Legal Mediation in the Philippines and Taiwan

Abstract

This study investigated the mediations of 48 Filippino and 45 Taiwanese legal mediators. Utilizing a Cultural Effects Model, we predicted that Filippino mediators would more frequently pray in mediations, dictate concessions to the disputants, demand apologies from them, threaten them and criticize them. Taiwanese mediations were predicted to advise disputants more often, call for empathy and make reference to the law. Interviews with the 93 mediators supported most of the hypotheses, with the most interesting exception being that Filippino mediators dictate approximately the same number of concessions as do their Taiwanese counterparts. Yet, the Filippinoes frequently back these with strong-armed tactics such as threats, criticisms and calls for apology.