Solution and Answer Guide
Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;
Chapter 9: Negative Messages
Table of Contents
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers …………………………………………………………………………… 1
The Bad News Keeps Coming: Volkswagen and Dieselgate …………………………………………………………….. 1
Zooming In—Your Turn Solution ……………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Applying Your Skills at Volkswagen Group ……………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Ethics Check Answers …………………………..………………………………………………………………………… 5
Dealing With Disaster ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Ghosting Will Haunt You …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Critical Thinking Answers ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Writing Improvement Exercises Solutions ………………………………………………………………………. 8
Activities Solutions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers
The Bad News Keeps Coming: Volkswagen and Dieselgate
• What should an individual or organization such as VW do when caught in an ethical
impropriety or scandal?
Solution
Experts maintain that organizations that have seriously faltered should—depending on the
gravity of the offense—hire new leadership, apologize promptly and sincerely to those who
• How do you feel about large payouts to departing managers like CEO Martin
Winterkorn who are forced to step down in the aftermath of a scandal?
Solution
Students almost invariably fall into two groups—one that defends high compensation of
• Can we conclude from this scandal that the public’s memory is short, or can we
assume that reputational damage may linger?
Solution
A high stock price and devoted diesel fans buying refurbished cars at rock-bottom prices
aren’t sufficient indicators of whether Volkswagen Group has redeemed itself after engaging
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Zooming In—Your Turn Solution
Applying Your Skills at Volkswagen Group
• After reading this chapter, evaluate Volkswagen’s handling of Dieselgate. Focus on
communication, crisis management, and apologies. Consider questions such as these:
What are the biggest problems at VW as evidenced by the scenario? How might
corporate culture have played into the scandal? What may have led to cheating? What
other options did the company have to tackle and overcome Dieselgate? Discuss these
and other questions in class, in small groups, or on a discussion board. If you
instructor directs, summarize your analysis in writing, either in an e-mail or a memo.
Solution
This developing, rich scenario will elicit various responses. It’s safe to say that Volkswagen
Group has mishandled the crisis. Instead of embracing radical transparency, installing an
outside CEO untainted by scandal, and sharing the results of an internal investigation with
the public to build trust, VW did the opposite. Clumsy, half-hearted apologies, inability to
Students should examine the wording of the executives’ apologies. They may notice
euphemisms as the managers carefully avoid naming the fraud (problem, irregularities,
Industry insiders expect litigation to continue for several more years. In September 2018 a
new $9 billion shareholder case opened in Braunschweig, Germany. The European
Commission is investigating several automakers—BMW, Daimler, VW, and Audi—accusing
them of having formed an illegal “cartel” as far back as the 1990s that had led to Dieselgate.
The regulators argue that the carmakers’ collusion may have denied consumers the
opportunity to purchase cleaner cars because they bought into the myth of clean diesel. The
enormous cost of Dieselgate cannot yet be assessed fully, but when the lawsuits are finally
over, it may have reached $45 billion. [Kerler, W. (2018, September 18). You thought Dieselgate
was over? It’s not. The Verge.]
Executive actions during Dieselgate are telling, as this selective timeline reveals: In 2015
Volkswagen admits installing cheating software in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. CEO
Winterkorn resigns but claims he knew nothing about the scam, despite allegations that he
and other executives knew as early as 2006 or 2014 at the latest. In 2016 a first investor
lawsuit claims the automaker failed to disclose the crisis promptly. In 2017 Volkswagen
pleads guilty to three U.S. charges and admits the cheating started in 2006 but doesn’t clarify
how much management knew.
The best critical thinkers in your classes may point out Martin Winterkorn’s illogical defense
when he denied having known of any fraud—with the backing of the VW supervisory board:
“Professor Dr. Winterkorn had no knowledge of the manipulation of emissions data” [Lorio, J.
(2015, September 23). Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns in wake of diesel
emissions scandal. Car and Driver.] In a company with a stratified, hierarchical structure,
headed by a CEO who keeps tight control and doesn’t tolerate bad news, few employees will
find the courage to voice opposing views, blow the whistle, or otherwise oppose
management. That a bunch of low-level engineers and managers could have concocted a
scheme as massive as Dieselgate without the knowledge of the C–suite seems unlikely, even
preposterous. If true, though, such supposed cluelessness would suggest a profound
breakdown of leadership.
