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About Mary Rowe

Mary P. Rowe is an Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and taught these topics for twenty years. She served for almost 42 years as an organizational ombuds reporting directly to five presidents of MIT. As a conflict management specialist and an expert in interpersonal negotiations, Rowe hears from hundreds of people a year about serious conflicts and concerns; she consults widely to corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies.

Rowe’s research and publications encompass a variety of topics encountered in her career—ranging from the role and work of an organizational ombuds to harassment, micro-affirmations, and bystanders. If you are interested in a particular article or topic in Rowe's publications, click here.

Headshot of Mary P. Rowe

Mary P. Rowe

Her research interests include the different kinds of power that are used in negotiations; conflict management system design; bullying and harassment; and coping with difficult people and unacceptable behavior. She consults about the role (and contributions) of bystanders and the “bystanders of bystanders” in helping to affirm professional and productive behavior within organizations—and the vital role of managers in listening to bystanders. She also consults on research about the power of micro-affirmations in mentoring and teamwork and the power of micro-affirmations to prevent, mitigate, and repair damage from micro-inequities of all kinds. Her current research focuses on communicating ombuds effectiveness and value in the age of artificial intelligence and cyber-insecurity.

Rowe holds a BA in history/international relations from Swarthmore College and a PhD in economics from Columbia University. In 2026, she received the International Ombuds Association's  Trailblazer Award, that organization's highest honor.