The face of corporate America in Hawaii and across the nation, has changed dramatically over the past decade. The traditional relationship between employees and management has been transformed into team-oriented decision-making and there has been a national movement to embrace alternative dispute resolution as a means of avoiding costly, time-consuming litigation. The combined trends to "empower" employees as well as to resolve disputes in a less adversarial manner, has inspired corporations from large to small, to re-evaluate even their in-house grievance structures.
Successful leaders recognize that the key to corporate success is through maintaining good relationships within as well as outside the company walls. Dispute resolution such as mediation, provide a forum to resolve disputes while simultaneously preserving the dignity and the relationship of the parties. Consequently, companies are now using ADR not only to settle costly law suits that arise externally, but to create internal dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve problems between employees and other employees, employees and management and even employees versus the company itself, before problems escalate.
The philosophy behind working teams and the famous 90's buzz word "empowerment", was to remove the barriers that inhibit employee contributions to the success of the business. The initial efforts to break the traditional mold and move to "working teams" was a challenge. Yet over time, companies found that empowered employees are more satisfied, as well as more productive. Similarly, creating an in-house dispute resolution program empowers employees not only to resolve their own problems, but also enables them to choose a process and person with whom they feel comfortable.
The in-house programs that are being created range from the "multi-door approach in which several options or levels of ADR are available such as an ombudsman, in-house mediators, and outside mediation and arbitration, to smaller programs which essentially provide basic conflict resolution training to all employees. The key to developing a successful program is three-fold: 1) it must be carefully planned and customized to meet the specific needs of the company; 2) adequate training and information must be provided to employees to create an awareness and understanding of the program and how it works; and 3) it must be implemented company-wide.
An appropriate criteria for success was articulated by the CEO of a locally based company that has already begun creating an internal program with the help of the Neighborhood Justice Center's Conflict Management Program. "We want a company culture of resolving disputes in a less adversarial manner". That's why we [upper level management] received conflict resolution training first. How can we expect middle management and employees under them to buy-in to conflict resolution and other ADR practices if we don't use the process ourselves?" This particular company has already provided its employees with conflict resolution training which teaches the basic tools of resolving interpersonal conflicts. The company's next step is to institute an in-house mediation program in which select employees (from line workers to upper level management) will be trained as mediators. Those mediators will then be available on a confidential basis, to serve as neutral third parties for any employee who is involved in a conflict and wants to try mediation to resolve it.
Over the past two years, corporations that have instituted similar programs in other states have found that by providing more options for employees to resolve their disputes, there is greater employee satisfaction and reduced legal and court costs. Equally important, employee satisfaction has created a more positive work environment and higher production overall.
Knowing these statistics, more Hawaii companies are investigating the best approach for developing their own in-house programs. One human resource director expressed that she was particularly anxious to initiate a program within her company to reduce the potential for workplace violence as well as law suits. Providing employees with tools for creative problem-solving as well as options such as mediation, allows troubled employees to vent and address issues early on, before they escalate to violence. In today's fast pace environment, evolving work paradigms and company down-sizing, stress and the potential for conflict has increased. Hawaii's workforce in particular, must juggle the exceptional pressures of a struggling economy, high cost of living and increased market place competition in addition to family and daily workplace stresses. Internal dispute resolution programs offer a way resolve conflicts without the high cost of court fees, severed relationships, and potential violence.