Search

This research aims to reveal the influence of human resource management practices on innovative work behaviour and the mediating variables of organisational citizenship behaviour and employee satisfaction. This research was conducted at Khairun University with a sample of 150 people. Data was collected using a questionnaire and distributed via the Google Form application. To analyse the data, Partial Leads Square (PLS) was used. The results of the description of respondents' answers revealed that all research variables were assessed by respondents in the sufficient category. The seven hypotheses tested in this research were declared accepted, both direct and indirect effects. Six have a positive direction of influence, and only one has a negative influence, namely the influence of human resource management practices on innovative work behaviour. So, whether an endogenous variable is good or bad is determined by the condition of the exogenous variable. Based on these findings, it is recommended that severe attention from leadership elements be given to improve all the variables studied to improve the organisation.

Na Li,1 Liufu Cui,1 Gary Tse,2,3 Panagiotis Korantzopoulos,4 Konstantinos P Letsas,5 George Bazoukis,6,7 Shuohua Chen,8 Nan Zhang,2 Xuemei Yang,9 Peipei Liu,10 Lili Wu,11 Gan-Xin Yan,12,13 Gregory Yoke Hong Lip,14,15 Shouling Wu,8 Tong Liu2 1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Kailuan General Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ionic-Molecular Function of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Institute of Cardiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 4First Department of Cardiology, University of Ioannina Medical School, Ioannina, Greece; 5Arrhythmia Unit, Laboratory of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece; 6Department of Cardiology, Larnaca General Hospital, Larnaca, Cyprus; 7European University Cyprus, Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus; 8Department of Cardiology, Kailuan General Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 9School of Clinical Medicine, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 10School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 11Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 12Lankenau Medical Center and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA, USA; 13Department of Cardiology, Fuwai Huazhong Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China; 14Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK; 15Danish Center for Clinical Health Services Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, DenmarkCorrespondence: Tong Liu, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ionic-Molecular Function of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Institute of Cardiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, Email liutong@tmu.edu.cn; liutongdoc@126.com Shouling Wu, Department of Cardiology, Kailuan General Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China, Email drwusl@163.comObjective: This study aimed to explore the impact of a combination of hyperuricemia (HUA) and excessive high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels on the likelihood of developing cardiac conduction block (CCB). Additionally, it sought to assess whether the influence of uric acid (UA) on CCB is mediated by hs-CRP.Methods: A prospective study was executed utilizing data from the Kailuan cohort, including 81,896 individuals initially free from CCB. The participants were categorized into four groups depending on the existence of HUA and low-grade inflammation (hs-CRP> 3 mg/L). Cox regression analysis was employed to ascertain hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of incident CCB. A mediation analysis was performed to determine if hs-CRP functioned as a mediator in the connection between UA levels and the incidence of CCB.Results: During a median observation period of 11.8 years, we identified 3160 cases of newly occurring CCB. Compared with the low UA/low CRP group, the combination of HUA and low-grade inflammation elevated the CCB risks (HR:1.56, 95% CI:1.22– 1.99), atrioventricular block (AVB) (HR:1.88, 95% CI:1.27– 2.77), and right bundle branch block (HR:1.47, 95% CI:1.02– 2.12), respectively. Mediation analysis revealed that in the HUA group, compared with the non-HUA group, the risk of CCB elevated by 14.0%, with 10.3% of the increase mediated through hs-CRP.Conclusion: HUA combined with elevated hs-CRP increased the risk of CCB, especially AVB. The connection between UA and the CCB risk was partly mediated by hs-CRP. Keywords: hyperuricemia, inflammation, cardiac conduction block, combined exposure, risk factors, mediation

