Arbitrators’ backgrounds and behavior

Evidence indicates that when choosing arbitrators biographical information about them is used by labor and management representatives. Presumably, this helps ensure selection of the “right” arbitrator, behaviorally speaking. The present study assessed the general utility of this practice by examining the relationship between biographical information and arbitrator behavior for 250 arbitrators. It was found that the biographical information accounted for only small portions of the variance in four measures of arbitrator behavior. Implications are discussed in terms of arbitrator selection practices and future research needs. This research was conducted while the first author was on leave at Ohio State University from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The authors wish to thank Cathy Collins, Reba Leiding, Rufus Milsted, and Grace Winslow for their assistance on this project. A version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Industrial Relations Research Association, New York, December 1982.