8125

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8125
• Author: Moore, C. W.
• Title: Editor
• USFW Year: Series
• USFW - Doc Type: 1986
• Copyright Material: YES

Initial Contacts with the Disputing Parties 51
has personal attributes that will assist them in resolving the dis-
pute.
Institutional credibility refers to the reputation of the or-
ganization that employs the mediator. Institutional credibility is
based on an organization's history of successful performance in
the field of dispute resolution for which a mediator is needed, a
history of unblemished impartiality among personnel, and often
a background of neutral or at least not overtly biased sources of
funding. Institutional credibility may be a crucial factor in the
acceptance or rejection of mediators or mediation organiza-
tions. Mediators wishing to build institutional credibility (1)
may produce brochures describing their expertise and services,
(2) may present a list of former clients to prospective users
(subject, of course, to client approval and the limits of confi-
dentiality, (3) may explain past cases that illustrate the types
of disputes the intervenor has mediated, (4) may present cre-
dentials of membership in recognized dispute resolution associa-
tions, or (6) may disclose organizational funding sources to
demonstrate institutional impartiality.
Two case examples illustrate the importance of building
institutional credibility. A company executive who was a party
to a dispute considered using a mediation service to assist him in
settling a community dispute. The mediation firm was asked to
make a presentation describing its services to some of the in-
volved parties. During the meeting, the executive looked at the
firm's brochure and began to put pluses and minuses next to the
names of the firm's board members based on his perception of
whether they would be positively or negatively disposed toward
his interests in the dispute. When he checked the marks, he no-
ticed that they came out even, and he accepted the firm's claim
to impartiality.
In another case, an environmental group wanted the
names and telephone numbers of other public interest groups
that had used a certain mediation organization to settle con-
flicts over mining. The organization provided the data to build
institutional credibility.
Procedural credibility refers to beliefs held by the dis-
putants that the process the mediator has proposed to resolve