Orientation: Perceived organisational justice (POJ) and the role of human resource (HR) practices have been well documented, researched and argued. The role of leadership, and specifically the perception of ethical leadership in the relationship between HR practices and POJ has not been investigated, especially not in South Africa. Research purpose: This study aimed to determine the extent to which HRs practices influence POJ and the mediating role of ethical leadership, through a sectoral comparison. Motivation for the study: It is often, and rightfully, argued that the experience of HR practices determines employees’ perception of organisational justice; however, there is paucity in the perception of ethical leadership. Research approach/design and method: This study used a cross-sectional design and survey methodology. Convenience sampling resulted in 1184 respondents from 20 organisations in the South African private and public sectors. Main findings: A positive significant (p 0.05) relationship exists between HR practices and POJ, mediated by ethical leadership (mediation 32% for the private sector, 13% for the public sector and 21% for the combined sample). Practical/managerial implications: This research endeavour has the potential of empowering the leadership to propose concrete HRs strategies to cultivate proactive work behaviours influencing performance and competitiveness. Contribution/value-add: This study validated the ethical leadership and POJ instruments to be used with confidence in South Africa. It further emphasised the importance, not only of the perceptions of HR practices on the perception of organisational justice but also the role of leadership in this relationship, specifically ethical leadership.

This community service aims to provide understanding and community empowerment regarding land dispute resolution using mediation methods following laws and regulations to increase public legal awareness in Sirah Pulau Padang District, Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, South Sumatra Province. Implementing this service used technical guidance and interactive discussions—data collection methods through questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Based on the evaluation results, it was found that 50.5% of the participants understood very well, 13.5% understood, 27.2% understood quite well, 5.9% did not understand, and 2.9% did not understand. The results of this service showed that the community's understanding of other options in resolving land conflicts had increased, namely using mediation methods that could save time cost and have a simple process to reach an agreement. Village heads could resolve land conflicts in the community through mediation, following applicable laws and regulations.

A comparative legal analysis of one of the stages of administrative procedure i.e. the stage of appeal against an administrative act has been carried out. The attention is focused on the study of the provisions of the FRG Law “On Administrative Procedure”, the Code of Administrative Procedure of Poland and the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure” regarding appealing against the results of administrative procedure. An analysis of the peculiarities of the mechanism for appealing against an administrative act within the framework of administrative procedure in Poland and Germany has been carried out, and a comparison has been made with the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure”, and proposals have been provided for improving the provisions of the law which has not yet entered into force. It has been proved that the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure” should clarify the provisions on the subject of complaint consideration, given the lack of criteria to be taken into account when selecting the subject of complaint consideration. The Law provides for an alternative composition of the body which is authorised to consider complaints: 1) a higher-level administrative body, unless another entity is provided for by law; 2) a board for reviewing complaints. We consider it expedient to move away from the concept of consideration of a complaint by a higher body, since administrative officials often violate the principle of impartiality and fairness when considering a complaint, and to establish that the subject of consideration of a complaint is a collective body – a commission formed by a higher-level administrative body, to provide for pre-trial resolution of a conflict (dispute), which involves individuals filing a complaint within the framework of an administrative appeal, as a mandatory condition, which will solve the problem of parallel judicial review. In order to expand the means of protection of rights and interests in the administrative procedure, it has been proposed to enshrine the right of a person to use mediation as an alternative to administrative appeal.

One of the priority directions of legal reform at the present stage of development is the improvement of the system of application of alternative means of dispute resolution, designed to effectively and promptly ensure the resolution of disputes arising in civil law and related spheres of society in the process of building a democratic rule of law. To resolve the issues of the dispute, the subjects, the participants must come to a compromise in order to satisfy the requirements for each other. This issue is relevant for all countries of the world, which, to a greater or lesser extent, carry out transformations of civil justice systems for various periods of time. In this regard, it is obvious that today, both in developed and developing countries, significant experience has been formed and accumulated in reforming this area, which can form the basis of similar transformations in Turkey and significantly contribute to facilitating ongoing reforms by avoiding other people's mistakes and using mechanisms to obtain positive results.

