This paper deals with Alternative Dispute Resolution in labour relations within a company in the French context. By contrast with the United States and Canada, mediation and arbitration are rarely used in France for resolving individual or collective labour relations disputes. It is therefore interesting to study such voice procedures in labour relations in France and analyse their impact on procedural justice and equity within the company. The study also analyses the incentives to use mediation/arbitration, in labour relations, as well as the disincentives. It highlights the importance of information and communication with the employees in fostering positive attitudes to it and reducing their fears. This is illustrated by an empirical study of the French subsidiary of the IBM Corporation. We focus our attention on the IBM ‘open door’ policy and describe the results of a quantitative statistical analysis of 203 respondents.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations