Functions and Benefits of an Organizational Ombuds
Book Title
De Gruyter Handbook of Organizational Conflict Management
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
9783110746365
Publication Date
9-2022
Editors
LaVena Wilkin, Yashwant Pathak
Keywords
Workplace Conflict, Costs of Organizational Conflict, Dispute Settlement, Conflict Coaching
Description
Interpersonal Conflicts in the workplace are often viewed as an inevitable “cost of doing business”. When there are attempts to mitigate the damaging effects of ignoring workplace conflict, some organizations rely on traditionally accepted methods such as documentation, discipline, probation, or termination, often facilitated by offices of Human Resources and Legal Affairs. Furthermore, employees are often reluctant to use these offices to report issues that contribute to workplace conflict because of fear of going “on record” and possible retaliation. A more recent development within the varied menu of organizational resources to help mitigate the negative costs of workplace conflict is the Office of the Ombuds, staffed by one or more Organizational Ombuds (OO). The chapter presents a scenario of a somewhat typical workplace conflict scenario. It compares and contrasts how it was handled in an institution of higher education without an OO, and how it might have been handled if an OO was available and involved. Within this “story”, readers are informed about the role and potential benefits of having an Office of the Ombuds accessible to their employees.
DOI
10.1515/9783110746365-019
Publisher
De Gruyter
First Page
269
Last Page
280
Disciplines
Business | Peace and Conflict Studies | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Social and Behavioral Sciences
NSUWorks Citation
Katz, Neil. (2022). Functions and Benefits of an Organizational Ombuds. In LaVena Wilkin, Yashwant Pathak (Eds.), De Gruyter Handbook of Organizational Conflict Management .
Additional Information
Section 4: Methods for Managing Organizational Conflicts
Chapter 19