Workplace Justice, Zero Tolerance, and Zero Barriers

The purpose of this chapter is to review the evolution and state-of-the-art of organizational dispute resolution systems in U.S. organizations. This field is evolving rapidly, but research is just beginning to catch up to the reality of organizational dispute resolution systems practice. 1 Many different employers have been reviewing their internal dispute resolution channels and conflict management systems. In unionized and non-union corporations, government agencies, academic institutions, professional and service organizations, school systems and health care institutions, employers and employees are re-thinking the nature of dispute resolution and conflict management. There are various reasons why employers are thinking about conflict management systems now. One traditional reason—the desire to provide workplace justice—is stronger than ever in some organizations. This is because of civil rights and workplace safety laws, and because employers have found it hard to insist on fair and courteous treatment of customers without attempting to provide a fair and civil culture within their organizations.