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When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims' self-construals facilitates forgiveness

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  • Fehr, Ryan
  • Gelfand, Michele J.

Abstract

Apologies are useful social tools that can act as catalysts in the resolution of conflict and inspire forgiveness. Yet as numerous real-world blunders attest, apologies are not always effective. Whereas many lead to forgiveness and reconciliation, others simply fall on deaf ears. Despite the fact that apologies differ in their effectiveness, most research has focused on apologies as dichotomous phenomena wherein a victim either (a) receives an apology or (b) does not. Psychological research has yet to elucidate which components of apologies are most effective, and for whom. The present research begins to address this gap by testing the theory that perpetrators' apologies are most likely to inspire victim forgiveness when their components align with victims' self-construals. Regression and hierarchical linear modeling analyses from two studies support the primary hypotheses. As predicted, victims reacted most positively to apologies that were congruent with their self-construals.

Suggested Citation

  • Fehr, Ryan & Gelfand, Michele J., 2010. "When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims' self-construals facilitates forgiveness," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 37-50, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:113:y:2010:i:1:p:37-50
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    1. Molnar, Andras & Chaudhry, Shereen J. & Loewenstein, George, 2023. "“It’s not about the money. It’s about sending a message!” Avengers want offenders to understand the reason for revenge," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
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    3. Kyeong Sam Min & Jae Min Jung & Kisang Ryu & Curtis Haugtvedt & Sathiadev Mahesh & John Overton, 2020. "Timing of apology after service failure: the moderating role of future interaction expectation on customer satisfaction," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 217-230, September.
    4. Fan, Sijia & Ge, Qi & Ho, Benjamin & Ma, Lirong, 2023. "Sorry Doesn't Cut It, or Does It? Insights from Stock Market Responses to Corporate Apologies," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 68-86.
    5. Clarke, Samuel L. & Rhodes, Eric S., 2020. "Entrepreneurial apologies: The mediating role of forgiveness on future cooperation," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 13(C).
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    8. Reinders Folmer Christopher P. & Mascini Peter & Leunissen Joost M., 2019. "Rethinking Apology in Tort Litigation Deficiencies in Comprehensiveness Undermine Remedial Effectiveness," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 15(1), pages 1-27, March.
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    13. Jiachun Lu & Lutz Kaufmann & Craig R. Carter, 2021. "How Informal Exchanges Impact Formal Sourcing Collaboration (and What Supply Managers Can Do about It)," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(4), pages 26-62, October.
    14. van Gils, Suzanne & Horton, Kate E., 2019. "How can ethical brands respond to service failures? Understanding how moral identity motivates compensation preferences through self-consistency and social approval," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 455-463.
    15. Steven L. Grover & Marie-Aude Abid-Dupont & Caroline Manville & Markus C. Hasel, 2019. "Repairing Broken Trust Between Leaders and Followers: How Violation Characteristics Temper Apologies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 853-870, March.
    16. ten Brinke, Leanne & Adams, Gabrielle S., 2015. "Saving face? When emotion displays during public apologies mitigate damage to organizational performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 1-12.
    17. Alyson Byrne & Julian Barling & Kathryne Dupré, 2014. "Leader Apologies and Employee and Leader Well-Being," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 91-106, April.
    18. So Young Lee & Yoon Hi Sung & Dongwon Choi & Dong Hoo Kim, 2021. "Surviving a Crisis: How Crisis Type and Psychological Distance Can Inform Corporate Crisis Responses," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(4), pages 795-811, February.
    19. Holger Roschk & Susanne Kaiser, 2013. "The nature of an apology: An experimental study on how to apologize after a service failure," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 293-309, September.
    20. Wei, Chuang & Liu, Maggie Wenjing & Keh, Hean Tat, 2020. "The road to consumer forgiveness is paved with money or apology? The roles of empathy and power in service recovery," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 321-334.
    21. Crystal Hoyt & Terry Price, 2015. "Ethical Decision Making and Leadership: Merging Social Role and Self-Construal Perspectives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(4), pages 531-539, February.
    22. Ong, Madeline, 2023. "The transforming power of self-forgiveness in the aftermath of wrongdoing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    23. David Boyd, 2011. "Art and Artifice in Public Apologies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 299-309, December.
    24. Saif Mir & Misty Blessley & Zach Zacharia & John Aloysius, 2022. "Mending fences in a buyer–supplier relationship: The role of justice in relationship restoration," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 58(3), pages 23-46, July.

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