Originally published online by the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution in the e-zine "Be Neutral" in February 2011.

Robert S. Thaler copyright 2011, all rights reserved.

With great appreciation to Shinji Morokuma, Esq., Director of GODR, and Susan Raines, Ph.D., Director, Master's of Science in Conflict Management Program, Kennesaw State University, Editor-in-Chief, Conflict Resolution Quarterly, for their invaluable insight and advice in writing this article.

Theory to Practice: Mediation Ideals v. Mediation Reality

It’s a tough world out there, isn’t it? Those virtuous ideals that you solemnly pledged to uphold in your cloistered mediation training often seem like cruel fantasies when you’re out there in the jungle trying to make a buck. It’s challenging for well-meaning mediators stick to their ethical standards when the participants demand only results – settlements. In this second installment of our new Theory to Practice column, attorney, professor and registered mediator Robert Thaler tells you what research has to say about how mediators can help themselves and their ethics survive the pressures of daily practice.