Toward the Activist Ombudsman: An Introduction

Abstract

This introduction frames the articles in this mini-colloquy on the work of the Office of the Ombudsman at the National Institutes of Health, Center for Cooperative Resolution (OO/CCR). This office is unique in its size, experience, and approach to the work of the organizational ombudsman. Through this series of articles, we share our understandings of the potential for the role of the organizational conflict management specialists called ombudsmen and to assist other organizations and practitioners as they consider and enact similar roles within their workplaces.

Keywords: Ombudsman, organizational ombuds, workplace conflict