Ling Wang, Mengzi Sun, Yinpei Guo, Shoumeng Yan, Xiaotong Li, Xuhan Wang, Wenyu Hu, Yixue Yang, Jing Li, Bo Li Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bo Li, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, 1163 Xinmin Avenue, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China, Email li_bo@jlu.edu.cnObjective: People with poor sleep quality have higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and one potential mechanism of CVD is chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of dietary inflammation in the relationship between sleep quality and CVD risk.Methods: This study involved 5594 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2005– 2008. Sleep quality, dietary inflammation, and 10-year CVD risk were evaluated via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII), and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), respectively. We used generalized additive model (GAM) and mediation analysis to investigate the relationship among sleep quality, 10-year CVD risk, and E-DII.Results: PSQI had a non-linear relationship with 10-year CVD risk (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, among the participants with poor sleep quality, PSQI was positively associated with increased 10-year CVD risk (P < 0.001) and E-DII (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the association between sleep quality and CVD risk was partially mediated by E-DII, and the mediated proportion was 14.6%, and the mediating effect of E-DII varied in different gender and age groups. However, in the subjects with good sleep quality, the association among PSQI, E-DII, and 10-year CVD risk was not existed.Conclusion: Ten-year CVD risk could be reduced by controlling the intake of inflammatory food, especially for whom with sleep disorders. In general, the reduction of inflammatory diet could weaken the effect of sleep disorders on the CVD risk.Keywords: inflammatory diet, sleep quality, cardiovascular disease, NHANES, mediation

The Author analyses basic political and technical provisions of the EU – Vietnam Participation Agreement in the sphere of the EU crisis management operations. The EU proceeds from the assumption that the abovementioned agreement lays down the legal basis for participation of Vietnam in the EU crisis management civil and military operations and testifies of cooperation of two sides in joint settlement of modern challenges to the security and stability on global and regional levels. It is noted that the EU – Vietnam partnership in the sphere of security and preventive diplomacy in the Southeast Asia represents a new dimension of the EU strategy due to the fact that the emphasis is made on activization of the role of the EU as a global and regional mediator in preventing and settlement of potential crisis situations in the Southeast Asia with direct participation of the countries of the region. The author provides a political background which could explain a correlation of interests of the EU and Vietnam in concluding the agreement.

The intrinsic schism between causal and associational relations presents profound ethical and methodological challenges to researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, ranging from the statement of a problem, to the implementation of a study, to the reporting of finding. This paper describes a causal modeling framework that mitigates these challenges by offering a simple, yet formal and principled methodology for causal analysis in empirical research. The framework is based on the Structural Causal Model (SCM) described in (Pearl, 2000) -- a non-parametric extension of structural equation models that provides a mathematical foundation and a friendly calculus for the analysis of causes and counterfactuals. In particular, the paper establishes a methodology for inferring (from a combination of data and assumptions) answers to three types of causal queries: (1) queries about the effects of potential interventions, (also called ``causal effects'' or ``policy evaluation''), (2) queries about probabilities of counterfactuals, (including assessment of ``regret,'' ``attribution,'' or ``causes of effects''), and (3) queries about direct and indirect effects (also known as ``mediation'' or ``effect decomposition''). Finally, the paper defines the formal and conceptual relationships between the structural and potential-outcome frameworks and demonstrates a symbiotic analysis that uses the strong features of both.

A known agrarian issue took place in Indonesia, particularly in the area of Register 45 Mesuji Lampung. The granting of natural forest management permit by the government to PT. Silva Inhutani, thus eliminating public access around Register 45 to manage the forest, subsequently lead to conflict in the region. The objectives of this research are, namely: 1) to explain the grounds for partnership in the Register 45 area; and 2) to analyze the partnership program undertaken in Register 45 as an effort of resolving conflict. This research used a descriptive qualitative approach that describes the results of research, assessment and other references reinforced with empirical data through interviews and observations. This study found a number of issues in the partnership agreement formation process, wherein the community was not being involved in the formation process of the partnership provisions, such as the planting process and the profit sharing scheme. The issues found in the implementation stage of the partnership agreement can be observed from an internal factor perspective, which was the unfulfilled expectation to increase acacia planting. Regarding the external factor, there were still many acts of thuggery in the area of Register 45 that interfered with the partnership process. There was also a fundamental problem in the partnership implementation, which was the prevalent lack of aptness in the mapping of community entitled to the partnership, as well as the lack of trust among collaborating parties.

