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Who Should Apologize When an Employee Transgresses? Source Effects on Apology Effectiveness

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Abstract

This paper examines the interactive effects of apology source (i.e., whether an apology is given by a chief executive officer or employee) and apology components (i.e., acknowledgment, remorse, and compensation) on forgiveness. Results revealed a significant source by component interaction. A remorseful employee apology was more successful than a remorseful CEO apology because consumers felt more empathy for the employee. Furthermore, a compensatory CEO apology was more effective than a compensatory employee apology because CEOs could significantly affect consumer perceptions of justice. No significant differences were found between apology source and the apology component of acknowledging violated rules and norms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ricciardi College of Business, Bridgewater State University, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA, 02325, USA

    Krista M. Hill

  2. D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    David P. Boyd

Authors
  1. Krista M. Hill
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  2. David P. Boyd
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David P. Boyd.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 3.

Table 3 Examples of CEO and employee apology conditions
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Hill, K.M., Boyd, D.P. Who Should Apologize When an Employee Transgresses? Source Effects on Apology Effectiveness. J Bus Ethics 130, 163–170 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2205-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2205-9

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