The delivery of bad news: An integrative review and path forward

Claudia C. Kitz*, Laurie J. Barclay, Heiko Breitsohl

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)
    251 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Managing the delivery of bad news is a crucial component of effective human resource management. However, the diversity of contexts in which this phenomenon has been studied has made it difficult to develop a consolidated theoretical and practical understanding of bad news delivery. Using an interdisciplinary integrative review (N = 685), we critically analyze how bad news delivery has been conceptualized as well as what interdisciplinary theoretical insights and practical guidance can be offered. Beyond identifying key challenges in the extant literature, we also provide a path forward by showcasing key opportunities, including how conceptualizing bad news delivery as a dialectic process that unfolds over time can further enhance theoretical insights and practical guidance for effectively managing bad news delivery in the workplace.
    Original languageEnglish
    Article number100971
    Number of pages23
    JournalHuman Resource Management Review
    Volume33
    Issue number3
    Early online date24-May-2023
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept-2023

    Keywords

    • delivery of bad news
    • communication
    • Integrative review

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The delivery of bad news: An integrative review and path forward'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this