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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
11.1. You should adapt your medium and your tone to the audience’s needs and preferences in order to
11.2. You should avoid offering explanations in negative messages when that information is
11.3. When organizing a negative message using the indirect approach, open with a buffer and then
continue with a logical and neutral explanation of the reasons behind the bad news. Next, offer a
11.4. A buffer is a neutral, noncontroversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message.
Some critics believe that buffers are unethical and see them as being manipulative and dishonest;
AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.5. Whistle-blowing refers to the incidents when employees who observe unethical or illegal
behavior within their companies and are unable to resolve the problems through normal channels
oral communication
11.6. The steps to be used to minimize the chances of being accused of defamation include (1)
refraining from using any kind of abusive language or terms that could be considered defamatory,
(2) providing accurate information and sticking to the facts, (3) never letting anger or malice
future. [LO-6] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.7. Companies that have active, mutually beneficial relationships with customers and other interested
parties are less likely to be attacked unfairly online and more likely to survive such attacks if they
do occur. In contrast, companies that ignore constituents or jump into “spin doctoring” mode
Information technology (See MyBCommLab for additional insights)
11.8. During a crisis, customers, employees, local communities, and others will demand information. A
crisis communication plan defines operational procedures to deal with the crisis. This plan
outlines communication tasks and responsibilities, which can include everything from media
contacts to news releases. The plan should clearly specify which people are authorized to speak
11.9. The five guidelines for giving negative performance reviews include:
APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE
11.10. You would use the indirect approach because the negative information would most likely receive
a negative reaction from the audience. The indirect approach helps readers prepare for the bad
11.11. Yes, it is both possible and fairly easy to express sympathy with someone’s negative situation
without apologizing for the circumstances. Simply phrase your response along the lines of “I’m
(See MyBCommLab for additional insights)
11.12. If the intent is to minimize the emotional blow to the audience, intentionally deemphasizing bad
news is not the same as distorting charts to deemphasize unfavorable data. The former is a
understanding and reasoning
11.13. Companies that have active, mutually beneficial relationships with customers and other interested
parties are less likely to be attacked unfairly online and more likely to survive such attacks if they
Written and oral communication
11.14. The best general strategy in this situation is to acknowledge receipt of the complaint publicly
(e.g., “We’re sorry to hear you had an unsatisfactory experience”) but then engage the person
privately by offering to communicate via email or direct message. You might also adjust your
response based on a quick analysis of the Twitter user’s history and the number of followers he or
communication (Visit MyBCommLab for additional insights)
11.15. When deciding how to respond to a recommendation request from someone whose work and
skills you don’t remember, keep in mind that any recommendations you make become part of
your profile and reflect on you. If you have made other recommendations on LinkedIn, you won’t
communication
PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS
11.16. Message 11.A Sending Negative Organizational News
This message is going to top executives who need clear, concise information, so use the direct approach.
Open with a statement of mutual agreement. Get right to the bad news, but let it lead smoothly into your
Here’s a revised version:
From: M. Juhasz, Travel & Meeting Services
To: [mailing list]
Subject: Creative Cost-Cutting
Dear traveling executives:
Before your trip:
During your trip:
Please share any other ideas you have for travel savings. We’ll pass them along. By working together,
we should be able to accomplish our travel and meeting objectives this year without undue hardship,
[LO-6] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.17. Message 11.B: Refusing Requests for Claims and Adjustments
This letter is not audience-centered, and emphasizes the negative rather than the positive. It suffers from
these additional problems:
Here’s a revised version:
Thank you for contacting us about issues you have encountered with your WM39Z wireless hub. We
would be pleased to repair it under the terms of the warranty. Please deliver or send the damaged
Our turnaround time for repairs is about ten days, unless parts have to be ordered. If you would like
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.18. Message 11.C: Rejecting Job Applications
This letter is tactless, “we” oriented, and negative. It suffers from these additional problems:
Here’s one version of the revised letter:
Thank you for applying for the position of summer intern. We were pleased by the overall high
Although we have already filled the 25 intern positions, we will keep your résumé on file for future
Sincerely,
[LO-6] AACSB: Written and oral communication
Planning: Choosing the Direct or Indirect Approach Students should be able to support their choices
on using the indirect or direct approach.
11.19. Direct. However, if you have anything to do with the reason the client is leaving, then you
may want to use a buffer.
11.20. Direct, unless a delivery date was previously provided and now the company is saying it can’t
meet that date.
11.21. Indirect. Since this is a special order, the customer is likely to be especially disappointed.
11.22. Direct. This message will have only a minor impact on employees and such situations are
routine.
11.23. Indirect. The passenger may not expect this news and as a way of retaining them, the indirect
approach would be effective.
11.24. Direct or indirect. The approach for this message will depend on company guidelines for this
type of situation.
11.25. Indirect. This message will have an adverse effect on the receiver and the response is
probably not expected.
11.26. Direct. The customer is probably expecting bad news due to improper handling of the
product.
11.27. Direct. This is a routine message for internal colleagues and deals with routine matters,
though unfortunate.
