Journal of the International Ombuds Association (JIOA)

Book Review: Millenials and Conflict in the Workplace: Understand the Unique Traits of the Now Generation by Cynthia Pearce LeMay

POLLY D. FRAGA

April 2025

Abstract:

Cynthia Pearce LeMay in Millennials and Conflict in the Workplace shows how Millennials differ from preceding generations in their values and approach to conflict resolution, providing useful information for the practicing Ombuds when working with this generation. LeMay uses both qualitative measures (interviews and focus groups with approximately 50 people, Millennials and NonMillennials) and quantitative measures (using data from 11,000 test-takers of the ThomasKilman Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) over a 13-year span), attempting to answer 3 questions:
• How do Millennials manage conflict in the workplace?
• What are the dominant conflict styles of Millennials, Generation Xers (Gen Xers) and Baby Boomers?
• How do conflict styles of Millennials compare with Gen Xers of the same age?

A review of Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Interests, Issues, and Opportunities

MATTHEW L.P. RICKE

March 2025

Abstract:

How can organizational ombuds support inclusion and equity for neurodivergent constituents in our organizations? Are there ways in which our practices could be modified to increase access for individuals across the spectrum of neurodiversity? While not specifically written for an ombuds audience, Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Interests, Issues and Opportunities (Bruyère & Colella, 2022) provides a valuable collection of essays on the topic of neurodiversity from an industrial-organizational psychology perspective, including strategies for furthering organizational equity, inclusion, and access. This article summarizes the key contributions of the text, including key terms and definitions, organizational climate considerations, disability rights and accommodation principles, and challenges within interpersonal and supervisory relationships. The author contextualizes the book within a case study, guiding ombuds to connect the core concepts of the book to organizational ombuds practice.