Orientation: Organisations are consistently changing and diversifying; therefore, researchers and practitioners are viewing diversity as an essential part of organisational behaviour literature and practice. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate a simple mediation model, with the diversity climate as the proposed mediator, transformational leadership as the model antecedent and organisational commitment as the outcome. Motivation for the study: The South African diversity climate research is limited, including mediation investigations. Increased organisational diversification requires constant and relevant information with regard to diversity management. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach using a cross-sectional design collected 230 responses from a convenience sample. Transformational leadership was considered through six key behaviours associated with transformational leadership. Organisational commitment was considered as per the Psycones questionnaire and the organisational diversity climate was determined using a single-dimension diversity climate instrument. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and a simple mediation model. Main findings: Correlation results revealed that both transformational leadership and a diversity climate demonstrated practical effects with organisational commitment. Results from a standardised regression coefficient confirmed that transformational leadership predicts the diversity climate significantly. Both transformational leadership and diversity climate predicted commitment. The simple mediation model revealed that the diversity climate can be considered a mediator in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee commitment. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations would benefit from leadership assessments for current and future employees, especially organisations that would like to prioritise a constructive diversity climate and employee commitment. Contribution/value-add: Contributions are made towards limited diversity climate investigations by providing empirical evidence of the mediating role of a diversity climate.

This paper reviews the major theories and research that analyze the relationship between children and screens. In addition, the agents which act as mediators that help children in the interpretation of the messages are considered. As a conclusion, it is observed that the new forms of multiscreen access used by children and adolescents have developed new consumption styles and that information and communication technologies (ICT) have resulted in new styles of interpersonal and group relationships. The impact of the multiscreen society should be analyzed in light of the role played by different mediators and by educommunication.

Epidemiologic studies on the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) or demyelinating events associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) use among patients with rheumatic diseases or inflammatory bowel diseases have shown conflicting results. Causal directed acyclic graphs (cDAGs) are useful tools for understanding the differing results and identifying the structure of potential contributing biases. Most of the available literature on cDAGs uses language that might be unfamiliar to clinicians. This article demonstrates how cDAGs can be used to determine whether there is a confounder, a mediator or collider-stratification bias and when to adjust for them appropriately. We also use a case study to show how to control for potential biases by drawing a cDAG depicting anti-TNFα use and its potential to contribute to MS onset. Finally, we describe potential biases that might have led to contradictory results in previous studies that examined the effect of anti-TNFα and MS, including confounding, confounding by contraindication, and bias due to measurement error. Clinicians and researchers should be cognizant of confounding, confounding by contraindication, and bias due to measurement error when reviewing future studies on the risk of MS or demyelinating events associated with anti-TNFα use. cDAGs are a useful tool for selecting variables and identifying the structure of different biases that can affect the validity of observational studies., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Copyright of Scientific Annals of the "Stefan cel Mare" Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova / Revista Stiintifica a Academiei Stefan cel Mare is the property of Stefan cel Mare University, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova / Ministerul Afe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study explores the customer satisfaction – loyalty relation in the context of online shopping by introducing various mediators, such as trust, attitude, hedonic value, and utilitarian value. For data collection, we used an online consumer survey in relation to Internet retailing. In this paper we found empirical evidence that loyalty and satisfaction have a reciprocal relationship, but that mediators exist between satisfaction and loyalty. The findings of this study have consequences for customer relationship management, particularly in terms of retention, of the satisfied consumers in an e-shopping environment.

