I ran a poll in a Linkedin group recently. The question was: When one is asked to accept appointment as neutral – such as mediator, co-arbitrator, chairman, umpire or sole – and one of the Parties is a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level friend in Linkedin, should one:
- Decline 3 (11%)
- Decline if 1st level only 1 (3%)
- Accept but declare the connection 16 (59%)
- Accept but declare 1st level only 2 (7%)
- Accept and say nothing 5 (18%)
I offer the result without comment.
I’m not a good guide because I don’t believe there should be a “profession”. The idea concentrates the work and the power among a few. Far better to spread it among practitioners in their fields.
One can see from the poll that several participants felt that social networks could be relevant, Brandeis said Sunlight was the best disinfectant.
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A rather philosophical answer. I suppose Brandeis has a point but I prefer Einsteins opinion of things being relative. The same to me applies to the question. As far as I can see one can’t say that they would decline or accept and disclose or not disclose due to the person being a connection on linkedin. It depends on who that person is and not what there status is in linkedin. Disclosure of the connection always makes sense but a decision to accept to me has nothing to do with the connection on a platform but rather with who that person is and how my relation to them is. As far as I can see this question cannot be just generally answered and I still haven’t received an answer to my questions. Especially what would make you raise a generalised question like that?
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I admit I am a Junior and new to the profession but what has a Linkedin connection to do with one being neutral? In the current day and age everyone is connected to the world and it’s with, I personally have connections on 1st level to people I never even met. It’s called networking. There are also a load of people I couldn’t be impartial to I do not have a connection with on linkedin, xing, fb or god knows what network. So my question how did you end up asking this question in the first place? Isn’t it rather a question of personal involvement than a question of virtual reality?
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