Mediation in work communities : experiences and needs of mediators
Ojala, Pasi (2013)
Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu
2013
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2013112518162
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2013112518162
Tiivistelmä
This Bachelor's thesis examines work community mediation from mediators' point of view. The study is implemented in cooperation with Timo Pehrman, who is the chairman of the Finnish Forum for Mediation and a trainer of work community mediation. A previous study by Pehrman from 2011, which concentrated to explore the current needs of the work community mediators, served as a background for this research. The idea of this study was to deepen the results of the Pehrman's research.
In this research, the focus was on three main questions. First, it explored mediators' experiences about the status of the mediation in the work communities. Second, the investigation concentrated on the support that mediators experience meaningful in their work places. The third research question focused on mediators' perspective towards networking and sharing of experiences. The theoretical framework of the thesis concerns the concepts of mediation, conflict resolution, culture change, labor protection and self-help.
The thesis was conducted by using qualitative and quantitative methods. The data was collected, first, by conducting a survey concerning mediators’ experiences, which was sent for 44 mediators in different work communities. The survey achieved 10 responses, which were analyzed with a content analysis method. Second, three semi-structured interviews were implemented; two of them with mediators who had responded in the survey and one with an expert of labor protection. The interviews were recorded and the material was analyzed, similarily, with the content analysis method. In the discussions, I have drawn some conclusions of the main findings and reflected them with the theoretical key concepts.
Based on the results of the research, mediators long for support in spreading word and raising awareness of mediation in work communities and in public. Administrative stuff’s support for mediation in work communities is essential. Group meetings and sharing of experiences were seen valuable among mediators, although there existed divergence in the reasons for attending a group. These reasons consisted learning from each other's experiences and promoting research and publicity. In addition, non-cooperation between mediators and personnel representatives in work places roused up as one of the findings in the research. The discussion section of this research tries to open the topic further and provide some general suggestions for the situation.
In this research, the focus was on three main questions. First, it explored mediators' experiences about the status of the mediation in the work communities. Second, the investigation concentrated on the support that mediators experience meaningful in their work places. The third research question focused on mediators' perspective towards networking and sharing of experiences. The theoretical framework of the thesis concerns the concepts of mediation, conflict resolution, culture change, labor protection and self-help.
The thesis was conducted by using qualitative and quantitative methods. The data was collected, first, by conducting a survey concerning mediators’ experiences, which was sent for 44 mediators in different work communities. The survey achieved 10 responses, which were analyzed with a content analysis method. Second, three semi-structured interviews were implemented; two of them with mediators who had responded in the survey and one with an expert of labor protection. The interviews were recorded and the material was analyzed, similarily, with the content analysis method. In the discussions, I have drawn some conclusions of the main findings and reflected them with the theoretical key concepts.
Based on the results of the research, mediators long for support in spreading word and raising awareness of mediation in work communities and in public. Administrative stuff’s support for mediation in work communities is essential. Group meetings and sharing of experiences were seen valuable among mediators, although there existed divergence in the reasons for attending a group. These reasons consisted learning from each other's experiences and promoting research and publicity. In addition, non-cooperation between mediators and personnel representatives in work places roused up as one of the findings in the research. The discussion section of this research tries to open the topic further and provide some general suggestions for the situation.