Apology - Publications - Faculty & Research

16 Jun 2008
Research & Ideas

Seven Tips for Managing Price Increases

discretionary. The key here is to educate the consumer, apologize for the uncontrollable price increases, give price-sensitive consumers some promotional options, and reemphasize product benefits. View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

31 Mar 2008
HBS Case

JetBlue’s Valentine’s Day Crisis

to think there's more than just an accident happening here," Huckman remarks. "Now that you suspect this, how do you react as a manager? How do you restore confidence among your customers?" Neeleman apologized publicly to... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Air Transportation

02 Feb 2023
Research & Ideas

Why We Still Need Twitter: How Social Media Holds Companies Accountable

also picked up by major news outlets, including The New York Times. “It actually got a real response from United Airlines,” says Pacelli, noting that the CEO publicly apologized for the incident and United later agreed to settle a lawsuit... View Details

Keywords: by Kasandra Brabaw; Technology

07 Jul 2021
Book

Good News for Disgraced Companies: You Can Regain Trust

actions. As a whole, are those impacts positive or negative? Ultimately, if a company is making a bad impact, however unintended, Sucher and Gupta say the public looks to a company to own up to the harm it has caused, starting with a willingness to apologize. And the... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

20 Jan 2022
Op-Ed

3 Steps to Help Companies Rebuild Trust During the Pandemic

found that the most effective apologies acknowledged responsibility, explained why the action happened, and offered to fix the damage. Be transparent with employees. Provide the context around why a decision was made, the alternatives... View Details

Keywords: by Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta

04 Jan 2022
What Do You Think?

Firing McDonald’s Easterbrook: What Could the Board Have Done Differently?

offender and hope that he would apologize and go quietly, sparing the company bad publicity in the long run. Perhaps investors, employees, and others would forget the entire matter. Alternatively, the company could fire for cause and... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

19 Mar 2014
Research & Ideas

A Brand Manager’s Guide to Losing Control

social media managers to monitor Twitter for complaints about their cable service and who reach out to disgruntled customers directly in real time. There's also the @ComcastCares Twitter feed, which regularly issues updates about—and View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Advertising

30 Jun 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

The Role of Emotions in Effective Negotiations

A Happier Ending In an "alternate ending" to the story, Kate apologizes for how the negotiation has gotten out of control, and asks if they can start over. She shares her own anxieties and frustrations about an important... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Entertainment & Recreation; Sports

22 Feb 2021
Book

Reaching Today's Omnichannel Customer Takes a New Sales Strategy

sales productivity is not only about profit maximization and shareholder value—which, by the way, I don't think a CEO or Harvard Business School needs to apologize for—it also affects growth, civic discourse, and the lives of millions of... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

04 Jun 2012
Research & Ideas

The Business of Life

speak again with the help of Rosetta Stone English and his six-year-old granddaughter, but he still gets words mixed up once in a while, and apologizes often for speaking slowly. Three years after his cancer diagnosis, he's still... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

30 Nov 2016
What Do You Think?

How Do Leaders Manage the Tension Between Pride and Arrogance?

consequences when organizations cross the line between pride and arrogance can be substantial. Just ask leaders like the erstwhile CEO of Lululemon—a company with a well-timed dedication to fitness with employees fanatical about its mission—who forgot this when he... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

24 Sep 2013
First Look

First Look: September 24

portfolios. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=45597 August 2013 Social Psychological & Personality Science I'm Sorry About the Rain! Superfluous Apologies Demonstrate Empathic Concern and Increase Trust... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

27 Aug 2007
Op-Ed

Mattel: Getting a Toy Recall Right

design flaws in the toys with the magnets that could come loose. But Mattel deserves praise for now stepping up to its responsibilities as the leading brand in the toy industry. What has Mattel done right? The CEO has taken personal charge of the situation. He has... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Consumer Products

07 Nov 2007
Op-Ed

How Marketing Hype Hurt Boeing and Apple

damage to Apple brand equity among its core customers. After heavy blogging complaints about Apple exploiting its loyal followers, Steve Jobs had to apologize publicly (after a curt "That's technology" response fueled the fire)... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Aerospace; Consumer Products

27 May 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Thinking About Global

balkanized bureaucracy, and deteriorating market share, financial performance, and stock price. There are five characteristics that all top global brands have in common. How Should I Think About Strategy In A (not So) Flat World? Businesses Beware: The World Is Not... View Details

04 May 2016
What Do You Think?

What Does Boaty McBoatface Tell Us About Brand Control on the Internet?

proposed a name, Boaty McBoatface. The name immediately zoomed into the lead on the Internet, perhaps supported by adolescents (and their parents) who had grown up playing with toys like Thomas, the friendly locomotive. (Hand later View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Advertising

27 Feb 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, February 27, 2018

about when to use soft versus hard negotiation approaches, two of the notable lessons that arise are (i) the role of apologies after misusing power and (ii) how even “using one’s power for good” can translate into paternalistic outcomes.... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

07 Jun 2017
Research & Ideas

How an African History Scholar Became a Modern Righter of Wrongs

settlement and formally apologizes on behalf of the British government, June 2013 Shortly thereafter, John Hart, the movie producer behind Boys Don’t Cry and Revolutionary Road, bought the rights to develop a film based on Imperial... View Details