[LO-1] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.28. Since the customer’s mistake was related to the complexity of operating a smartphone, an issue
that affects anyone who uses smartphones, the writer can find some common ground here:
[LO-4] AACSB: Written and oral communication
Etiquette: Communicating with Sensitivity and Tact; Collaboration: Team Projects De-emphasizing
the bad news—possible revisions: [LO-4] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.29. Even though unused tickets are nonrefundable, your ticket is still valid and may be used to
11.30. After a thorough search, we were able to find a supplier that can provide you with a
11.31. Because the MP3 player was immersed in water, we are unable to offer a refund. We will be
11.32. Although the company will want to buffer the bad news, readers should learn of the higher rates
in the body of the message, not the close. Students may suggest using a single paragraph as a
buffer and embedding the rate announcement in the second paragraph (not in parentheses, but as
understanding and reasoning
11.33. Students’ responses will depend on the news releases they choose to analyze. They should be able
to analyze nearly any news release by breaking it down into paragraphs and sentences, then
CASE SOLUTIONS
Here are sample solutions for this chapter’s cases.
11.34. Message Strategies: Rejecting Suggestions and Proposals; Communication Ethics: Making
Ethical Choices
Note: Students should recognize that the business partner committed a huge ethnical lapse, and it needs
to be corrected immediately. Preventing any employees from posting fake reviews is a higher priority than
[Subject line]
DO NOT POSE AS ONLINE SHOPPERS Re: [original subject line]
Fellow employees:
Do not follow through on the promotional idea in Brody’s email from this morning, suggesting that we all
pose as shoppers and post glowing reviews of our own products on Amazon and other shopping sites.
I will confer with Brody at the earliest opportunity and together we will draw up a companywide policy
Thank you,
Rachel
[LO-5] AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
11.35. Message Strategies: Making Routine Negative Announcements
Note: The tone of these tweets should reflect the style of the musician and his or her relationship with
fans.
I regret to inform John Hiatt fans that our man has caught a nasty virus and needs to cancel his August 12
show at The Gorge. (1/2)
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.36. Message Strategies: Rejecting Suggestions and Proposals
Note: This message should be gracious and respectful of the recipient’s intentions, so the indirect
Dear Holly:
Thanks so much reaching out to us to see if Advocates for the Arts here at the University of Washington
would like to explore the possibility of forming a national organization. I’m always thrilled to meet other
With its booming economy and population growth, Seattle has seen a healthy increase in the number and
Given the demands on our schedules and resources, I think it’s best for us to maintain our local focus for
the time being. I applaud the concept you describe and appreciate the benefits we could gain, but we are
I would like to keep in touch as we grow and evolve. Perhaps we’ll reach the point where joining a larger
Mason Bell
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.37. Message Strategies: Rejecting Suggestions and Proposals
Note: This message needs to be handled with some tact to maintain a positive working relationship with
the employee. However, the proposal was not solicited, so the manager doesn’t have to explain why he or
she rejected something that was asked for. A brief buffer is sufficient, followed by the reasons for rejecting
the proposal.
Subject: Your agency proposal
Hi Walter,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on our agency partnership. Your insights have been
Without evidence to back up the assertion that Meyers & Partners has become unresponsive or that it is
too big to meet our needs, I won’t be able to take action on this matter. Moreover, the agency you
If you would like to submit a revised proposal, I would welcome your thoughts and reasoning.
Thanks again,
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.38. Message Strategies: Making Routine Negative Announcements
Note: Nearly a quarter of the company’s workforce participated in this program, so its demise is going to
have some emotional impact. In addition, cutting the program is likely to worry all employees, because it
Subject: Regarding the “Helping Our Hometown Grow” program
Hello everyone,
Over the past 10 years, we have been able to help nearly 500 families in Norwood start their own
vegetable gardens through the “Helping Our Hometown Grow” program. We all cherish this program and
All these reasons make it particularly difficult to announce that financial circumstances are forcing us to
cancel the program. We are still recovering from the recent recession, and we are facing lower sales as
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Janet Leigh
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.39. Message Strategies: Making Routine Negative Announcements
Note: Two key challenges in this situation are to avoid creating any impression that this is a product
recall and to discourage any follow-up communication that isn’t absolutely necessary. At the same time,
of course, the speaker should avoid any blunt statements such as “This is not a recall” or “Do not return
any product you’ve purchased.”
[75-word recorded message]
Working in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, we are ending production of Model
500, Model 1000, and Model 2000 enclosed beds. We have issued a revised manual and warning labels
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.40. Message Strategies: Making Routine Negative Announcements
Note: State the bad news clearly using the direct approach.
[LO-5] AACSB: Written and oral communication
11.41. Message strategies: Making Routine Negative Announcements
Note: In this exercise, it will be important to convey the bad news quickly, without a great deal of
explanation. Students may benefit from discussing Starbucks’ actual attempt to justify rescinding the offer.
The company explained in a press release that the coupons had been “redistributed beyond the original
