CONFLICT MANAGEMENT The Psychology of conflict and conflict ...

310 GOLDMAN, CROPANZANO, STEIN, AND BENSON
accomplished. For example, is transformative mediation actually a new idea,
or have mediators been acting in accordance with this model all along?
There are several areas related to the effects of time constraints on the
mediation process that warrant future research. One such area is the relationship
between time constraints and the mediation process. For example,
do the effects of time constraints differ depending on the stage of the
mediation process at which the time constraint occurs?
A second area that warrants future research is the relationship between
time constraints and the perspective of the parties in the dispute. As stated
earlier in this manuscript, most research on mediation in the workplace
has focused on the worker’s perspective (e.g., McDermott, Obar, Jose, &
Bowers, 2000). Future research should address the effects of time constraints
on the mediation process from various perspectives including the
perspectives of the employer, employee, and the legal system.
A third area for future research is the relationship between time constraints
and the strategy or type of third party mediation used by the parties
involved in the dispute. For instance, researchers could investigate if
time constraints affect facilitation, advising, mediation, and/or arbitration
in the same manner. Researchers could also investigate whether having
time constraints influences the type of mediation that occurs (e.g., under
severe time constraints disputants prefer arbitration to facilitation because
they need resolution quickly).
From a methodological standpoint, it would be beneficial to see more
qualitative research examining the most efficient and effective strategies
that third parties employ in various situations. Specifically, while we
know the different types of strategies that third parties utilize, we still do
not know which ones work the best. Similarly, are certain goals better for
a mediator to espouse than other goals? Additional qualitative research
in organizational settings may help to answer these questions. No doubt,
scholars will have future lines of research for years to come in the area of
mediator strategy and behavior.
CoMBininG forMal anD inforMal DisPute resolution
Thus far we have implied that formal and informal third-party dispute
resolution were completely separate. While this is a reasonable strategy
for purposes of explication, the reader should not be misled. Organizations
often combine formal and informal strategies into a system with a
well-defined progression. Firms have long been advised to sequence the
different forms of resolution so that they proceed from low cost to high
cost (e.g., Brett, Goldberg, & Ury, 1990; Gordon & Miller, 1984; Starke &
Notz, 1981; Weiss & Hughes, 2005). The less expensive initial stages are
typically less formal and more flexible; the more expensive later stages are
typically more formal and structured.