Applying the AIM Planning Process to Critique Bad News Messages- An Analysis of Volkswagen Communications
No matter the situation, communicating bad news is always hard. Giving information that is expected to have a negative influence on the recipient can be difficult for any person. There are various strategies that can be used to make the process easier and relatively less damaging to the intended recipient. An example of a company that has had to negatively deliver a negative message is Volkswagen. The company faced one of the biggest business scandals in the world after releasing high-emission cars to the market by cheating in the emission tests to make it seem like they were low-emission. Groden (2015) writes about the company’s CEO’s message to the public after the scandal, in which he admits to the company’s misconduct and apologizes.
Components of Bad News Messages
Bad news is uncomfortable to share, but when the following components are included it makes the message more appealing to the recipient. First, a bad news message needs to ease with a buffer. While delivering bad news, it is not advisable to be direct with the bad information. While retaining clarity, one can cushion the information to prepare the recipient for the negative news (Cardon, 2014). It is also important to deliver information on the rationale that the decision was made. The recipients need to understand why it was necessary to make the decision even though it is bad news to them. Next, a bad news message must have the actual bad news. The message must serve its main purpose of delivering the information even though it is bad. There should also be an explanation of the impacts of the bad news (Cardon, 2014). The sender must show that they understand how the message impacts the recipients and to whom they are concerned (Von Bergen & Thompson, 2010). The bad news message should also focus on the future. There needs to be a view into what is being done to make the situation better. Lastly, the sender of the message should help the recipients to establish goodwill. After the negative impact, they should have an option for a way forward.
Reviewing Volkswagen CEO’s Message
One of the components that has been included in the bad news message by Volkswagen’s CEO is the ease with a buffer. The message starts by explaining the company’s values and how they were violated by the company’s actions. This has been used in place of directly saying that the company cheated on its diesel cars’ emission tests to make them more marketable and meet the global emission standards. The explanation of the company’s value helps the recipient to redirect their focus from the main message, which is the bad conduct of the company. The company also provides a rationale for the bad news by explaining the reason behind the conduct. The explanation of the CEO is that the bad actions were the results of the actions of a few bad people. This message has been delivered relatively well, and it meets the needs of the public and the stakeholders by showing that the company really did the wrong thing and that its officials are sorry. However, there are many components that could have been included in the message to improve its quality.
One component that could have made the message better is directly delivering the bad news. The CEO seems to be circling the issue without really mentioning it. He should have directly mentioned that the company tampered with the emission tests. The message also fails to explain the impacts of the actions. The message could have been better if it mentioned the effects that the company has had to show concern. Lastly, this message would have been better if it demonstrated goodwill. There is no mention of the kind of compensation the company will have for the influenced customers and other stakeholders.
References
Cardon, P. W. (2014). Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World (3e). McGraw-Hill.
Groden, C. (2015). Volkswagen CEO issued a video apology for the emissions cheating scandal. Fortune: Retrieved from: http://fortune.com/2015/09/22/volkswagen-apology-emissions-cheating/
Von Bergen, C. W., & Thompson, S. D. (2010). Delivering Bad News in Business. Leadership & Organizational Management Journal, 2010(4).
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
We’ll write everything from scratch
Question 
Introduction and Alignment
This is the fourth of five weekly Business Communication Analysis papers you will complete in this course. This exercise is designed to deepen your understanding of the business communication process. As you learned in Workshop Three, the AIM planning process can be used to help with many different types of business correspondence. This assignment gives you another opportunity to hone your skills!
Applying the AIM Planning Process to Critique Bad News Messages- An Analysis of Volkswagen Communications
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
Apply the AIM planning process to critique a company’s bad news messages to individuals or the public.
Resources
Textbook: Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World
Media: Communicating Bad News
Media: Video Exercise: Writing Negative Messages: Orange Photography
Website: Reference Point Software
http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/21270567066/
Website: Indiana Wesleyan University’s Off-Campus Library Services (OCLS)
http://www2.indwes.edu/ocls/
Background Information
Bad news refers to information that usually has a negative impact on the recipient. It can range from a loss of employment to a poor professional evaluation or the recall of a defective product sold into the market.
Businesses often receive scrutiny not only for the content of the bad-news message but also for the tone and approach by which the bad-news message is delivered. Although delivering a bad-news message is never a positive experience it can be an opportunity for increasing credibility when handled correctly.
In this assignment, you will apply the AIM planning process for the communication of bad-news messages, where you will consider:
Audience analysis for bad-news messages
Idea development for bad-news messages
Media structure for bad-news messages