Answers to Chapter Review Questions
1. What are your most important goals in communicating negative news? (Obj. 1)
Explaining the bad news clearly and completely. The receiver should not have to
Projecting a professional and positive image of the organization. This means
Conveying empathy and sensitivity. Use language that is likely to reduce bad
2. When delivering bad news, how can a communicator reduce the bad feelings of the
receiver? (Obj. 1)
Bad feelings can be reduced if the receiver (a) knows the reasons for the rejection, (b) feels
3. When is the direct strategy more effective than the indirect strategy in conveying
negative news? (Obj. 2)
Use the direct strategy when the bad news is not damaging, when the receiver may
4. When is the indirect strategy in communicating bad news preferable? (Obj. 2)
Use the indirect strategy when the bad news is personally upsetting, will provoke a hostile
5. What are the major differences between the direct and indirect strategies in delivering
bad news? (Obj. 2)
The major differences depend on whether you start with a buffer and how early you explain
6. What is a buffer? Name five or more techniques to buffer the opening of a bad-news
message. (Obj. 2)
A buffer is a device to reduce shock or pain. Appropriate buffers in bad-news messages
7. What are some tips for business writers wishing to apologize effectively? (Obj. 3)
An apology is admission of blameworthiness and regret for an undesirable event. Apologies
8. What does conveying empathy mean in delivering apologies? (Obj. 3)
Empathy is the ability to understand and enter into the feelings of another. It means
9. Name four or more techniques that cushion the delivery of bad news. (Obj. 3)
10. What are some strategies to manage adverse news on social networking sites and
blogs effectively? (Obj. 4)
Recognize social networks as an important communication channel; be proactive in
11. Identify a process used by a majority of business professionals in resolving problems
with disappointed customers. (Obj. 4)
A majority of business professionals resolve problems immediately and personally by (a)
calling the individual involved; (b) describing the problem and apologizing; (c) explaining
12. If you must deny the claim of a customer who is clearly at fault, should you respond
by putting the blame squarely on the customer? (Obj. 4)
13. What is an effective technique in announcing rate increases and price hikes? (Obj. 5)
14. How can a subordinate tactfully, professionally, and safely deliver upsetting news
personally to a superior? (Obj. 6)
15. What are some channels that large organizations may use when delivering bad news
to employees? (Obj. 5)
Organizations may use e-mail, videos, webcasts, and voice mail. But interoffice memos
Answers to Critical Thinking Questions
1. Robert Bies, professor of management at Georgetown University, believes that an
important ethical guideline in dealing with bad news is never to shock the recipient:
“Bad news should never come as a surprise. Failure to warn senior leadership of
impending bad news, such as poor sales or a loss of a major client, is a cardinal sin. So
is failure to warn subordinates about mistakes in their performance and provide an
opportunity for them to make corrections and improve.” Discuss the motivation of
people who keep quiet and struggle with dispensing bad news. (Objs. 1–3)
Giving bad news is unpleasant, and many of us prefer to avoid it or hide behind technology
2. Respected industry analyst Gartner Research issued a report naming social
networking as one of the top ten disruptive influences shaping information technology
in the next five years. Should organizations fear websites where consumers post
negative messages about products and services? What actions can companies take in
response to this disruptive influence? (Objs. 1−5)
Proactive companies are creating their own Twitter and Facebook presence and monitoring
the Web so that they can monitor comments and respond directly to consumers through
3. Consider times when you have been aware that others have used the indirect pattern
in writing or speaking to you. How did you react? (Objs. 1–5)
Students may indicate that they appreciated the indirect pattern because it was more tactful
and made them feel that the communicator cared about their feelings. On the other hand,
Most business communicators feel that using the indirect pattern prepares that individual
for bad news or for an important idea. Other communicators contend that the indirect
4. Living in Pittsburgh, Lauren Bossers worked virtually by e-mail and phone for a
supply chain management software company in Dallas. She was laid off by phone, too.
