Research Projects

Through market research, ACB develops ADR knowledge for the private sector. The foundation has participated in several projects inclusing in preparing a report on setting up Dispute Review Boards, conducted a market survey on the use and non-use of commercial mediations among Dutch companies, researched and published quantitative and qualitative analysis of mediation and mediator performance, as well as publishing recommendations for initiating in-company conflict management systems. The foundation also set up the criteria for the selection process of mediators for the court connected projects in The Netherlands and researched and managed a pilot project on mediation for the ‘environmental disputes chamber’ of the Dutch State Council.

Reports and Surveys

• Survey 'Winst maken bij het oplossen van geschillen'
  Dutch
  Research into the non-use of mediation among Dutch corporations.
  ACB, Schonewille, M.A., ’Winst maken bij het oplossen van geschillen’. Marktonderzoek conflictmanagement en mediation in Nederlandse ondernemingen, Stichting ACB Mediation (ADR Centrum voor het Bedrijfsleven), 2004.
  
• Dispute Review Board Rules
  Dutch
  Survey, preparation of a report and development of DRB rules together with IBR  (instituut voor Bouwrecht), NMI, Tilburg University and others.
  ACB-CROW, DRB Reglement (Dispute Review Boards), november 2002.
  
• Preliminary Investigation  Mediation pilot Dutch State Council
  Dutch
  Survey, preparation of a report for the preliminary investigation to setting up a mediation pilot in the 'Environmental Chamber' of the Dutch State Council. 
  ACB, Manon Schonewille, Geschiloplossing op maat, vooronderzoek naar mediaton bij de Raad van State, 2003.
  
• Mediation pilot Dutch State Council
  Dutch
  Survey, setting up the court connected mediaton pilot and quality control system, selection of mediators, preparation of the final report of the mediation pilot in the 'Environmental Chamber' of the Dutch State Council. 
  ACB, Manon Schonewille, Geschiloplossing op maat. Mediation als optie in de Milieukamer van de Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak van de Raad van State, Evaluatierapport pilot, 2006.
  
• Quantitative analysis of mediation procedures of ACBMediation
  Dutch
  Quantitative analysis of 173 mediation cases dealt with between 1998-2004. 
  ACB, Kwantitatief verslag Stichting ADR Centrum voor het Bedrijfsleven 1998-2004.
  
• More surveys and articles as well as the complete archive of publications of ACB Foundation of 1998-2007 can be found in the Resource Center on www.toolkitcompany.com

Upcoming Research and Development

• PhD research at Utrecht University
  The research will cover deal facilitation or transactional mediation and aims to prove, assess and describe the qualitative and quantitative added value of an independent third party in a commercial negotiation process. The focus of this research is interdisciplinary and applied. This PhD research is part of the interfaculty minor in mediation of Utrecht University. The disciplines involved in this research (social and behavioral sciences, law, economics, and governance and humanities) are in line with the faculties that participate in the Minor in Mediation. As part of the Minor in Mediation Mano Schonewille designed and teaches the course ‘Commercial Mediation, conflict management and mediation advocacy’. Deal Facilitation is part of the curriculum of this course.
  
  Status: The first publication as part of this PhD research has just been published:
  
  MOVING BEYOND „JUST" A DEAL, A BAD DEAL OR NO DEAL. How a Deal-Facilitator Engaged by the Parties as a ‘Counsel to the Deal’ Can Help Them Improve the Quality and Sustainability of the Outcome
  Manon A. Schonewille and Kenneth H. Fox. Chapter 5 in: ADR in Business Practice and Issues across Countries and Cultures. Volume II Arnold Ingen-Housz (ed). Alphen aan den Rijn: Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, 2010/2011.
  
  Short version published in:
  The secrets of gaining the upper hand in high performance
  negotiations. Vol. 2. Training 'High performance Negotiation'
  by Chris T. Voss (Result ADR Negotiation Institute Series).
  Manon Schonewille & Felix Merks (eds)
  
  
   
  

• Onderzoek naar concrete financiële besparingen van organisaties die structureel conflictmanagement en ADR  inzetten.
  Dutch.
  Er is de laatste jaren onderzoek gedaan naar mogelijke positieve effecten van mediation voor het bedrijfsleven, alsmede naar redenen waarom bedrijven mediation wel of niet zouden inzetten. De door ACBMediation in 2004 verrichte studie naar de behandeling van conflicten in de zakelijke sfeer leidde tot de conclusies dat:
  - het merendeel van de Nederlandse ondernemingen geen structureel conflictmanagementbeleid heeft.
  - ondernemingen bleken  zich voornamelijk te bedienen van juridische procedures.
  - het merendeel van de bedrijven heeft geen inzicht in de tijd en het geld die zij kwijt zijn aan conflicten.
  
  Het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven is  terughoudend in het omarmen van de nieuwe methoden en technieken, mede vanwege onbekendheid met de bedrijfmatige voordelen, en omdat er is geen specifiek voorbeeld van een (Nederlandse) business case is , met een before en after meting voorhanden is.
  
   De stichting ACB wil graag een follow up geven aan het onderzoek uit 2004 door een pilot project op te starten met het invoeren van een conflictmanagement systeem binnen één of twee bedrijven, waarbij een kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve before and after meting gedaan wordt. De uitkomsten van dit onderzoek kunnen tevens helpen met een extrapolatie van de cijfers op landelijk niveau en daardoor een beter inschatting van de mogelijke besparingen die het gehele bedrijfsleven zou kunnen realiseren indien zij structureel ADR en met name mediation zouden inzetten.
  
  Status: fundraising

Upcoming Projects

• Quality control and supervision of mediation proceedings and mediators for an international project

  Based on questionnaires to be filled in by partiese and their lawyers after the mediation is finished the following can be researched:

  -          Background of the parties

  -          Experience with mediation

  -          Subjective settlement rate

  -          Satisfaction with the mediation process

  -          Satisfaction with the outcome (compare repeat players, lawyers with one shotters, parties)

  -          Likeliness of using mediation for future disputes/advising it to clients

  -          How did parties arrive at using mediation

  -          What were their main reasons for choosing mediation

  -          Effects on the relationship with the other party

  -          Satisfaction with services of provider. 

  Next to the info obtained from the parties it is useful to keep track of at least the following dates (done by a case manager):
           - Objective settlement rate %
           - Number of mediation sessions
           - Duration of mediation sessions
           - Hours mediated
           - Elapsed time in days:
             (a. first contact/request to mediate – first mediation session, 
              b. first mediation – closing of mediation)
           - Average financial value of the case
           - Type of case
           - Average cost per party for the mediation*
           - Total number of cases mediated
           - Single mediator/co-mediator
  
  If feasible send a follow up questionnaire to parties after 3-5 months to ask them if they are still satisfied with the outcome and if both parties lived up to the agreement to check the compliance rate better.
  
  Status: waiting for tender procedure to start.