The Mediating Alliance

Abstract

This article proposes the conceptualization of the term “mediating alliance” to further the development of theories about success factors in mediation. Extending Bordin's pan-theoretical conceptualization of the “working alliance” to the field of mediation, we first define the term “mediating alliance.” We then apply research on success factors in mediation to elements of the alliance as it relates to goals, tasks, and bonds developed in the mediation process. We offer the mediating alliance as a framework in which cooperative interaction emerges. At a theoretical level, the mediating alliance, as an integrative framework, contributes to the study of effectiveness in mediation. Methodologically, the operationalization of this concept, based on the theory of speech acts, facilitates the application of a mixed methods approach to future lines of research. At a practical level, this new concept, and the results of future research, will allow scholars to develop hypotheses about the effectiveness of communication strategies in mediation that can be applied to the practice of mediation and the training of mediators.