Research Publications

Part of CEDR's public mission is to cut the cost of conflict and create a world of choice and capability in conflict prevention and resolution.

In keeping with this public mission, CEDR regularly undertakes research aiming to increase knowledge, understanding and approaches to handling difficult situations.

Below you will find a list of the different research CEDR has undertaken:

CEDR Report on Diversity and Inclusion in Commercial Mediation:

The report Improving Diversity in Commercial Mediation addresses the imbalances of gender, race and age within the commercial mediation profession and proposes recommendations for improving inclusion.

Amongst the findings from the report:

Just 33.6% of commercial mediators are women, and the average commercial mediation panel has 28.7% women.
92.6% of commercial mediators are white, compared with 86% of the general population. The proportion of Asian and Black commercial mediators are significantly below the general UK population.
77.5% of commercial mediators are over the age of 50 and whilst 56% of those training are under 50, this group makes up only 22.5% of those getting work.

The report, which was based on surveys, research of comparable professions and discussions with focus groups of mediators and clients, identified several recommendations for improvement.

Amongst the recommendations:

An increase in the use of diverse role models to challenge stereotypes
Clearer pathways for progression for mediators from accreditation as a mediator to joining mediator panels
Unconscious bias training for mediator assessors, panel selectors and providers
A commitment to diverse mediator recommendations from providers and an increase in the use of blind CVs.
Mediation providers and clients should measure and record how diverse mediator selection is.

An Executive Summary and Full report can be accessed here. https://www.cedr.com/foundation/diversity-inclusion/

CEDR Mediation Audit:

These biennial surveys are aimed at establishing market performance mediator experience and attitudes towards a variety of issues relevant to the mediation profession.

To view a summary of the 2018 Mediation Audit click here. The full version of the report can be accessed below.

Private Investigations

CEDR published the outcome of its year-long research into the nature of investigations and their effectiveness, carried out with the cooperation of 48 Human Resources departments.

Most investigations organised by Human Resources are taking between 3.5 and 6 days to run, but preparation for an investigation is typically taking well under 3 hours as is follow-up on any recommendations from the inquiry’s findings.
Over 60% of respondents had experienced criticism of an investigation after the findings had been reported.

The full report can be found here: CEDR Report on Human Resources Based Investigations

Global Corporate Governance Conflict

In a global survey of boardroom disputes carried out by CEDR and IFC (International Finance Corporation) in 2013, 67.2% of board members reported unresolved issues on their board whilst 29.6% board members have experienced a board dispute so toxic that it affected the survival of the organisation concerned.

An overview of the survey results and Corporate Governance issues can be found in the IFC report "Boardroom Disputes: How to manage the good, weather the bad and prevent the ugly”.

Full Survey Results can be found in the report Conflicts in the Boardroom Survey: Results and Analysis

Challenge of Collaboration Survey of Public Opinion

As part of the CEDR’s Capability in Collaboration project, investigating the ways in which people collaborate, the problems that collaboration can bring and potential ways of solving those problems, in 2013 we surveyed 2004 members of the public through an online questionnaire. Of these respondents, 1000 worked in management roles whilst 1004 had non-management roles. One of the most significant factors that we observed when considering collaboration was the role of trust. We wanted to understand how crucial trust was to a successful collaboration and what factors were important in fostering it.

Reform for the UK Public Inquiries System

New study reveals 73% of Britons do not have confidence in the Public Inquiry process

An independent study commissioned by CEDR, revealed a fundamental lack of faith in the UK’s Public Inquiries process. Of more than 2,000 Britons polled, less than a third (27%) said they had confidence in the system. A contributing factor appears to be a broad lack of understanding: 77% of respondents expressed little or no understanding of Public Inquiries, with 7% saying that they do not know what a Public Inquiry is.

In-House use of Commercial Mediation

Historically almost all requests to CEDR for mediators have come from private practice lawyers representing their clients, with very little direct in-house contact. In 2012-13 it was noticed that this trend was changing and CEDR decided to start looking in more detail into why this might have occurred. 50 individuals responsible for dispute resolution in their organisations answered a series of questions, providing interesting insight into how mediation is used in-house.

Tough Times, Tough Talk

We conducted research (September 2010) into the attitudes of 1,000 people working in the UK to find out how conflicts arise and if they are getting worse. In this concise guide we will look at the results and what can be done about difficult conversations, how conflict can be managed and how full-blown disputes can be resolved most effectively.

Cutting the cost of Conflict

From an unhappy customer to a disgruntled director, business can have the challenge of conflict come from any direction – a challenge that is not always adequately faced-up to. According to research by CEDR it is how you approach conflict that makes the difference and - as the 200 guests from top British companies heard - the UK is failing to manage its conflicts adequately.

Businesses spend £277,000 in time and fees on a typical employment dispute

The research, coordinated by CEDR, shows how the costs associated with dealing with a disgruntled employee can rise cumulatively. Most significantly, a typical case, which can amount to £277,000 by in the end, could cost far less if mediated early on, as in the initial stages costs could be around £9,000.

Conflicting Priorities - reputation matters - January 2008

This research explores the danger to corporate reputation of badly handled conflict. The report was produced by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) on the basis of questionnaires completed by Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) members. It showed that while only 33 per cent of PR experts surveyed could name organisations that manage conflict well, 68 per cent were able to name those that did not.