The Association for Conflict Resolution

and the Institute for the Study of Conflict Resolution

announce

A NEW PUBLICATION!

TRANSFORMATIVE MEDIATION: A SOURCEBOOK

 Answers to your Questions about Transformative Mediation,

in 24 Essays by Expert Practitioners and Scholars

Does transformative mediation produce resolutions?

Does it produce “upstream effects”?

 “The United States Postal Service chose transformative mediation for the national model…  Since USPS implemented the REDRESS mediation program, formal complaints of discrimination have dropped from a high of about 14,000 a year to under 10,000 a year. A statistical analysis demonstrated that the turning point in this trend and subsequent drop in formal complaints correlated with implementation of the program in each geographic district.  In other words, it is fair to conclude that the program caused the drop in complaint filings. This trend suggests that mediation has a positive impact in that these complaints are resolved through mediation at the informal complaint stage and do not reach the formal complaint stage; hence, there is a drop in formal complaint filings….

“The participants in mediation may be learning conflict management skills to take back to the workplace. There is evidence of this “upstream effect” from mediation.  Controlling for changes in the size of the workforce, informal EEO complaint filings have dropped 30 percent since their peak before USPS implemented REDRESS.  There is also evidence of changes in the way that supervisors describe how they handle conflict at the workplace after REDRESS. There are reports of more listening, more openness to expressions of emotion, and less top-down hierarchical response to conflict. Finally, there has been a gradual increase in efforts by the parties to a dispute to resolve it after a request for mediation is made, but before they get to the table.    This too is evidence that conflict management skills are moving upstream.”

Read the full answer, in Lisa Bingham’s chapter, “Mediation at Work: Transforming the USPS”

And Many More Questions Answered in the “Sourcebook”…

What key differences are there

between transformative and facilitative practice?

read Dan Simon’s chapter, “Transformative Mediation for Divorce”

What place does transformative mediation have

in court-connected programs?

read Jody Miller’s chapter, “The Transformative Model in a Community Center”

How can transformative practices be used to conduct

team building in organizations?

read Joe Folger’s chapter, “A Transformative Orientation to Team Building Work”

Edited by J. Folger, B. Bush, and D. Della Noce; published by ACR and ISCT

Order online today, at www.transformativemediation.org