What makes ADR Vantage different from other consulting firms is the unique lens we bring to our work. We blend our expertise and experience in the fields of conflict management, organizational effectiveness, and workplace equity and inclusion to offer you one-of-a-kind services to address your organization’s most pressing workplace challenges.
One way we stay on the cutting edge, is through research and innovation. ADR Vantage is currently partnering on a unique research project to explore the relationship between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) from the practitioner’s perspective. Although diversity, identity, and individual differences have always been facets of conflict management work, little research has been conducted on the nexus between DEI and ADR, and we are excited to engage in this important area of study.
In an effort to learn more about what ADR practitioners experience in their work, we partnered with one of our own ADR Vantage expert practitioners, Dr. Yunzi (Rae) Tan, Associate Professor and Program Director at University of Baltimore’s School of Public and International Affairs, to design an online survey to explore the connections and gaps between ADR theory and practice. All members of our ADR Vantage roster of practitioners and consultants were invited to complete the voluntary survey, and questions were designed to allow participants to provide descriptive, qualitative responses. Survey questions explored how practitioners personally define the terms diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how they think those concepts play out in their individual practice. The survey also included questions such as:
- In what ways, if any, have your own and/or your participants’ demographic and sociocultural identities influenced the ADR process or outcomes?
- In light of recent events around systemic inequities and social justice, how, if at all, have these events/issues related to your ADR practice?
- In your view, what are some gaps, if any, in ADR training and education (related to DEI) that should be addressed to improve/enhance ADR practice?
- In your view, what are some gaps, if any, in the ethical guidelines, standards, and/or practice norms (related to DEI) that should be addressed to improve/enhance ADR practice?
This last year, in particular, has brought increased attention to the importance of of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and many in the ADR field are paying closer attention to how these dynamics intersect with our work. In fact, one ADR Vantage practitioner recently commented that simply taking the survey increased her awareness, and she is grateful to be part of exploring how our research will further her work in the field.
As lead researcher on this project, Dr. Tan is currently working to analyze the rich data we received from the survey responses, and we anticipate sharing results and insights in the coming months.