Abstract :
Most people involved in environmental disputes seek successful resolution. But what is “successful” resolution? Previous practice and research have relied heavily on mediatorsʹ and researchersʹ definitions of success. The study reported in this article instead used the perspectives of participants in environmental disputes in the United States and Australia to define successful resolution. Previous research identified resolution as either successful or unsuccessful; this article describes a third form—conditional success. In addition, this article greatly expands definitions of success beyond the previously narrow definition of getting an agreement (i.e., product-oriented success) to include four additional categories: politically oriented, interest-oriented, responsibility-oriented, and relationship-oriented success. Successful resolution generally included more than one category of success, with one category often preceding another. This broadening and deepening of our definitions of success, including recognition of the multifaceted and sequential nature of successful resolution, create new opportunities for environmental dispute resolution and environmental decision-making generally.
