EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION.
ARTICLES.
Harmony, Peacemaking, Power: Controlling Processes and African Mediation (Mark Davidheiser)
Scholars such as Laura Nader have criticized mediation as a form of coercive harmony. In this article, the author draws upon his work in mediation in The Gambia to refute Nader’s criticism and to articulate the ability of mediation to serve power-balancing and social-cohesion functions.
Taking the Footing of a Neutral Mediator (Brian L. Heisterkamp)
Neutrality continues to be debated in the mediation community, yet for some styles of mediation it is clearly an assumed standard of conduct. How does the mediator establish neutrality? This conversation analysis research illustrates several ways that mediators may use conversational devices to take the footing of neutrality in Goffman’s sense of the term.
Managing Conflict During an Organizational Acquisition (Cynthia F.Cohen, Stanley J. Birkin, Murray E.Cohen, Monica J.Garfield, Harold W.Webb)
Mergers and acquisitions are conflict-ridden processes. The types of conflicts that can arise are discussed in this qualitative study of one such merger and acquisition.
COLLOQUY: THE HUMAN FACE OF ON-LINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (Guest Editors: Melissa Conley Tyler and Susan S. Raines).
The Human Face of On-line Dispute Resolution (Melissa Conley Tyler, Susan S. Raines)
Conley Tyler and Raines introduce the papers in this colloquy that were selected from papers presented at the Third Forum on Online Dispute Resolution hosted by the International Conflict Resolution Centre at the University of Melbourne in July 2005 in conjunction with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
Keeping Pace: On-line Technology and ADR Services (David Syme)
The author reflects on the sources of resistance to ODR, suggesting that some of that resistance is a discomfort with technology and arguing that we need to push beyond that discomfort if the field is to maximize its potential.
Mediating in Your Pajamas: The Benefits and Challenges for ODR Practitioners (Susan S. Raines)
Drawing from panel discussions, interviews, and surveys with ODR professionals, Raines reviews the benefits and challenges of ODR for the ADR practitioner. In addition, she discusses how emotions and cognitive limitations influence the mediation process online, and presents methods by which ODR neutrals may address these human needs in their process.
Transforming Landscapes: Forging New ODR Systems with a Human Face (Sanjana Hattotuwa)
Most theories of ODR are based in assumptions about technological resources and realities that fit the Global North. In this article, Hattotuwa argues that new approaches and conceptualizations are needed in the development and utility of ODR in the Global South—and particularly in Southeastern Asia.
Accreditation of On-line Dispute Resolution Practitioners (Melissa Conley Tyler, Jackie Bornstein)
The incorporation of ODR into the practice of dispute resolution creates the need to address issues of accreditation such as the qualifications of practitioners and standards of practice for resolving disputes online. This paper outlines models for accrediting practitioners and how this impacts on the emerging field of ODR, including case studies of accreditation systems introduced by ODR providers.
