Bullying behavior is a contributing factor to hostile work environments, and can cause human consequences that affect morale, performance, and productivity. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify the strategies that ombudsmen and human resource managers (HR) use in mitigating workplace conflict. Corporate social performance was the conceptual framework that guided this research. Nine HR managers, an ombudsman representative, and 8 ombudsmen located in New York City and in other states were interviewed based on their experience in conflict mitigation. Data extracted from the participants' shared stories along with position description documents were synthesized thematically and analyzed for emergent themes. Six themes emerged through analysis: neutrality, trust, interactive coaching competencies, contrasting roles, preventive conflict mitigation strategies, and systemic and cultural analysis. The theme of trust emerged as a key strategy to resolve conflict. The implications for social change include increased organizational accountability, fairness, security, and reduction of discrimination as the work of ombudsmen indirectly lead to cultural changes within organizations.
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