What is an Ombuds?
Ombudsman is an old Swedish word that has been used for centuries to describe a person who represents or protects the interest of another. Organizations typically have two types of ombudspersons: formal ones and informal ones. The second group vastly outnumbers the first. Almost all organizations employ people to whom employees turn when they don’t know how to handle a problem. This “go-to person” maybe a middle manager, a foreman or an ombudsperson.
Methods for Solving Organizational Problems
Complaint programs, including those using an ombudsperson, are designed to promote excellence, to increase organizational learning, to increase participation, to decrease litigation, to avoid bad publicity, to promote positive customer and employee relations.
Formal Definition
The Columbia Encyclopedia (online edition, 2008), describes the work of the ombudsman in the following way: “As a government agent serving as an intermediary between citizens and the government bureaucracy, the ombudsman is usually independent, impartial, universally accessible, and empowered only to recommend.
Type of Complaints Handled
The extent of ombudsman activity in a wide variety of industries from manufacturing to health care suggests that complaint topics are almost limitless. Examples drawn from the business sphere include personnel policies, physical conditions, recreational activities, sexual harassment, discrimination, supervisory conflict, interdepartmental conflict, production processes, personality conflict, personal problems, and general dispute resolution.