CONFLICT MANAGEMENT The Psychology of conflict and conflict ...

332 OLSON-BUCHANAN AND BOSWELL
All three of these theoretical approaches have been used in varying
forms and combinations to examine various facets of ODR systems’ existence,
use, and effectiveness in organizations. For the purposes of this
discussion, we organized this research into three general categories: organizational-level
research, procedural fairness and choice, and individual
outcomes. However, several of the empirical studies do examine ODR systems
on multiple levels of analysis.
Recent Empirical Research—Organizational Outcomes. Given that nearly
all unions have formal ODR systems in their bargaining contract, some
of the research focus has shifted to identifying organizational characteristics
that are related to the adoption of ODR systems in nonunion settings.
That is, why do organizations adopt ODR and what characteristics
distinguish them from organizations that do not adopt ODR systems?
However, merely having an ODR in place does not mean, in fact, that
organizational members use the ODR to resolve disputes. Thus, another
body of literature has examined the organizational factors that relate to
actual employee usage of nonunion ODR systems. Finally, another body
of research has examined the relationship between ODR systems and
organizational-level outcomes.
Some research suggests organizations adopt ODR systems as an attempt
to avoid the negative potential outcomes associated with conflict such as
turnover or litigation. To that end, drawing from the exit–voice–loyalty
model, some scholars argued that higher levels of workforce human capital,
reflected by higher wage and tenure levels among employees, increases
a firm’s incentive to adopt ODR procedures in order to reduce costly turnover
(e.g., Colvin, 2003b). Similarly, other researchers (e.g., Feuille & Delaney,
1992) concluded that concerns about workplace disputes giving rise
to litigation as well as the desire to avoid unionization by providing workers
with a mechanism for resolving complaints are motivations for nonunion
organizations to introduce ODR procedures.
In contrast, the complementarities theoretical approach suggests organizations
adopt ODR systems to capture the potentially positive outcomes
associated with a set of practices that enhance voice, fair treatment, and
effective conflict management. This is consistent with research on high
performance work systems (HPWS). Briefly, HPWS encompass a set of
complementary work and HR-related practices aimed at promoting high
levels of employee commitment and involvement in the workplace, with
the ultimate goal to increase work quality, productivity, and customer
responsiveness (Ichniowski et al., 1996). Providing for employee voice,
either through employee involvement practices generally (e.g., attitude
surveys and autonomous work teams) and/or ODR procedures specifically,
is quite complementary to the underlying goal of HPWS to enhance
the protection of employee rights (Colvin, 2003b). Indeed, empirical studies
often include formal ODR systems among practices seen as indicating
the presence of HPWS (e.g., Arthur 1992; Datta, Guthrie, & Wright,