Bies, R.J. (2013). The delivery of bad news in organization: a framework of analysis.
Three different, but interrelated, phases: Preparation, delivery and transition.
Defining bad news
Bad is the opposite: undesirable, harmful or unpleasant.
Bad news = When the results in a perceived loss by the receiver, it creates cognitive, emotional or
behavioral deficits in the receiver after receiving the news.
Bad events are more powerful than good events across a variety of everyday events for several
reasons:
1. Bad events wear off more slowly than good events
2. The affective consequences of negative information is stonger dan for good
3. People overestimate the effect events will have on them, and that effect is stronger for
negative than positive events.
4. Bad events in relationships are five times as powerful as good.
How one delivers the bad news may play a key role in shaping how people initially interpret the
information.
Agenda Bad news conversation
The preparation phase
1. Giving advance warning: Non-vocal (attitude of the deliverer) and vocal ways (Have you
heard…, I’ve got some bad news).
2. Creating a ‘paper trail’
Document the problems and concerns about the employees situation. To support performance rating
in case of bad news.
3. Calibrating expectations
4. Using disclaimers
To say in advance that something could happen: Limits responsibility for failure.
5. Provinding the opportunity for voice
Allow the recipients to present information about their performance.
6. Coalition building
Make sure the key and powerful people in the organization know about the situatian and discuss
waht happened and how to approach the situation.
7. Rehearsal
Make sure it is repeated before.
The delivery phase
1. Timing of the delivery
2. Medium of delivery
3. Face management and self-presentation
Make sure you communicate in a calm and empathetic manner. Make sure you respect the ones
hearing the bad news.
4. Account giving
People expect explanation, It can migigate the blame for the deliverer. Adequacy is really important.
They look at the perceived sincerety of the deliverer. 3 specific moderators (Shaw et al, 2013): The
type of account, The context and the outcome favorability.
5. Truth telling and information disclosure
The transition phase
1. Engaging in public relations
Three different, but interrelated, phases: Preparation, delivery and transition.
Defining bad news
Bad is the opposite: undesirable, harmful or unpleasant.
Bad news = When the results in a perceived loss by the receiver, it creates cognitive, emotional or
behavioral deficits in the receiver after receiving the news.
Bad events are more powerful than good events across a variety of everyday events for several
reasons:
1. Bad events wear off more slowly than good events
2. The affective consequences of negative information is stonger dan for good
3. People overestimate the effect events will have on them, and that effect is stronger for
negative than positive events.
4. Bad events in relationships are five times as powerful as good.
How one delivers the bad news may play a key role in shaping how people initially interpret the
information.
Agenda Bad news conversation
The preparation phase
1. Giving advance warning: Non-vocal (attitude of the deliverer) and vocal ways (Have you
heard…, I’ve got some bad news).
2. Creating a ‘paper trail’
Document the problems and concerns about the employees situation. To support performance rating
in case of bad news.
3. Calibrating expectations
4. Using disclaimers
To say in advance that something could happen: Limits responsibility for failure.
5. Provinding the opportunity for voice
Allow the recipients to present information about their performance.
6. Coalition building
Make sure the key and powerful people in the organization know about the situatian and discuss
waht happened and how to approach the situation.
7. Rehearsal
Make sure it is repeated before.
The delivery phase
1. Timing of the delivery
2. Medium of delivery
3. Face management and self-presentation
Make sure you communicate in a calm and empathetic manner. Make sure you respect the ones
hearing the bad news.
4. Account giving
People expect explanation, It can migigate the blame for the deliverer. Adequacy is really important.
They look at the perceived sincerety of the deliverer. 3 specific moderators (Shaw et al, 2013): The
type of account, The context and the outcome favorability.
5. Truth telling and information disclosure
The transition phase
1. Engaging in public relations
