https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/155117 2026-04-04T17:08:23Z 2026-04-04T17:08:23Z Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/159970 2025-07-09T03:01:45Z 2018-04-01T00:00:00Z

Fostering Constructive Action by Peers and Bystanders in Organizations and Communities Rowe, Mary Note: Table One in this article is a long list of “Some Naturally Occurring Helpful Bystander Actions.” This list illustrates the importance of frequent, mundane bystander actions in building community and a culture of conflict management competence, as well as the better-known decisive actions that bystanders can take in emergency situations.

2018-04-01T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/159358 2025-07-06T03:09:00Z 2025-04-01T00:00:00Z

An Unusual Harassment Training That Was Warmly Received—and, as well, Inspired Bystanders—an Organizational Ombuds Story Rowe, Mary Harassment and bullying are hard to endure and hard to stop. Many targets and bystanders fear to ask for help, fearing loss of relationships and other painful consequences. All organizations need training. However, sensitivity training about harassment is now unwelcome to many, and it is hard to prove such training is effective in terms of achieving desirable outcomes. This essay describes an effort to teach supervisors how to receive harassment concerns competently and effectively. Faculty and staff supervisors were asked to critique the performance of peers on videos—who were kind but making common mistakes—for their strengths and weaknesses as complaint-handlers. The training was voluntary, very well received, and effective in several different ways. Many organizations might adapt such training for their frontline supervisors. (Note: This article illustrates the importance of training managers and faculty about complaint-handling and about being effective bystanders.)

2025-04-01T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/158449 2025-04-07T09:10:00Z 2023-07-14T00:00:00Z

Helping Hesitant Bystanders Identify Their Options: A Checklist with Examples and Ideas to Consider Rowe, Mary Organizational bystanders sometimes act heroically in emergencies. Less well known are the bystanders who act very effectively, in quiet ways, in reaction to (potentially) unacceptable behavior. In addition, many bystanders (and bystanders of bystanders) consider action, but hesitate. There are many reasons why hesitation is understandable and may be appropriate. However, in many situations, hesitation can turn into effective action. Drawing on examples from ombuds practice, this article aims to assist organizational ombuds in helping hesitant bystanders identify and evaluate their options. The article includes a checklist of questions for hesitant bystanders that ombuds may find useful—and adds to the literature about why bystanders do or do not decide to act after learning of unacceptable behavior. The checklist may also be useful to those engaged in training programs for bystanders and others who provide support to hesitant bystanders.

2023-07-14T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/158448 2025-04-07T09:26:23Z 2023-07-14T00:00:00Z

Consider Generic Options When Complainants and Bystanders Are Fearful Rowe, Mary Organizational ombuds usually offer a choice of different options to constituents who call the office with a concern. In serious cases, ombuds might offer formal options such as filing a formal grievance. In addition, the ombuds can offer informal options, such as helping a visitor deal directly with their concern or offering to facilitate discussion with those involved. However, aggrieved persons and proactive bystanders often are very fearful about anyone knowing they have complained. In this situation, a “generic” approach—that focuses on an issue without naming anyone—can help to address the issues involved rather than the individuals. This can be done in ways that shield the privacy of the complainant. In addition to helping individuals, generic options serve affinity groups and the organization by supporting needed systemic improvements. This article discusses how organizational ombuds and other complaint handlers can use generic approaches in their work.

2023-07-14T00:00:00Z Rowe, Susannah G. Stewart, Miriam T. Van Horne, Sam Pierre, Cassandra Wang, Hanhan Manukyan, Makaila Bair-Merritt, Megan Lee-Parritz, Aviva Rowe, Mary P. Shanafelt, Tait Trockel, Mickey https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/158443 2025-04-07T09:24:37Z 2022-05-06T00:00:00Z

Mistreatment Experiences, Protective Workplace Systems, and Occupational Distress in Physicians Rowe, Susannah G.; Stewart, Miriam T.; Van Horne, Sam; Pierre, Cassandra; Wang, Hanhan; Manukyan, Makaila; Bair-Merritt, Megan; Lee-Parritz, Aviva; Rowe, Mary P.; Shanafelt, Tait; Trockel, Mickey Reducing physician occupational distress requires understanding workplace mistreatment, its relationship to occupational well-being, and how mistreatment differentially impacts physicians of diverse identities. A survey of 1505 physicians conducted from September to October 2020 found that 23.4% had experienced mistreatment in the last year, with patients and visitors as the most frequent source of mistreatment. Women were more than twice as likely as men to experience mistreatment. Mistreatment was associated with higher levels of occupational distress, whereas the perception that protective workplace systems exist was associated with lower levels of occupational distress. These findings suggest that health care organizations should prioritize reducing workplace mistreatment, and systems that prevent workplace mistreatment may improve physicians' occupational well-being. Note: This article is the first to provide quantitative data finding that the perception that bystanders intervene when someone is mistreated is associated with better occupational well-being.

