Qualitative Methodology for Researching the Delivery of Bad News in Workplace

This article discusses the impact of bad news on employees and the importance of effective communication. It explores the different theories and practices related to bad news management and emphasizes the need for qualitative methodology in researching the delivery of bad news. The article also highlights the ethical considerations that need to be taken into account while conducting such research.

Business Research Methods

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Bad news refers to delivering any negative information that has impact on the working
process of connect people. The current study will present literature review about the highlighted
subjected matter for positive relationship between management & employees. It will focus on
identifying qualitative methodology for researching the delivery of bad news g in workplace.
PART 1
According to Brann, Bute and Scott (2020) there are two ways of bad news that prevails
in personal & professional circumstances which are considered to be more attractive as
compared to the positive information. There are several reason for which delivery bad news in
an organization is found. In order to gain the depth understanding about the prevailing processes
it becomes essential to understand the reason behind providing the bad news. The main causes
that has been identified from the research is offering clear and concise information for
developing belongingness so that actual performance prevailing can be identified. Providing the
negative information is found to be discouraging and ineffective which has adverse impact on
the relationship between management and employees. It is important to give emphasis on having
light on eliminating such causes so that higher productive and positive relationship can be
developed. In contrast to this, Holt, Bobocel and Chen (2021) said that little attention on bad
news characteristic should be provided for having ability to coordinated with the occurring
situation. This involve that people receiving the bad news tend to overestimate its influence
when compared to good information. In addition to this, it has been found that there are more
chances of obtaining such negative details in close relationship. On the basis of this, it can be
articulated that pattern of delivering the bad news play crucial part in formulating the way of
interpreting and taking decisions of receiver.
In the views of Judina and Platonov (2019) there is multiphase process of providing the
bad news can in an organizational process which decides the way of relationship prevailing
among employees and company. This basically involves the three stages preparation delivery
and transition. Bad news management activities giving advanced warning which has time of
delivery so that transition of engaging in public can be obtained. In this much emphasis is
provided on having the preparation for psychological aspect regarding the bad news so that
receiving in corrective form can become possible. This indicates that it is important to conduct
such activities in term delivering to an audience to organization so that having effective sense of
1

fairness & higher approval for decision, etc. can become possible. These helps in gaining the
perfect ability to avoid the situation of blaming and conflict generating which increases
performance of company. On the other side, Danisman (2020) depicted that providing the bad
news can be an upward or downward flowing process in enterprise which pay attention on
gaining the accurate views either positive or negative in objective of achieving improved
performance. This includes practices like negative feedback providing, plant closing,
employees termination, etc. These all activities are adversely influence the perception of
employees which result into bad relationship between staff and management of firm. It helps the
firm to get the information regarding the performance of modification and higher ability to gain
better productive and potential outcome. On the basis point evidence and explain method, it can
be interpreted that there is significant way of achieving higher capabilities through generating
and giving bad information.
As per the opinion of Sobczak, Leoniuk and Janaszczyk (2018) that preparation phase is
more strategic and systematic that is required to be focused largely as comprises giving
advance warning, creating a paper trail, proper documentation, calibrating expectation, using
disclaimer, etc. this contribution in h having appropriate level of face management & self-
presentation, truth telling & information disclosure which helps in gaining the sufficient level of
ability to ensure that employees are getting results in accurate form. In contrast to this,
Hillebrandt and et.al., (2021) articulated transaction stage is found to be important as the much
concentration is given on giving on engaging in public relations so that performance problem
that need to be solved can become possible. It is basically having such practices that can help in
resolving the interpersonal conflict, building long term relationship and enhancing leaders’
effectiveness. It can help in gaining the ability to coordinate with such circumstances so that
higher effectiveness to implement action which can help in overcoming failures to get
productive quality. This aids in getting an appeal process so that key creation of sense of
fairness in management decision so that increased commitment to organizational procedure so
that better working atmosphere avoiding blaming and eliminating situation can be obtained.
According to O'Neill and Kelley (2021) there should be much emphasis should be given
on n having such strategic function that is effective in respect to get the perfect ability to
manage bad news. This involves the emphasis providing on performance correction, blame
management, lessening perceived severity of the result self-management and building support
2

