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Ombuds Publications

This compilation of publications offers information relevant to establishing and maintaining a professional Ombuds practice which adheres to a common code of ethics and standards of practice.  It also includes writings that are useful to those within and outside of MIT who want to better understand and/or establish an Ombuds practice.

1. MIT Ombuds Office Terms of Reference (PDF)
2. Barriers to Equality: The Power of Subtle Discrimination to Maintain Unequal Opportunity ( PDF)
3. Micro-affirmations & Micro-inequities (PDF), published in Journal of the International Ombudsman Association, Volume 1, Number 1, March 2008.
4. Options, Functions and Skills (PDF)
5. Dealing with—or Reporting—"Unacceptable" Behavior (PDF) The Journal of the International Ombudsman Association 2009, 2,(1), online at http://www.ombudsassociation.org/publications/journal/
6. Bystander Training within Organizations (PDF) The Journal of the International Ombudsman Association 2009, 2,(1), online at http://www.ombudsassociation.org/publications/journal/
7. The Ombudsman's Role in a Dispute Resolution System (PDF)
8. In Harvard Negotiation Law Journal, 2009 online
   • Organizational Systems for Dealing with Conflict & Learning from Conflict — Introduction;
   • Systems for Dealing with Conflict and Learning from Conflict-Options for Complaint-Handling — an Illustrative Case;
   • An Organizational Ombuds Office, In a System for Dealing with Conflict and Learning from Conflict, or "Conflict Management System;"
   • A Chart "Analyzing Your Conflict Management System."
9. What Is It Like To Be An Organizational Ombudsman? (PDF), published in Perspectives on Work, The IRRA's 50th Anniversary Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2.
10. Helping People Help Themselves (PDF)
11. People Who Feel Harassed Need a Complaint System (PDF)
12. Options and Choice for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace (PDF)
13. Disputes and Conflicts Inside Organizations: A Systems Approach (PDF), published in Negotiation Journal, April 1989.
14. Dealing with Harassment: A Systems Approach (PDF)
15. Dispute Resolution in the Nonunion Environment (PDF)
16. An Effective, Integrated Complaint Resolution System (PDF)
17. Workplace Justice, "Zero Tolerance" and "Zero Barriers" (PDF)
18. Complaint System Diagnostic: A Questionnaire for Analyzing your Conflict Management System
19. Notes on Complaint Handling Options for Managers (PDF)
20. The Corporate Ombudsman: An Overview and Analysis (PDF)
21. Dealing with the Fear of Violence (PDF)
22. "A Discussion of The Effectiveness of Organizational Ombudsmen," Mary Rowe and Mary Simon, 2001 (PDF)
23. What Actually Works? The One-to-One Approach (PDF)
24. Are You Hearing Enough Employee Concerns? (PDF)
25. Harassment at MIT: Think Prevention (PDF) , appeared in the MIT Faculty Newsletter, Vol. II No. 1, October 1989
26. Conflicts of Interest Arising from Personal Relationships (PDF) , appeared in the MIT Faculty Newsletter, Vol. X No. 1, September 1997
27. Requests for Personal Work May Pose a Conflict of Interest (PDF), appeared in the MIT Faculty Newsletter, Vol. XV No. 4, February/March 2003
28. Negotiation and Conflict Management (15.667), Sloan School of Management
29. A Partial List of Mary Rowe's Publications