Dale Bell, cofounder of The Media and Policy Center in Burbank, California, produced a
documentary about the Volkswagen emission scandal, BACKFIRED: When VW Lied to America.
Bell confessed his fascination with this colossal ethical failure and decided to explore the
questions at the core of Dieselgate: “How could a corporate entity turn so abruptly on its
customers, eviscerate its own corporate values, and wantonly poison and kill children and
elders globally in pursuit of profit and domination of a market?” [Kiley, D. (2018, May 16).
Volkswagen diesel scandal coming to a TV screen and movie theater near you. Forbes.]
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Ethics Check Answers
Dealing With Disaster
• Crashes of two Boeing 737 Max 8 jets killing 346 people have prompted a costly
grounding, an investigation, and congressional hearings. Before CEO Dennis
Muilenburg’s testimony, Boeing bought full–page ads in major newspapers such as The
New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. The copy read: “We
mourn those whose lives were lost on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight
302 and offer our deepest sympathies to their families and friends. We will always
remember.” Below, the ad stated: “From all of us at Boeing.” Why did the one-day
$600,000 ad campaign receive mixed reviews?
Solution
Without a doubt Boeing wished to regain the public’s trust after the two deadly crashes.
However, critics felt that an actual apology was noticeably absent on the largely empty page
with the short commemorative text. They felt the ad “rings hollow” and was a stunt in the
wrong media outlets, failing to address the people hurt by the disasters. “It doesn’t sit well
with me. This is anything but an apology,” stated Brett Snyder, an aviation expert. He felt that
victim families hardly read the newspapers in which the ad appeared, nor would they care
about the ad. Instead, the ad targeted buyers of airplanes and airline employees, Snyder
said.
Ghosting Will Haunt You
• In an era when breaking up via text message is common, many job seekers are
terrified by having to deliver bad news in a professional context. Granted, avoiding
the unpleasantness of telling an employer that you are not accepting a job offer may
help you avoid perceived conflict. However, ghosting a recruiter or hiring manager can
have lasting consequences. Whether job seekers are holding out for another offer,
weighing a counteroffer at a current job, or just hiding from the potential future
employer out of embarrassment, ghosting in the workplace may come back to haunt
them. What are potential long-term consequences? Is it fair to just vanish into thin
air?
Solution
Vanishing from the hiring process without a trace not only puts the hiring manager or
recruiter in a bind, but it also creates a hardship because job searches are costly and may
force the employer to scramble to reach out to the runners-up. In the worst case, the
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Critical Thinking Answers
1. Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First and CEO of Provendus Group, quotes a famous
American poet to illustrate how he refuses unpleasant potential clients: “Emily
Dickinson said speak the truth but with slant. You don’t have to say something so
coldly it starts an argument. We usually tell the client we don’t have resources to
support your specific needs,” he says. Discuss this strategy, its advantages, and
disadvantages.
Solution
Emily Dickinson seems to be suggesting that we tell the truth selectively, avoiding blunt,
hurtful statements. Giving bad news is unpleasant, and many of us avoid it for fear of
2. At a sustainability conference, Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh caused a viral sensation by
revealing he had never laundered his two-year-old Levi’s in a washing machine.
Instead, he hand-washed and line-dried his jeans every few months. His point was
that jeans shouldn’t be washed all the time, but people thought it meant Bergh never
washed them. The fallout from this one quip continues even years later: “Today, if you
type ‘CEO Levi’s’ into Google, ‘don’t wash jeans’ comes up,” Bergh says. “I expect that
my supposed anti–laundry stance will be mentioned in my obituary.” Can you think of
other, more negative examples of executives’ offhand public comments?
Solution
Although Levi Strauss President and CEO Chip Bergh didn’t seriously damage the reputation
of his company, he lost control over his carefully managed message of sustainability. Bergh’s
3. Consider times when you have been aware that others were using the indirect
strategy in writing or speaking to you. How did you react?
