Influence of Procedural and Distributive Variables on Settlement Rates in Employment Discrimination Mediation, The

Mediators and scholars are interested in factors that contribute to a successful mediation. The settlement of the dispute is one measure of success. If one could identify certain key process or outcome variables that caused more disputes to be settled in mediation, a mediator could use this information to maximize settlement potential. We seek to add to this search for the "holy grail" of mediation settlement.' Using an extensive database from the evaluation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) we attempt to determine whether certain procedural and distributive factors are significant predictors of case resolution.

We also examine whether other factors, such as whether a party was represented at the mediation, are correlated with resolution of the dispute.