The long-term effectiveness of mediating workplace conflicts

Meriem Kalter*, Katalien Bollen, Martin Euwema

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In this study, we explore the long-term effectiveness of the mediation of hierarchical workplace conflicts by comparing and analyzing participants' perceptions of short-term and long-term mediation effectiveness. Specifically, we surveyed supervisors and subordinates to determine the extent to which they perceive mediation to be effective one year after the conclusion of the process. In this study, we distinguish between mediations that result in a continuing employment relationship versus exit mediations, which occur when employees end their employment. We collected data from real workplace mediation cases in the Netherlands. Our results show a general positive relationship between short-term and long-term mediation outcomes. Supervisors and subordinates, however, perceive the long-term outcomes somewhat differently, with supervisors perceiving greater compliance with the agreement than did subordinates after one year. We found no significant difference in perceptions of long-term effectiveness between exit and nonexit mediations. In the article, we discuss the implications of our findings for mediation theory and practice.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)243-265
Number of pages22
JournalNegotiation Journal
Volume34
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2018

Keywords

  • mediation
  • long-term mediation effectiveness
  • workplace mediation
  • hierarchical conflict
  • subordinate-supervisor conflict
  • exit mediation
  • INTERDEPENDENCE THEORY
  • POWER
  • SATISFACTION
  • UNEMPLOYMENT
  • COOPERATION
  • PERSPECTIVE
  • BEHAVIOR
  • TRUST
  • WORK
  • LIFE

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The long-term effectiveness of mediating workplace conflicts'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this