Human resource management and ADR practices in Ireland

Abstract

This paper reviews the emergence of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Ireland and examines the incidence in firms of ADR practices addressing individual and group grievances and disputes. The paper reveals the limited diffusion to date of ADR practices and shows that the uptake of ADR is associated with the degree to which firms have adopted high-commitment HRM practices. Organizations that place importance on developing people-centred HRM policies are more likely to be disposed to adopting state-of-the-art conflict management practices designed to solve workplace problems quickly and fairly.