This article, in outlining the evolution of the UN's peacemaking and mediating roles from the immediate aftermath of the Cold War until well into the twenty-first century, seeks to examine challenges and opportunities and suggests possible niches for the organization's role in this field. The article argues that in the present polarized world, there may be more room for the UN in mediating conflicts less affected by the vital security interest of great powers in conflict, and it points to the challenge of competition and rivalry in relation to other candidates as mediators, such as regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and entrepreneurial state mediators. It posits that the UN's value as mediator will depend in large measure on its ability to demonstrate usefulness in today's crowded mediation environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In principle, the banking industry is a business activity that is fraught with risk (full risk business). However, if managed properly and carefully will result in a huge advantage, otherwise if poorly managed, will lead to greater risk of loss. Therefore, the bank continues to deal with a variety of risks, especially the rapid development of science and technology and the external environment lead bank risk banking business from day to day more and more complex and should be anticipated as possible.

Resumo: O presente trabalho incita uma discussão sobre a mediação como ferramenta de solução de conflitos, especialmente na seara familiar, abordando a dificuldade do instituto em ser incorporado ao ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, pela cultura existente a partir da ideia de Estadania. Através de uma análise crítica do processo legislativo da Lei 12.318/10 (versando sobre a Alienação Parental), que culminou no veto presidencial ao instituto, lança-se um olhar sobre a necessidade de, no atual momento de crise da Justiça, consequência da própria crise do Estado, priorizar um método mais humanístico que garanta, com mais qualidade, a obtenção da Justiça. A hipótese é de que torna-se essencial estimular este agir comunicativo em uma sociedade marcada pelo individualismo, pelo conflito, pela relação adversarial e competitiva. Sugere-se o deslocamento da ênfase da solução do conflito do Poder Judiciário brasileiro, dentro do processo de família, para os próprios sujeitos da relação, tendo como marcos teóricos a cultura da pacificação, a democracia constitucional-deliberativa e o princípio da intervenção mínima do Estado e da máxima cooperação entre as partes. Tornar a justiça atingível aos cidadãos é a melhor maneira de fazer com que a mesma seja valorizada e perseguida pelos mesmos, consolidando um verdadeiro Estado Democrático de Direito.Abstract: The following paper encourages a discussion of the institute of mediation as a tool to resolving conflicts, especially in the family area, addressing the difficulties of being incorporated into the Brazilian legal system, because of the culture rooted from the idea of Estadania. Through a critical analysis of the legislative process of the Law 12.318/10 (about the Parental Alienation), that culminated in the presidential veto to the institute, throws the focus at the urgency of, at the present moment of crisis in the judiciary, result of the own crisis of the state, prioritize a more humanistic method that guarantees, with higher quality, the attainment of justice. The hypothesis is that it is essential to stimulate this communicative action in a society marked by individualism, by adversarial conflict and competitive relationship, in other words, the predominance of the instrumental action. It is suggested to dislocate the emphasis of the solutions, into the family process, for the subjects of the relationship, taking as theoretical frameworks the culture of peace, a deliberative-constitutional democracy, and the principle of minimum intervention of the state and maximum cooperation between the parties. Make the ideal of justice attainable for citizens is the better way of making it prized and pursued, consolidating a true democratic state.

Dans le texte, il s’agit de sources de la compréhension des concepts du signe et du symbole dans la théorie historico-culturelle ainsi que de leur rôle dans le développement de l’enfant et dans le processus de la médiation. On y parle aussi de limites de l’approche historico-culturelle en ce qui concerne la compréhension du signe et du symbole et d’autres concepts liés avec eux.

