1. Writing Bad News Messages and Writing Across Cultures
Lecture 11

2. Different cultures deliver bad news differently
Chaney and Martin write that:
Japanese-negative news in a positive way
Latin Americans-avoid delivering bad news if possible
Americans-try to end bad news messages “on a positive note”

3. Things to Remember Maintain a good relationship Provide an explanation
Focus on the positive for the reader
-especially before and after bad news
Use positive, respectful language
-never directly accuse the reader

4. Goals for Writing Maintain good relations
Be and seem fair and reasonable
Do not apologize when you are not at fault or can correct the mistake easily
Maintain a good image of your company

5. Parts of a Bad News Letter
Buffer (part that makes bad news easier to accept)‏
Reasons
Refusals
Alternative-another way for the reader to get what he wants….
Ending

8. Comparison Do they both contain all the parts
Which continues good relations?
Which maintains a good image of the writer’s company?
Which provides the better alternative?

9. Bad News Messages Inside the Company
Provide the news clearly and without emotion
Tell Why it happened
Explain how it might be fixed
If a manager/boss: Recommend a solution and propose to solve the problem
If a peer: work with them to find a solution

10. How to deal with other cultures
Adapt- respond to letters in the way they were sent
Openly admit unfamiliarity
Do not get upset
Avoid misunderstanding

11. Be Polite Every culture has its own way of being polite
-learn it and use it
In US letters state the facts and use polite language mostly for requests
British writing uses more formal language and titles must be respected

12. Cultural differences in business writing
Informal US vs. Others
“We and our company” vs. “you”
Different degrees and forms of politeness
Be ready to hear some “weird” humor
The UK and US mostly focus on Business outside of the company
Korea, China, and Japan more on relationships

13. Letters from around the world
Chaney and Martin pages

14. Now, Write a Bad News Letter in class
Possible topics:
1) To a customer- their computer was broken by the computer company
To a child- to tell them their puppy died
To a researcher- to refuse their requests for information
To a student-to tell them they did not win the scholarship