SMU SIDRA Survey Report 2020

7.3.4 More than 70% of users were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’ with language (77%), good ethics (73%), and dispute resolution experience (71%). Even with a slight discrepancy between these identified factors and their corresponding experience with them, the chart shows that users were largely satisfied with the three aforementioned factors in their choice of mediator. 7.3.5 With respect to other factors, there were no large discrepancies between the proportion of users who placed high importance on a particular factor compared with the proportion who indicated satisfaction with it. For example, 77% of users indicated that industry specific knowledge was ‘absolutely crucial’ or ‘important’ in mediator selection and 68% were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’ with their selection of mediator in relation to industry specific knowledge – a difference of only 9%. With regards to efficiency, 78% of users indicated that this was ‘absolutely crucial’ or ‘important’, and 68% of users indicated they were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’. 72% of users indicated cost as ‘absolutely crucial’ or ‘important’, and 65% of users were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’. 72% of users indicated cultural familiarity as ‘absolutely crucial’ or ‘important’, and 63% of users were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’. 7.3.6 Finally, with regards to formal qualifications and selection of a mediator from a third-party country, users’ expectations and satisfaction were closely aligned. 59% of users ranked formal qualifications as ‘absolutely crucial’ or ‘important’ and 60% were satisfied with the same. 53% of users indicated the mediator coming from a third-party country as ‘absolutely crucial’ or ‘important’, and 54% of users were satisifed with the same. 7.4 Mediation and Technology Exhibit 7.4.1 Usefulness of Technology in Mediation All Users 36% 35% 33% 33% 29% 15% E-discovery/due diligence Predictive analytical tools Negotiation support or automated negotiation tools Others Analytics for appointment of mediator and/or counsel Platforms for the conduct of virtual/online hearings The chart refers to the respondents who said technology developments were “Extremely Useful” and “Useful” in Mediation. 7.4.1 In terms of how useful technology is to mediation, approximately one third of respondents indicated that analytics for appointment of mediator and/or counsel (36%), platforms for the conduct of virtual/online hearings (35%), e-discovery/ due diligence (33%), predictive analytical tools (33%) and negotiation support or automated negotiation tools (29%) were ‘extremely useful’ or ‘useful’. 7.4.2 As social distancing has become a standard way of living and doing business with the global pandemic, platforms for the conduct of virtual/online hearings have the potential to become the ‘new normal’ way for conducting mediation sessions. It is foreseeable that increased usage and familiarity of technology-aided processes during the pandemic period will hasten the adoption of technology in mediation processes in the future. 2020 FINAL REPORT 58