The Role of Business Deal Making and Dispute Resolution in Contributing to Sustainable Peace

摘要

This article has addressed two research questions. First, can corporate deal-making processes nourish "a sense of community within the company and in the areas in which the company is located?" As illustrated by the House on Elm Street simulation, the answer is yes—leading to the recommendation that building peaceful relations with the local community should be considered in negotiators' search for shared interests. Second, can corporate dispute-resolution processes likewise nourish an internal and external sense of community? Here again, the answer is yes. Examples were provided that illustrate a general corporate policy (the ADR Pledge) and specific guidance for the resolution of disputes (the Motorola Case Mechanics Document), both of which relate to the external community. Transformative mediation was offered as an example of an internal process that nourishes a sense of community through the key elements of empowerment and recognition.