BA5004: Business Research Methods - Bad News Impact on Employment

This report, prepared for a Business Research Methods course (BA5004), investigates the impact of delivering bad news on the employment relationship between management and employees. The report is divided into two main parts: a literature review and a methodological section. The literature review explores the adverse effects of bad news on business performance, including decreased brand image, increased employee turnover, and reduced customer satisfaction. It examines strategies employed by managers to mitigate these negative impacts, such as providing opportunities for voice and using disclaimers. The methodology section details the use of qualitative research, specifically a case study approach, to analyze the Volkswagen emissions scandal as an example of bad news delivery and its consequences. It also discusses the target population, sample selection, and ethical considerations relevant to the research. The report concludes by summarizing the findings and emphasizing the importance of effective communication strategies in managing bad news within organizations.

BA5004 -Business
Research Methods
(To identify the impact of delivering bad news on employment
relationship between management and employees)

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................3
PART A.............................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review ........................................................................................................................3
PART B.............................................................................................................................................6
2a. Qualitative methodology .......................................................................................................6
2b. Qualitative data collection techniques....................................................................................6
2c. Target population and sample ................................................................................................7
2d Access and ethical issues.........................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Bad news in any type of news that seriously and negatively affects an individual's views
of his or her future (Milliman, Gatling and Kim, 2018). Bad news has adverse impact on
employment relationship between employees and management. Main purpose of this report is to
determine the ways for overcoming the issue of bad news. This report divided into two parts that
cover literature review and methodology.
PART A
Literature Review
Literature review is the systematic process of gathering and analysing secondary
information that will be collected from books, journals, articles, publication research and many
other secondary sources relevant to the. Literature review helps in identifying of research gap. In
present study, main gap is the delivering of bad news and its impact on employment relationship
between employees and management. In previous investigations, there were information available
about the bad news but there were lack or missing information regarding the impact of delivering
bad news on management and employees. For overcoming this gap, literature review will be
described as below:
Business case
Company has to deliver a bad news about their product, services or process that have
impact on their business performance. This news negatively impact on them by increasing high
employee turnover, reducing the sales, decreasing the business performance etc. Thus, it is not
good for business to deliver bad news in market and to the customers (Schmitz and et. al., 2018).
In order to overcome this issue, there will be requirement for using disclaimers, providing the
opportunities for voice, giving advance warning, creating a paper trail etc. These are effective
ways that used by business manager for delivering the bad news or information in better manner.
Results of delivering bad news in better manner are improved productivity, increased sales,
increased customer's satisfaction, long term retention of employees etc.
Theoretical introduction of bad news
From the selected article, it has been identified that delivering of bad news or information
is at the center of many organisational process. It is a major issue impacted on business
performance and productivity in negative manner. There are different roles played by business

manager for delivering bad news in better manner. This is important and essential for business
manager in delivering of any type of news in better and effective manner because it will helps in
brand image of an organisation and also assist them in achieving of better outcomes within less
period of time. In addition, bad news is an unwelcome thing, trouble or person.
Impact of delivering bad news on business performance
According to the opinion of Robert J Bies., (2013), delivering a bad news is a negative
part of business performance. This impacted on company by reducing their brand image, reducing
sales, decreasing customer's satisfaction and many other. These are biggest disadvantages of
delivering bad news. There are some negative impact of delivering the bad news will be
explained as below:
Impact on brand image: This is one of the main problem of delivering a bad news. If
customers get improper and bad news about the business products, services or process, it turn to
impact on company in negative manner. This also decrease the customer's trust towards the brand
that turn to impact on brand image of company in negative manner.
Increase high employee turnover: This is another impact identified from the selected
article. If employees get bad news about their performance in workplace, it decrees employee's
trust or confidence that result is higher employee turnover.
These are major impact of delivering bad news or information on business performance of
an organisation.
Ways used by managers for delivering bad news in better manner
As per the view presented by Akıncı and Chahrour (2018), within a workplace, business
manager has different roles that are essential for them in accomplishment of common goals and
objectives successfully. It has been identified from the chosen article that manger of an
organisation plays an important role in delivering the any type of bad news in better manner.
There are some essential roles of managers in delivering the any kind of news in better manner.
These are:
Providing the opportunities for voice: This is a main role of the manager to provide the
chances for voice to all stakeholders. In order to develop a sense of fairness or equity before any
type of bed news, business manager often give the chances for voice to permits recipients to
current information regarding their performance or productivity before a decision is made. This
can influences person's reactions to bad information or news.

Using disclaimers: This is another role that is important for delivering the bad news in
better manner. Anticipating the possibility or chances of bad news, business managers can give
disclaimers. As per the view presented by disclaimer refers to the communication strategy that
used by persons who are faced with upcoming actions or events, which may disrupts a social
relationship or discredit their identity, as it often the case when improper information or bad news
is delivered.
Therefore, it is important for manager to deliver proper information in effective manner
because it helps them in enhancement of brand image, increment of sales etc.

