which members would sit.  I
believe that the table approach would be better for building a
community.  I am looking for backround research that might support
this idea.  I found the Harkness Table used at Exeter.  Also, King
Arthur had the Round Table.  Does anyone know of other research or
ideas that would support my idea.  Of course the committee members
will resist any change.

"I am a member of a committee that meets in a living room type room
with no central table.  I had the idea that it might be interesting to
try meeting in a room with a table around which members would sit.  I
believe that the table approach would be better for building a
community.  I am looking for backround research that might support
this idea.  I found the Harkness Table used at Exeter.  Also, King
Arthur had the Round Table.  Does anyone know of other research or
ideas that would support my idea.  Of course the committee members
will resist any change."

Answer:

King Arthur’s devotion to the round table may or may not be based in
fact. Jumping forward a few centuries, however, President Thomas
Jefferson, a man known for taking a populist and egalitarian stance on
social issues, was said to use round tables at his dinner parties
(http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/foundingbrothers/fb_s2_h4.html
). But there are plenty of more contemporary examples of the
popularity and benefits of round tables.

According to the Conflict Research Consortium at the University of
Colorado ( http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/meetdes.htm
), round tables create a less adversarial atmosphere. Even if a group
is divided evenly, technically they aren’t all sitting on one “side,”
fortified against the other.

Common sense dictates that round tables foster greater attention to
the speaker, because everyone can see everyone else. It’s hard to nod
off during the presentation if you’re facing directly at the
presenter. In general, organizations that use or advise the use of
round tables do so because they create a better atmosphere for
friendly discussion, as well as collaboration.

The cited Web page offers advice on how to design a meeting (actually,
there’s quite a lot of useful information, if you’re interested). But
round tables serve a similar purpose in other venues as well. Perhaps
realizing that round tables aren’t just an academic gimmick will make
the committee more agreeable to the change. Here are four more
practical applications:

* According to the Incomm Center for Trade Show Research and Sales
Training (http://www.tradeshowresearch.com/desorig.htm ), round tables
provide a friendlier, more collegial environment.

“Square and rectangular shapes create the impression that visitors
should stand on one side and the sellers on the opposite. They serve
as barriers and reduce the quality of interaction. Round shapes
eliminate the perception of positioning and create a more friendly
side-by-side conversation with the visitor. With round, counter-height
tables, visitors feel more comfortable talking to sales
representatives.”   - Emphasis mine

* According to a minister’s newsletter
(http://webminister.com/mailing/x2000071.htm ), round tables are
better for small, informal groups.

“The use of a round table for a group can create a warm friendly
feeling instead of an atmosphere of cold rejection often associated
with rectangular tables … For small groups, the heart-to-heart group
of five to nine can easily sit around a five foot round table, where
one can see everybody except the people on the right and left. In that
case, one must make a 90-degree turn to speak with them. In these
small groups the teacher will need to sit down and teach in a closer
environment. When people sit around a round table they talk with one
another.” – Emphasis mine

* In an effort to make students feel less isolated, a middle school
replaced rectangular cafeteria tables with round tables (
http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20000919bully3.asp ). The
newspaper quoted the principal as saying, "That way, everyone is
facing each other and everyone can be included in the conversation."

* Designshare (http://www.designshare.com/Fielding/Harbor_City_International.htm
) uses tables for project work space. The physics of this make a lot
of sense: Everyone can see the materials used, any member of the team
can pass a document or other item to another member quickly, and if
the table is full, whatever is on the table can be seen from any
direction.

This answer was just OK, since my main question had to do with a table
or no table, not with the pros and cons of square table vs. round
table, which the answer seems to deal with.  Rereading my question, I
think it was clear.