& commitment. The performance correction pay attention on improving outcome by offering a
factual foundation for behaviour change, related reasons and eliminating non crucial aspects
giving outcome due to person responsible for failure. The blame management can provide
assistance in making the role based responsibility judgement so that liability for particular blame
can help in overcoming the issues or making an effective relationship between the management
and staff. Lessening the perceived severity of outcome aids in effectively coordinating with
requirement of gaining ability to avoid negative perception hold by employees in respect to any
news. On the other side, Raman (2022) there are few strategic management of bad news theory
that can allow to obtain sufficient capabilities to achieve the relevant outcome. It aids in offering
the conceptual insights that involves organizational justice, impression management and coping
theory. This provides assistance in getting the information that can allow to attain h ability to
understand how bad news is delivery and impact the employees in organization. on the basis of
this it can be mentioned that leaders should pay attention on offering corrective form of
information to gain accurate insights.
PART 2
Qualitative methodology or researching the delivery of bad news
The above part 1 was very helpful in developing a good learning with respect to the
delivery of bad news. This is particularly because of the reason that there are many different
news relating to bad and good. Hence, it is very important for the company that they effectively
undertake the use of good methods for communicating the bad news with the relevant people in
better and effective manner (Faulkner and Faulkner, 2018). For this the use of good qualitative
research methodology will be undertaken. this is because of the reason that use of qualitative
method will involve the analysis of non- numeric information and enhances the knowledge
relating to the research topic. The use of qualitative research will be beneficial because it will be
beneficial to communicate the bad news in better manner and to take the review of the related
people as well.
In addition to this, the philosophical requirement of the present study will be involving
the use of ontological philosophy. This will be used and applied within the study for the reason
that this branch of philosophy includes studying of existence, becoming and reality. This
involves study of being in general and what applies neutrally to everything in real. This
3

philosophy will assist in developing and seeking classification and explanation of the entities
relating to the bad news.
Moreover, the data will also be gathered in order to analyse the fact that how the bad
news was taken be the employees. In case the bad news will not be liked by the employees then
this will be affecting the overall working of the business. hence, for this, the review will be
undertaken by gathering the data relating to response of employees with respect to the bad news.
Hence, for this data will be gathered by considering the primary and secondary sources. For the
primary data the responses of employees within the company will be gathered. In support of this,
the secondary data will also be gathered in order to support the views of the primary responses.
Further the data will be gathered with help of the interview as the method. This is
particularly used in order to improve the collection of data. This is particularly because of the
reason that when the interview will be conducted then the views of employees will be directly
recorded by the data collector. Hence, this will provide better and effective working base and
accurate views of employees relating to bad news (Abutabenjeh and Jaradat, 2018). Along with
the proper consideration relating to ethical aspect will also be ensured for the successful
implementation of the qualitative research. the most important ethical consideration undertaken
at time of completing the study was to take the consent from the employees and then use their
data within the study. this is necessary because of the reason that in case consent is not taken
then this will be affecting the quality of the study.
CONCLUSION
In the end it is concluded that bad news is the one which involves sharing of negative
information. The above report outlines the structure review of article relating to bad news within
the organization. Along with this it also inferred that the use of qualitative research method is
essential for the effective completion of the study.
4

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abutabenjeh, S. and Jaradat, R., 2018. Clarification of research design, research methods, and
research methodology: A guide for public administration researchers and
practitioners. Teaching Public Administration, 36(3), pp.237-258.
Brann, M., Bute, J.J. and Scott, S.F., 2020. Qualitative assessment of bad news delivery
practices during miscarriage diagnosis. Qualitative health research. 30(2). pp.258-267.
Danisman, S.A., 2020. Interviewing and Qualitative Content Analysis for Root Metaphors: A
Case of Bad News Management. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Faulkner, S.S. and Faulkner, C.A., 2018. Research methods for social workers: A practice-based
approach. Oxford University Press.
Hillebrandt, A and et.al., 2021. Delivering bad news fairly: The influence of core self-
evaluations and anxiety for the enactment of interpersonal justice. Human Relations.
p.00187267211011000.
Holt, L., Bobocel, D.R. and Chen, V., 2021. Delivering bad news fairly: Higher construal level
promotes interactional justice enactment through perspective taking. Journal of
Organizational Behavior.
Judina, D. and Platonov, K., 2019. Newsworthiness and the public’s response in Russian social
media: A comparison of state and private news organizations. Media and
Communication. 7(3). pp.157-166.
O'Neill, B. and Kelley, R., 2021. Delivering Bad News: Crisis Communication Methods in
Academic Libraries. College & Research Libraries. 82(4).]
Raman, J., 2022. How to Deliver Bad News: A Family Postmortem. In Difficult Decisions in
Surgical Ethics (pp. 121-129). Springer, Cham.
Sobczak, K., Leoniuk, K. and Janaszczyk, A., 2018. Delivering bad news: patient’s perspective
and opinions. Patient preference and adherence. 12. p.2397.
5