Professional competences of mediators with varying degree of success in conduct of conciliation procedures

Abstract

Mediation has become an increasingly popular reconciliation procedure that allows increasing the psychological security of parties to the conflict in educational and social environment, as well as legal practice. The profession of mediator is highly demanded; however, the questions of professional competence of the specialists and requirements to their personality did not receive due coverage in the scientific literature. The goal of this research consist in development of the model of professional competence and assessment of the level of professional competences of mediators with varying degree of success in conduct of reconciliation procedures. A list of professional competences and their indicators mediators, considering the professional standard – “Specialist in the Field of Mediation (mediator)”. The research involved 42 mediators from Arkhangelsk Region. The following methods were applied: questionnaire (the author developed an original questionnaire for self-assessment of professional competences of the mediator), and psychological testing based on the Five-Factor Model of Personality of Costa and McCrae's in adaptation of M. V. Bodunov and S. D. Biryukov. Statistical processing was carried out via the method of descriptive statistics, correlation and step-type multivariate regression analyses (Pearson's chi-squared test) using the software SPSS 23.00 (license agreement No.Z125-3301-14). The following conclusion was made: the model of professional competences of mediator includes communication skills, conflict management, case study, planning, and self-control. The author developed and tested the questionnaire for self-assessment of professional competences of mediators that can be implemented via 360-degree feedback method. It is established that the successful outcome of reconciliation procedure is affected by such professional competences as self-control and communication skills. Out of the list of professionally important qualities of mediator, the author highlights activity, concreteness, openness, self-restraint, self-discipline, responsibility and sociability as directly related to the success of reconciliation procedures.