Abstract
Studies of dispute resolution have generally neglected the perspective of the disputant in favor of the
perspective of the dispute handler. Exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect studies have addressed some of the
circumstances under which individuals give voice to their grievances, but these have generally neglected the
area of voice beyond offering predictions of when it will be used. This paper examines how forty‐five
disputants express voice as they pursue grievances through an ombud's office. The data yielded a grounded
taxonomy of disputant motivations with placement of blame and desired outcome as underlying dimensions. Seven
categories of disputants emerged from the data: information seekers, exception seekers, victims, enforcers,
protectors, targets, and destroyers. In addition to expanding our understanding of voice, the focus of this
research on disputant accounts, motives, and desired courses of action has implications for the strategies
dispute handlers choose in managing grievances and may lead to the development of better organizational
disputing systems.