Question 1

What are the four steps an organization must take to respond effectively to rumors and negative information in a social media environment?

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Question 2

Why should termination messages be written using the direct or the indirect approach? Justify your answer.

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Question 3

When rejecting job applications,you should avoid explaining why an applicant was rejected or why other applicants were chosen instead.

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When rejecting job applications, you should avoid explaining why an applicant was rejected or why other applicants were chosen instead. Although it was once more common to offer such explanations, and some experts still advocate this approach, the simplest strategy from a legal standpoint is to avoid offering reasons for the decision. Avoiding explanations lowers the possibility that an applicant will perceive discrimination in the hiring decision or be tempted to challenge the reasons given.

Question 4

To avoid negative surprises in performance reviews,managers should meet with employees to agree on clear goals for the upcoming year and then provide regular feedback and coaching as needed throughout the year if an employee's performance falls below expectations.

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The worst possible outcome in an annual review is a negative surprise. To avoid this, managers should meet with employees to agree on clear goals for the upcoming year and then provide regular feedback and coaching as needed throughout the year if an employee's performance falls below expectations.

Question 5

What are the guidelines for writing employment termination messages?

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Question 6

When communicating negative organizational news,multiple media should be used to reach out to affected audiences.

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When writing negative organizational news, provide information through your normal communication network, such as your company website, Facebook page, and Twitter account, but also reach out and participate in conversations that are taking place elsewhere in the social media landscape.

Question 7

When sending refusals to companies who have requested information about past employees as part of a recruitment process,a brief and direct "We cannot comply with your request." will be most effective as an opening statement.

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When sending refusals to prospective employers who have requested a recommendation letter, your message can be brief and direct. However, instead of saying, "We cannot comply with your request." it would be more effective to simply give the reader all the information that is allowable. Refusing an applicant's direct request for a recommendation letter is another matter. Any refusal to cooperate may seem to be a personal slight and a threat to the applicant's future.

Question 8

Henry,a manager at a large hotel and convention center,has drafted the following message to inform a customer that the ballroom that he wanted to rent for a company party is not available for the dates he had requested,but that larger ballrooms are available.
We regret to inform you that Ballroom A,which you had requested for an office party on 6 June,2011,is not available.However,other ballrooms are available,except that they are much larger.Please contact me at 456-123-7891 for more information or to make a booking.
Using the general guidelines for writing negative messages,rewrite this message so that it is more effective in taking the sting out of the bad news,ensuring its acceptance,and in maintaining goodwill.

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Question 9

When developing negative organizational news,the affected group should be given as less time as possible to respond to avoid legal complications.

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When developing negative organizational news, minimize the element of surprise whenever possible. Give affected groups as much time as possible to prepare and respond.

Question 10

Termination messages should always be written with input from the company's legal staff.

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Termination messages should always be written with input from the company's legal staff and should clearly present the reasons for this difficult action, whether it is the employee's performance or a business decision unrelated to specific employees.

Question 11

What are the guidelines for handling bad news about transactions?

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Question 12

In the context of using the indirect approach to negative messages,what is a buffer? Is it ethical to use a buffer in a negative message? What constitutes a poorly written buffer and a good buffer? Explain with examples.

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Question 13

What are the points to keep in mind when developing rejection letters for job applicants?

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Question 14

When developing messages conveying negative organizational news,ensure to match your approach to the situation.As a public relations executive at a multinational food company,what approach would you use when sending a message communicating to the public a recall of a batch of canned food that is found to have been contaminated with e-coli virus? Would you use the same approach to inform the public that you are discontinuing a certain line of cereals due to low demand? Why/why not?

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Question 15

Companies that have active,mutually beneficial relationships with customers and other interested parties are more likely to be attacked unfairly online and less likely to survive such attacks if they do occur.

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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 when a negative situation occurs don't have the same credibility as companies that have done the long, hard work of fostering relationships within their physical and online communities.

Question 16

Describe the direct and indirect approaches to organizing negative news messages.Chandler,the Operations Manager at your company,wishes to communicate to a vendor that the company will not be renewing his contract because it is not happy with his services.Since you handle all external corporate communications,Chandler requests you to draft a message conveying the news to the vendor.What additional information would you need from Chandler to decide if you should use the direct or the indirect approach in organizing your message?

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Question 17

To successfully sue for defamation,the aggrieved party must prove that the statement has been communicated to others.

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To successfully sue for defamation, the aggrieved party must prove (1)that the statement is false, (2)that the language injures the person's reputation, and (3)that the statement has been communicated to others.

Question 18

In order to respond effectively to negative information in a social media environment,companies should make it a point to respond to each and every rumor and negative message.

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Responding effectively to rumors and negative information requires careful decision making about which messages should get a response.

Question 19

Should you apologize when delivering bad news? Point out two types of negative messages where an apology should be considered and two types of negative messages where an apology need not be offered.What,would you say,is the rationale behind choosing either course of action in these examples?

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Question 20

When refusing claims and requests for adjustments,the message should close on a respectful and action-oriented note.

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Your delicate task as a writer is to avoid accepting responsibility for the unfortunate situation and yet avoid blaming or accusing the customer. To steer clear of these pitfalls, pay special attention to the tone of your letter. Demonstrate that you understand and have considered the complaint carefully, and then rationally explain why you are refusing the request. Close on a respectful and action-oriented note. And be sure to respond quickly.

Quiz 8: Writing Negative Messages