PART B
2a. Qualitative methodology
Qualitative methodology: This is defined as a market research that emphasis on
obtaining information through conversional and open-ended communication. There are different
method of collecting qualitative information such as one-on-one interview, focus group, process
of observation, case study research etc. All these are effective methods of collecting qualitative
data, but for gathering information regarding the impact of delivering bad news on the
employment relationship between management and employees, case study will be used. As it
helps in gathering of qualitative information without taking maximum time (Mirza and et. al.,
2019).
Research approach: There are two approaches such as inductive and deductive.
According to the Part 1, inductive approach is more suitable because it helps in analysing of
qualitative information about the delivering of bad news in minimum period of time. This
approach will helps in analysing the bad news deliver by Volkswagen regarding their scandal
related to falsifying emission tests.
Research philosophy: There are two essential types of research philosophies such as
ontology and epistemology. According to the current case of Volkswagen unethical practices in
Diesel Emission test, epistemology is a suitable and essential philosophy. As it assist researcher
in collecting, analysing and using of qualitative data easily and within less period of time.
2b. Qualitative data collection techniques
There are different techniques of collecting qualitative information including one-on-one
interview, focus group, process of observation, case study research etc. According to the
Volkswagen case, case study is useful technique that will be used (Tan, Pang and Kang, 2019).
Case study:
For this chosen case study is the Volkswagen unethical practices in Diesel Emission test.
In this case, company deliver the bad news about the scandal related to falsifying emission tests.
The organisational higher authorities get to know that false practices are used by the middle
management for passing their vehicles in emission tests so they will get clearance from the
government to launch in market. The involvement of management authorities in such scandal
makes the situation more typical for higher authorities to define among lower level of employee's.

So, it turns as bad from the organisational perspective that not only damages the image but the
internal working practices and trust of employees over organisation that must impact future
workings and productivity.
Advantages of the case study technique of qualitative research
 Case study is not inexpensive
 It is very accessible to readers
 It provides qualitative results in less period of time
2c. Target population and sample
There are two techniques of sample selection such as probability and non-probability.
Both are effective techniques of sample selection but according to the present investigation, there
is no requirement for selecting sample because case study will be used for collecting qualitative
or secondary data. Case study technique of qualitative data collection not require sample and
target population (Osatuyi and Hughes, 2018).
2d Access and ethical issues
Ethics are important and essential for doing any type of research in ethical and systematic
manner. There are some principles of research ethics that are require in doing of qualitative
research in systematic and effective manner. These principles are anonymity, confidentiality and
informed consent etc. These principles must be follow by researcher while conducting current
investigation in ethical and systematic manner (Urbach and et. al., 2019).
Access are important part of conducting qualitative research systematically. For this,
researcher has full access to use books, journals, articles related to the topic. As it will helps in
completing of full investigation effectively.

CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned article, it has been concluded that delivering of bad news has a
negative impact on business performance. Different ways used by manager for overcoming the
issues associated with the delivering of bad news. These ways are giving the chances for voice,
using disclaimers, coalition building etc. These are effective ways and supported business
manager in delivering of bad news in good way.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals and articles
Milliman, J., Gatling, A. and Kim, J. S., 2018. The effect of workplace spirituality on hospitality
employee engagement, intention to stay, and service delivery. Journal of Hospitality and
Tourism Management, 35, pp.56-65.
Schmitz, F.M. and et. al., 2018. The learning effects of different presentations of worked
examples on medical students’ breaking-bad-news skills: A randomized and blinded
field trial. Patient education and counseling, 101(8), pp.1439-1451.
Akıncı, Ö. and Chahrour, R., 2018. Good news is bad news: Leverage cycles and sudden
stops. Journal of International Economics, 114, pp.362-375.
Mirza, R.D. and et. al., 2019. Assessing patient perspectives on receiving bad news: A survey of
1337 patients with life-changing diagnoses. AJOB empirical bioethics, 10(1), pp.36-43.
Tan, K.K.Y., Pang, A. and Kang, J.X., 2019. Breaking bad news with Console: Toward a
framework integrating medical protocols with crisis communication. Public relations
review, 45(1), pp.153-166.
Osatuyi, B. and Hughes, J., 2018, January. A tale of two internet news platforms-real vs. fake: An
elaboration likelihood model perspective. In Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii
International Conference on System Sciences.
Urbach, N. and et. al., 2019. The impact of digitalization on the IT department. Business &
information systems engineering, 61(1), pp.123-131.
Robert J Bies., 2013. The Delivery of Bad News in Organizations A Framework for Analysis.
[Online]. Available through:
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258154431_The_Delivery_of_Bad_News_in_
Organizations_A_Framework_for_Analysis>.