Bossers’ manager had given her one day’s notice; however, the news was still
“shocking,” and she responded with just yes or no to the HR officer who called: “I
wasn’t rude, but I didn’t think it was my job to make them feel better,” Bossers said.
Software developer Jeff Langr was fired during a teleconference on Skype. What
might be some advantages and disadvantages to being let go remotely, if any? Why
might it be a good idea to rein in one’s frustration and anger? (Objs. 1, 5)
Although it is brutal, being told over the phone may help the person absorb the bad news
and respond to it in private rather than in front of coworkers. This advantage is lost, of
Experts recommend that fired workers who are not telecommuting not hide out at
home but “put on your game face and head back to the office one last time” to collect their
belongings and say goodbye. Also, telecommuters should call their former colleagues,
5. Ethical Issue: You work for a large corporation with headquarters in a small town.
Recently, you received shoddy repair work and a huge bill from a local garage. Your
car’s transmission has the same problems that it did before you took it in for repair.
You know that a complaint letter written on your corporation’s stationery would be
much more authoritative than one written on plain stationery. Should you use your
company’s stationery? (Obj. 1)
Although the letter might seem more impressive on corporate stationery, it is clearly
ZOOMING IN
Critical Thinking
Suppose you made an honest mistake that could prove expensive for your employer or
internship provider. Would you blurt out the bad news immediately or consider
strategies to soften the blow somewhat?
Revealing bad news slowly usually softens its impact. Most people would prefer to be let
down gently. Whether consciously or unwittingly, most of us adopt strategies to mitigate the
What are some of the techniques you could use if you had to deliver a bad-news
message in print or online for a company such as Carnival Cruise Lines?
Much depends, of course, on the severity of the bad news and the relationship between you
and the audience. In business messages to customers, you could start with a buffer, which is a
neutral statement. Then you can offer reasons for the bad news before revealing it in a
straightforward manner. You might suggest an alternative, a compromise, or a solution.
Carnival Corporation’s chairman and CEO, Micky Arison, was criticized by The Wall
Street Journal and other commentators for remaining conspicuously silent during the
extreme crisis unfolding in Italy. Arison was faulted for not exercising leadership from
the top and instead leaving public appearances to Pier Luigi Foschi, the embattled CEO
of Costa Crociere, Carnival Corporation’s Italian subsidiary. Foschi was facing the
news media virtually alone in the days and weeks after the Costa Concordia accident.
What might explain Micky Arison’s low profile, considering that he also let Gerry
Cahill handle the Carnival Splendor crisis alone?
First, Cahill’s task was significantly easier because the Carnival Splendor incident did not
involve the loss of life, as harrowing as the engine fire and subsequent electrical failure may
have been to the passengers on board the disabled ship. The stakes in the Costa Concordia
After the Italian tragedy, lawyers representing hundreds of passengers and 1,000 businesses
on the Tuscan island of Giglio are seeking at least $2 million in compensation per Costa
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/09/11/this-afternoons-top-news-stories.aspx?
source=isesitlnk0000001&mrr=1.00]
Moody’s believes that the ultimate cost of the accident could reach $1 billion. [Hanks, D.
(2012, January 24). Costa Concordia wreck leaves hostile PR wake for Carnival Cruise
Lines. The Miami Herald. Retrieved from
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/01/24/136751/costa-concordia-wreck-leaves-hostile.html]
Second, any but the most general apologies could become liabilities when lawsuits are
pending and the investigation is still underway. Chief executives’ words are scrutinized by
The fourth reason may be idiosyncratic and personal. Arison is reputed to be a reticent,
ZOOMING IN
Your Turn: Applying Your Skills at Carnival Corporation
Current Date
Dear Carnival Guest:
Important Cancellation Notice – Carnival Starlight 01/16/2014, 01/23/2014 and 01/30/2014
Following well-publicized incidents aboard Carnival-owned cruise ships that involved
engine-room fires, our technical teams are working diligently to prevent future electrical failures.