In this article, we present some of the results of a qualitative research within the Project Teletandem Brazil about the process of supervision and pedagogic strategies used by a mediator in the mediation process of a pair of Teletandem partners. Based on the reflexive teaching paradigm, on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and on collaborative language learning, with special emphasis to tandem learning, we analyzed the contributions of the collaborative relationship established between a graduate student and a student-teacher. The results bring about implications to the field of language teacher education, in relation to a perspective of education within practice, evidencing the experience of collaborative learning in Teletandem as an opportunity for reflexive teacher education for both the student-teacher and the future teacher educator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cahiers d'Études Africaines is the property of Editions EHESS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines repeated games with imperfect private monitoring when there exists a third-party mediator who coordinates play by giving non-binding instructions to players on which action to take and by collecting their private information. Repeated games with imperfect private monitoring, where players' actions in each period give rise to noisy private signals instead of a publicly observable signal, provide an accurate description of many competitive situations involving moral hazard. A frequently cited example is the repeated Bertrand oligopoly where the competing firms may offer secret price discounts to their customers. When faced with the coordination problem, however, it is natural to expect that players attempt various forms of communication among them. In fact, empirical findings suggest that communication is a key component of many collusion schemes. In this light, this article assumes the most general form of communication and examines its consequences. Formally, the paper analyzes mediated communication, where a third-party mediator coordinates play. Specifically, the mediator gives secret instructions to players on which action to play and collects their private signals to determine future instructions.

Child-inclusive divorce mediation is growing rapidly throughout Australia, and its practice now affords a critical mass of experience upon which to reflect. The notes in this section outline some current concerns, together with advances in the clinical application of child- inclusive mediation processes that are emerging through the second author's extensive experiences in training and supervision. A recent case conducted by the first author in the role of child consultant is described and commented upon. It illustrates the application of a highly responsive approach to the process of mediation, including the handling of violence disclosure by the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African-American female adolescents living in urban areas are at increased risk for adverse adjustment outcomes. The present study accomplished two goals. First, the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship across age groups was examined for differences among younger (i.e., 12-14) versus mid-range (i.e., 15-16) versus older ( i. e., 17-18) adolescents. Second, self-esteem was examined as a possible mediator of the relationship between the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship and adolescent psychological functioning in a sample of 608 African-American urban adolescent females. With regard to developmental shifts in the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship, midrange adolescents reported a significantly poorer relationship with their mother than older adolescents. Results also indicated that self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between parent-child relationship and adolescent psychological functioning. Mental health professionals can broaden their interventions that aim to improve adolescent psychological functioning by either focusing on the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship or adolescent self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes expansion of the government policy infrastructure for resolving family-related disputes. Public policy has been defined as the sum of government activities, whether acting directly or through agents, as it has an influence on the lives of citizens. Family policy, then, may be seen as everything government does that affects families. It also can be characterized by level and by sector. Thus, family policy development involves addressing problems affecting family life as perceived by policy makers at all levels and in various social systems and institutions. The cultural and historical under pinnings of the U.S. policy infrastructure are individualistic, making it hard to develop an authentic family policy. In fact, there is no mention of the family in the U.S. constitution. Individual freedom, which is tolerated and indeed valued, exists within a framework of limited social control that sometimes results in what are to many members of society unacceptable actions, such as the use of living wills, privacy of adolescents' contraceptive decisions, and abortion.

Mediation is proposed as an innovative service for parents with handicapped children. The purpose of mediation would be to assist parents in developing mutually agreed upon coping strategies to meet the individual and joint needs of family members. A model for co-mediation is presented which involves a professional with mediation skills working with a specialist on handicapped children and their families. The co-mediators have overlapping and discrete areas of knowledge and skills which are integrated in the mediation process. The stages and tasks of mediation are identified and a hypothetical case is used as an illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing popularity of divorce mediation, there has been little systematic research on the process of mediation and the roles and skills of mediators. This article reviews 35 cases involving contested child custody and visitation and generalizes about the techniques used by experienced divorce mediators to help couples reach resolutions to their differences. The article discusses different ways mediators orient couples to mediation, gain their commitment, identify the issues in dispute, overcome emotional and substantive obstacles and generate agreements. Variations in the ways mediators deal with the expression of emotions and the amount of control they exercise in structuring the process and generating an agreement are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]