About the JIOA

The Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA) is a peer-reviewed online journal for scholarly articles and information relevant to the ombuds profession. As members of a relatively new profession, we continually strive to understand, define, and clarify the role and function of the professional organizational ombuds.


 

JIOA Issues

*Beginning in mid-2017, the JIOA moved away from a static publishing model in favor of becoming a more dynamic one. As an entirely online publication, the articles are now made available as soon as final revisions are complete rather than waiting to collectively publish as a "bound" biannual issue.

Over the last few years, there have been many articles written about the ombuds role. But very few of those pieces were empirically grounded examinations of how the ombuds function was experienced and perceived within particular organizations. Mostly, writing about the ombuds role has been conceptual - focusing on different issues associated with the standards of practice or the code of ethics. When actual ombuds practices and tactics are discussed, it is usually from the perspective of a practicing ombuds reflecting on his or her experiences and examining his or her idiosyncratic interpretations of the role.

This article, “Ombuds and Conflict Resolution Specialists: Navigating Workplace Challenges in Higher Education” by Nova Southeastern University faculty member Neil H. Katz and two of his graduate students, Katherine J. Sosa and Linda N. Kovack, offers those interested in the ombuds role an opportunity to better understand the impact we do and do not have in the organizations in which we function. Specifically, Katz, Sosa, and Kovack have studied the work of ombuds in 11 universities in the United States.

We think readers will agree that this study was carefully composed and conducted and that the report of their findings is both thoughtful and provocative. For this reason, we are taking the unprecedented step of publishing this jointly with the Journal of the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds. In fact, the article was first submitted to the Cal Caucus journal and we want to thank them for generously agreeing to a simultaneous joint publication. We believe the article has relevance and value for all organizational ombuds, whether or not they work in the academic world.

–The JIOA Editorial Board


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