2022-05-06T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary P. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/158150 2025-04-08T04:48:09Z 2021-10-01T00:00:00Z

An Unusual Harassment Training That Was Warmly Received and Also Inspired Bystanders Rowe, Mary P. Harassment and bullying are hard to endure and hard to stop. Many targets and bystanders fear to ask for help, fearing loss of relationships and other bad consequences. All organizations need to train people about harassment. But such training is now unwelcome to many, and it is hard to prove that it is effective. This essay describes an effort to teach supervisors how to receive harassment concerns competently and effectively. Faculty and staff supervisors were asked to critique the performance of peers on videos—who were kind but making common mistakes—for their strengths and weaknesses as complaint-handlers. The training was voluntary, very well received, and effective in several different ways. (Note: This essay illustrates the importance of training managers and faculty about complaint-handling and about being effective bystanders.)

2021-10-01T00:00:00Z Borum, Randy Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/158070 2025-04-08T04:30:57Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Importance of Bystanders in Threat Assessment and Management Borum, Randy; Rowe, Mary Bystanders—those who observe or come to know about potential wrongdoing—are often the best source of pre-attack intelligence, including indicators of intent and “warning” behaviors. They are the reason that some planned attacks are foiled before they occur. Numerous studies of targeted violence (e.g., mass shootings and school shootings), have demonstrated that peers and bystanders often have knowledge of an attacker’s intentions, concerning communication, and troubling behavior before the attack occurs. This chapter describes—with empirical support—why threat assessment professionals should consider bystanders; outlines a model for understanding bystander decision making; reviews common barriers to bystander reporting; and suggests ways to mitigate those barriers, to engage bystanders at an individual level, and to improve reporting. The principal aim of threat assessment is to prevent (primarily) intentional acts of harm. When tragic incidents of planned violence occur, however, it is almost always uncovered “that someone knew something” about the attack before it happened. This happens because, as attack plans unfold, people in several different roles may know, or come to know, something about what is happening before harm occurs. The perpetrators know, and so may others, including targets, family members, friends, co-workers, or even casual observers.

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/158069 2025-04-07T09:12:18Z 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Supporting Bystanders: See Something, Say Something Is Not Enough Rowe, Mary The working paper discusses the need for a zero barrier office in a conflict management system to make it less risky for bystanders to offer information in serious cases. An expanded version of this working paper was later published as Mary P. Rowe, “Bystanders: ‘See Something, Say Something’ Is Not Enough,” Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation Vol. 39, No. 10 (November 2021): 153-165.

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary Giraldo-Kerr, Anna https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/157443 2024-10-29T03:42:14Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Bystanders Rowe, Mary; Giraldo-Kerr, Anna The concept of a bystander is frequently linked to issues of gender, in the context of bystanders who take responsible action against harassment and discrimination. Bystanders are people who observe or learn about good—or bad—behavior by others, while not knowingly engaged in planning or executing the behavior. They have no formal role in the situation and may or may not take action. If they take helpful action, they may be called “active” or “positive” bystanders, or “up-standers.” This entry considers the cultural, religious, and gender perspectives through which one can understand bystander behavior, the value of bystander training, and directions for future research.

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z Rowe, Mary Wilcox, Linda Gadlin, Howard https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/156663 2024-09-04T03:50:41Z 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dealing with—or Reporting—‘Unacceptable’ Behavior Rowe, Mary; Wilcox, Linda; Gadlin, Howard People in organizations often see behavior that they think is unacceptable, unsafe, illegal—even criminal. Why do people who observe such behavior hesitate to act on their own, or to come forward promptly—even when affected by that behavior? Why do they not immediately report those whom they see to be acting in an intolerable fashion? Hesitation of this kind has been recognized for years; for example, there is a controversial literature about the “bystander effect.” In real life hesitation is not confined just to bystanders. People in all roles may hesitate to act. Why do some people—including many managers—waver, rather than acting effectively to stop behavior they find to be unacceptable? The most common reasons for hesitation are: fear of loss of relationships, and loss of privacy, fear of unspecified “bad consequences” or retaliation, and insufficient evidence. There are many other barriers and they are often complex. Perceptions of the organization and of supervisors are important, as is a complaint system that is seen to be safe, accessible and credible. Some people do act on the spot or come forward when they see unacceptable behavior. Reviewing the reasoning of people with whom we have talked may provide ideas for employers designing or reviewing a conflict management system.

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Scully, Maureen Rowe, Mary https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/156545 2024-09-04T03:17:07Z 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Bystander Training within Organizations Scully, Maureen; Rowe, Mary Active bystanders may play a useful role in discouraging negative behaviors, and, we add, encouraging positive behaviors in the workplace. We describe the significance of the bystander role—for example, with respect to safety, diversity, and ethics—and review the challenges for bystanders in moving from a passive to an active stance. Bystander training may help bystanders learn small, concrete strategies for intervening effectively. We review current debates about the power and the limits of the bystander role, the efficacy of training, and the capacity of local bystander action to foster broader organizational changes that support safety, inclusion, and integrity.

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Scully, Maureen Rowe, Mary Moorehead, Laura https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/156254 2024-08-18T03:40:40Z 1998-07-01T00:00:00Z

Helping Bystanders Take Responsibility for Diversity Scully, Maureen; Rowe, Mary; Moorehead, Laura

1998-07-01T00:00:00Z