1. 19th Annual Symposium on Conflict Resolution
Presentation originally presented at the 19th
Annual Symposium on Conflict Resolution, Friday February 5, 2010, Ottawa, Ontario Canada

2. Information Communication Technologies and Mediation
Face to face conflict v. cyber-conflict
Face to face bullying v. cyber-bullying
Online dispute resolution platforms
Advantages of Online Mediation
Disadvantages of Online Mediation

3. Cyber Conflict and Bullying
Personnel Today: 1 in 10 workers in the UK have experienced cyber-bullying
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union survey: 34% of workers bullied face to face, almost 11% cyber-bullied.
Conflicts based in cyber-space are increasing

4. Cyber Conflicts
Moore: workplace conflict based on i) data conflicts, ii) interest conflicts, iii) values conflicts, iv) relationship conflicts, v) structural conflicts
No significant difference in typologies
Cyber-conflicts: people may never meet face to face

5. Cyber-Bullying Mobbing: bullying centered on the workplace
Strom & Strom: Cyber-bullying by adolescents, bullier had an over-developed sense of self-esteem
Workplace: Girardi et al: target of bullying perceived not to be part of the group
Cyber-bullying: may not know each other

6. Detection of Cyber-Bullying
Face to face bullying: one group may become more secretive
Many employers do not have a policy against cyber-bullying
Software to monitor employee communications: a.o. Softactivity, Track4Win, SurveilStar
Concern: privacy rights

7. Online Conflict Resolution
Online dispute resolution has its origins in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) dispute resolution process
Electronic communication; posting of decisions by panelists

8. Online Mediation
Online mediation is defined as assisted negotiation between two or more parties with a neutral third party facilitating the communication between the parties using any form or combination of telecommunications. Telecommunication technology may include, but is not limited to, voice over internet provider software, an online chat forum, s, or a specific software package designed for dispute resolution. (Gendron, 2010)

9. Differences in Communication?
Vandergriff (2006) negotiation using technology v. face to face. Participants sought meaning in all their communications
Sellen (1995): multi-party telephone discussions v. multi-party video conferencing
Reeder et al (2004): online course – greater the cultural gap, greater miscom.

10. Things to Consider
National borders and enforceability of any agreement
Trust by the parties in an electronic process
Ability to tailor any electronic medium to meet the needs of the participants

11. Benefits of Online Mediation
Adopting a structured problem approach encourages collaboration and problem solving
Mediator can pre-record tailored introduction
Reduces costs
Automated Negotiation (commercial disputes)

12. Disadvantages Some parties may need face to face contact
Power imbalance in terms of proficiency in technology (Conflict coach)
Multi-issue, multi-party conflicts may prove challenging to resolve through online mediation
Privacy / confidentiality: written record

13. The Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation
www. ciian.org
On Twitter @ciian
President of CIIAN Ben Hoffman's New Book: Peace Guerrilla: Unarmed in Harm's Way