Solution
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,
4. Experts agree that, if possible, workers should be fired in person—not by phone,
e-mail, or text message. The consensus is that the kindest way to fire someone is
when the direct supervisor delivers the bad news. However, increasingly employees
are getting fired by text or e-mail. Make a case for and against firing workers by text
or e-mail.
Solution
A case for letting someone go via a text message or an e-mail is that a remote worker may
not be able to come into the office to be fired in person. In that case, however, the
5. 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 corporation
stationery?
Solution
Although the letter might seem more impressive on corporation stationery, it is clearly
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Writing Improvement Exercises Solutions
9.1 Organizational Strategies
Solution
a. Direct—The direct strategy is prescribed by established practice. Data breach letters
now follow a specific format as shown in this chapter. Typically, this type of bad news
is disclosed directly in the interest of clarity and transparency.
9.2 Employing Passive-Voice Verbs
Solution
a. Until insurance coverage can be verified, new patients cannot be examined. OR: New
patients can be examined after verification of their insurance coverage.
b. Health and dental benefits are offered only after employees have been on the job for
12 months.
9.3 Subordinating Bad News
Solution
a. Although frequent flyer miles expire by December 31 if no qualifying segments are
logged during the calendar year, you may be able to keep your miles if you apply for
our Northeastern credit card and spend $2,000 in the next three months.
9.4 Implying Bad News
Solution
a. Although our government contract has run out, we will be able to retain and reassign
a few team members.
Activities Solutions
9.5 Document for Analysis: Request Refusal—Coupons Are an Option
Solution
Weaknesses:
• Fails to develop a positive tone with a gracious opening and closing.
• Instead of opening bluntly, the writer should have started with positive remarks about
the popularity of this recurring summer event and his enjoyment at participating in past
events.
Revision:
Current date
Mrs. Sally Segovia
Taste of the Beach
310 Ocean Avenue, Suite 304
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93521
Dear Mrs. Segovia:
To offer this coupon for your silent raffle, let me know by calling 831-622-3300. This year’s
event sounds as if it will be outstanding, and The Zodiac hopes to be able to participate in
this worthwhile affair in the future.
Sincerely,
9.6 Document for Analysis: Bad News to Customers—Guard Payment Systems Was
Hacked
Solution
Weaknesses:
• Begins weakly with a general statement leaving receivers wondering why the message
was written.
• Includes a long lead-in (This is just to let you know that).
• Fails to explain exactly what happened and when the security breach took place.
Revision:
To: Detlev Max<detlev.max@alpha.com>
From: Fanny Bettino<fbettino@guardpayment.net>
Subject: Security Incident at Guard Payment Systems
You are receiving this e-mail because of a recent incident at Guard Payment Systems
resulting in the release of some customer e-mail addresses.
On November 12 we learned that computer hackers had maliciously exploited a function
designed to make our log-in process faster. The hackers deliberately went to great lengths to
extract customer e-mail addresses. However, within hours we had disabled the mechanism
and established a new procedure that requires users to enter both their e-mail addresses
and their passwords. I want to assure you that the only information revealed was your e–
mail address. Your password, account information, and any other personal information were
never at risk.
9.7 Document for Analysis: No Time Off for Infant.ly Foundation Volunteer
Solution
Weaknesses:
• Uses flippant tone and doesn’t seem to take request seriously.
• Provides brusque and vague subject line.
Revision:
To: Kim Henning<khenning@outlaysfinancial.com)
From: Oscar Cassandra<ocassandra@outlaysfinancial.com)
Subject: Your Request for Time Off
Kim,
Everyone here at Outlays Financial appreciates the splendid work you have done for the
Infant.ly Foundation. We admire its goal of making a difference in the lives of babies,
particularly newborns. In the past we’ve been able to give you release time to work on its
fashion show/luncheon, and we’ve been able to make a considerable financial contribution
to the foundation.
Oscar
9.8 Document for Analysis: Deflecting Request for Sensitive Info
Solution
Weaknesses:
• Turns off the reader with an immediate blunt announcement of bad news.
• Uses an accusatory tone and even suggests possible litigation resulting from the request.