Read Lewicki ch.10, Wilmot &Hocker ch. 9. This is a focused summary from my reading of the material, plus some additional ideas and points.

GENERAL

* Ideally, parties in a negotiation can work directly, face-to-face, without the involvement of others. However, in many situations, this is problematic, unproductive, even impossible

* Then, involvement of third-parties can be helpful, even essential

• General goal of a third-party intervention is to assist in a transformation of the conflict elements, e.g.:
  1. Change expression of conflict
  2. Alter degree of interdependence between the parties
  3. Change their perceptions or goals so they are not as incompatible
  4. Modify actual or perceived scarcity of resources
  5. Adjust actual or perceived interference by the opposing parties (W.237)
• Advantages and disadvantages (L.200)
• When is third-party involvement appropriate? (L.200-1)
• Key questions are what form the intervention will take and how competent is the third-party?

* Continuum of involvement of third-party roles (categories):

• (L.201)One way of categorizing considers two variables - Negotiator's Degree of control over outcome and Control over procedure - this leads to 2x2 set of alternatives: autonomy (is a better term than "autocracy"), mediation, arbitration, adjudication ("negotiation" is a wrong label for the latter)
• Alternatively (W.238) consider a continuum on degree to which parties determine the solutions (in order of increasing third-party direction and control): Facilitation, counseling & therapy, mediation, OD, conciliation, quasi-judicial bodies, informal tribunals, arbitration, justice systems (courts)

* What kind of intervention is appropriate? ...Generally minimally intrusive intervention, "do no harm" (L.202)

VARIOUS INTERVENTION METHODS

* Adjudication (W.238)

* Arbitration (W.241, L.203):

• binding, nonbinding, usually voluntary
• limitations and negative consequences (including usually focuses mostly on content, tends toward escalation

* Mediation (W.242, L.204):

• Control over process, not over outcome
• Some settings and applications (W.244)
• Tends to be more effective when (L.206-207): good section, review it
• Mediation process and skills (W.250-252): vitally important to have well-developed skills
• Liabilities of mediation (L.208)

* Process consultation (L.208): this, mediation, and some informal interventions have many similarities in roles, process, and required skills

• Two points with which I disagree: (a) (L.208) "...process consultants focus only on procedures..." and (b) (L.210) "...process consultation may work only when sustained conflict has worn the parties out..."

* Various informal interventions (W.256ff, L.210ff), including some with questionable value