Rereading Bad News: Compliance-Gaining Features in Management Memos

Abstract

In this study we apply compliance-gaining theory to actual memos to determine ifthe principles explain the content and style of the memos, written by managers totheir subordinates. The memos represent two tasks of managers: reminding employees of accepted behavior they have neglected to follow and announcing changes inpolicies and procedures. A textual analysis shows that features of compliance gaining governing message production do explicate the power base, verbal strategies,and tactics, as well as the negotiating process underlying these memos. On the otherhand, the advice for delivering bad news—buffer, reasons, implied refusal, andpositive ending—does not describe the text of these memos. In addition, many contextual features are foregrounded in a compliance-gaining analysis of the memos.Compliance-gaining theory, with its grounding in organizational behavior, may bemore appropriate in analyzing management memos than the bad news formula,which is based on sales principles.

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