The current study examined the relationships between the occurrence of conflicts in the work unit, the employee"s conflict management styles and workplace bullying in a full panel twowave longitudinal design (n = 277). We assumed a positive relationship between the occurrence of conflicts in the work unit at T1 and being a target or being a perpetrator of bullying at T2. Matching the bullying and conflict literature, we expected a negative association between problem solving at T1 and being a target or a perpetrator of bullying at T2. We hypothesised that yielding at T1 and avoiding at T1 relate positively with being a target at T2 and negatively with being a perpetrator at T2. We expected that forcing at T1 associated negatively with being a target at T2 and positively with being a perpetrator at T2. We moreover assumed that the relationship between the occurrence of conflicts in the work unit at T1 and being a target or a perpetrator of bullying at T2 is moderated by the conflict management styles at T1. Results only revealed main effects of forcing at T1 (β = .10; p < .05) and of problem solving at T1 (β =-.17; p < .01) on being a perpetrator at T2. The other hypothesised relationships were not significant.

In this article, we review the literature on workplace mediation. To organize the literature in a logical way, we have relied primarily on the model of Margaret Herrman and her colleagues and examine the important influence of culture and feedback loops on the practice of workplace mediation. Workplace mediation has become a frequent practice in the United States, Europe, much of Asia, and Australia. In the literature, we have found various descriptions of this practice as well as long lists of its assumed benefits, but empirical studies examining the effectiveness of workplace mediation have been few; a limited number of studies have investigated which conditions ensure the effectiveness of workplace mediation, and few studies have relied on observations. As such, workplace mediation represents an underdeveloped research area. In this article, we describe the findings from the existing literature and offer suggestions for future research.

This study explores the influence of hierarchical position on both mediation satisfaction and uncertainty about the mediation. As parties involved in hierarchical conflict typically behave differently and have different perceptions and experiences, we think it is most likely that hierarchical position will affect the mediation process and its outcomes. In this article, we investigate the influence of hierarchical position on both uncertainty about the mediation and satisfaction with the mediation and its potential moderating role on the relationship between uncertainty and satisfaction. To test our hypotheses, we use data from fifty real mediation cases dealing with hierarchical labor conflicts in the Netherlands. As expected, uncertainty has a stronger negative effect on subordinates' satisfaction with the mediation than it does on the supervisors who were involved in mediation. Implications for mediation theory and practice are discussed.

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