Therefore, we are sorry to say that we must cancel the above-listed voyages. We realize how
We realize that vacations are important, and our team is standing by to help you find another
Receive a full refund. The refund includes Carnival-provided air travel, Vacation Protection
Reschedule immediately and book another voyage. For your convenience, you can rebook
1. Rate protection on any 7-day Carnival Starlight voyage
Our offer is non-transferable and applies to the cruise fare only. You’ll need to sail within 24
months of your original travel date.
If you purchased airline tickets independently and need to make changes to accommodate a new
Our Guest Services Department at 1-877-CARNIVAL is available for assistance should you have
Ethics Check Solutions
Ethics Check, Page 296
Apology or Hedging?
Consider why Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ apology ignited a firestorm of criticism: “It is
clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked
respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming, and
the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. [. . .] I
want to . . . apologize again to those members, both current and former, who felt we treated
them thoughtlessly.”
Instead of accepting responsibility, Hastings sounds insincere because he essentially says that the
public’s many displays of annoyance (not the facts) suggest that Netflix lacked respect and that
members felt the changes were insensitive. He does not come out and say, “Yes, we were
Reed Hastings’ e-mail and blog entry, “An Explanation and Some Reflections,” is a classic
example of a lame excuse and an attempt at rebranding Netflix rather than providing a genuine,
contrite apology. Even as Hastings again says he’s sorry at the end of his message, he apologizes
Ethics Check, page 312
Canned by Phone and Letting Everyone Know
When Yahoo’s CEO Carol A. Bartz was dismissed by phone, she bluntly e-mailed Yahoo’s
13,400 employees “I’ve just been fired,” setting off a heated public debate: Was she a
trailblazer dedicated to the truth, or was her parting shot unprofessional? Top executives
rarely admit to being sacked. Could Bartz’s bluntness have negative consequences, and is it
fair to be fired by phone?
The debate that ensued after Carol A. Bartz’s involuntary departure from the struggling search
portal split the experts into at least two camps. Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer argued that
Bartz’s acknowledgment of her dismissal was a step toward more transparency and authenticity
and hence an opportunity for improvement and learning at the company. He also praised Bartz
for taking control of the story and serving her cause by acting as if the dismissal were not her
However, authenticity and vulnerability can land executives in hot water. Take Groupon. Its
CEO’s loose lips jeopardized the public offering of the company that offers deals of the day on
Photo Essay Solutions
Photo Essay, p. 286
A horsemeat scandal that rocked Europe in 2013 affected Ikea when inspectors discovered
traces of edible equine in the company’s Swedish meatballs. The housewares giant quickly
apologized: “We take this issue very seriously and apologize for the current situation.
Horsemeat from authorized slaughter is in itself not dangerous. However, we do not
tolerate any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or specifications. It is
important to us that customers can trust the products that we sell are high quality, safe,
and healthy.” What did Ikea hope to achieve by issuing this statement?
All businesses deliver bad news on occasion. However, the bad feelings associated with
disappointing news can be reduced if the receiver knows the reasons, feels that the news was
revealed sensitively, and believes the matter was treated seriously and fairly. Ikea’s statement
Photo Essay, p. 292
Just months into her new job as CEO, Marissa Mayer ended Yahoo’s telecommuting policy,
sparking a lively debate in the national media. A companywide memo instructing
employees to return to the workplace opened with upbeat talk about new “energy and
buzz” in Yahoo’s offices. The memo’s second paragraph touted the benefits of “physically
being together.” Then came the bad news: “Beginning in June, we’re asking all employees
with work-from-home arrangements to work in Yahoo offices.” The message closed on a
positive note: “The best is yet to come.” What strategies can help communicators ease the
impact of negative news?
To ease the impact of bad news, communicators often present a buffer and reasons ahead of the
main message. Communicators prefer this indirect approach when news is likely to upset
receivers or provoke a hostile reaction. The Yahoo memo announcing the end of the company’s