What happens when there is a dispute between a tenant and a landlord? If it's bad enough to go to court, a mediator is often called in to help. For the past 12 years, D'Amore-McKim School of Business Associate Professor of Management and Organizational Behavior Ed Wertheim has volunteered as a professional mediator for these issues.

The stakes can be high between tenants and landlords, with one party possibly spending all their money on a property and another just needing a place to stay.

“You're dealing with a roof over someone's head,” Wertheim said.

Wertheim has been a professor at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business since 1977, teaching courses on conflict resolution and mediation.

He has mediated about 200 cases, primarily at Quincy District Courthouse. He volunteers for these cases through MWI, a Boston-based company that facilitates mediation services.

Wertheim believes being a good listener is essential for successful mediation, in addition to finding a common ground between parties, and determining how open each is to compromise.

“Some people say they want the money, but they just really want an apology,” he said.