This study investigates the mediations of 127 village leaders (ketua kampungs) and 52 religious leaders (imams) in Malaysia. These mediators rely heavily on techniques of meeting with disputants (separately and together), listening to the disputant's side, information gathering, and calling for concessions. They also use three distinct strategies: a “meet separately” strategy, an assertive strategy, and a strategy based on information gathering. The imams rely more on prayer, moral principles, listening, and third-party advice and call less often for concessions. Imams use a unique “meet together” strategy and prayer strategy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abu-Nimer, M.1996. Conflict resolution approaches: Western and Middle Eastern lessons and possibilities. American Journal of Economics and Sociology55:35-52.
2.
Aldenderfer, M. S. , and R. K. Blashfield. 1984. Cluster analysis. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publications.
3.
Augsburger, D. W. 1992. Conflict mediation across cultures: Pathways and patterns. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox.
4.
Bastin, J. , and R. W. Winks. 1966. Malaysia: Selected historical readings. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.
5.
Boden, D. 1995. Agendas and arrangements everyday negotiations in meetings. In The discourse of mediation, edited by A. Firth, 84-85. Tarrytown, NY: Elsevier.
6.
Callister, R. R. , and J. A. Wall. 1997. Japanese community and organizational mediation. Journal of Conflict Resolution41:311-328.
7.
Canter, R. S. 1978. Dispute settlement and dispute processing in Zambia: Individual choice versus societal constraints. In The disputing process—Law in ten societies, edited by L. Nader and H. F. Todd Jr., 247-280. New York: Columbia University Press.
8.
Carnevale, P. , and R. Henry. 1989. Determinants of mediation tactics in public sector disputes: A contingency analysis. Journal of Applied Social Psychology19:469-488.
9.
Elangovan, A. R.1995. Managerial third-party dispute intervention: A prescriptive model of strategy selection. Academy of Management Review20:800-830.
10.
Gullick, J. 1981. Malaysia. London: Westview Press.
11.
Hahm, P. C. 1986. Korean jurisprudence, politics, and culture. Seoul: Yonsei University Press.
12.
Karim, W. J. 1990. Emotions of culture: A Malay perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.
13.
Kennedy, J. 1962. A history of Malaysia, AD 1400-1959. London: Macmillan.
14.
Kim, N. , J. A. Wall, D. Sohn, and J. S. Kim. 1993. Community and industrial mediation in South Korea. Journal of Conflict Resolution37:361-382.
15.
Lederach, J. P. 1995. Preparing for peace: Conflict transformation across cultures. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
16.
Maggiolo, W. 1971. Techniques of mediation in labor disputes. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana.
17.
Merry, S. E. 1989. Mediation in nonindustrialized societies. In Mediation research, edited by K. Kressel and D. G. Pruitt, 68-90. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
18.
Provencher, R. 1968. Two Malay communities in Selangor. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms.
19.
Pruitt, D. G. , N. McGillicuddy, G. Welton, and W. Fry. 1989. Process of mediation in dispute settlement centers. In Mediation research, edited by K. Kressel and D. G. Pruitt, 368-373. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
20.
Putnam, L. L. 1985. Bargaining as task and process: Multiple functions of interaction sequences. In Sequence and pattern in communication behaviour, edited by R. L. Street and J. N. Cappella, 225-242. London: Edward Arnold.
21.
Silbey, S. , and S. Merry. 1986. Mediator settlement strategies. Law and Policy8:7-32.
22.
Tinsley, C.1998. Models of conflict resolution in Japanese, German, and American cultures. Journal of Applied Psychology83:316-323.
23.
Wall, J. A. , and M. E. Blum. 1991. Community mediation in the People's Republic of China. Journal of Conflict Resolution35:3-20.
24.
Wall, J. A. , and D. Rude. 1985. Judicial mediation: Techniques, strategies, and situational effects. Journal of Social Issues41:47-64.
25.
Wall, J. A. , and J. B. Stark. 1996. Techniques and sequences in mediation strategies: A proposed model for research. Negotiation Journal12:231-239.
26.
Witty, C. J. 1978. Disputing issues in Shehoan, a multireligious village in Lebanon. In The disputing process—Law in ten societies, edited by L. Nader and H. F. Todd Jr., 281-314. New York: Columbia University Press.
27.
Yin, J. 1984. Government of socialist China. Lantham, MD: University Press of America.
