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Communication after an integrity-based trust violation: How organizational account giving affects trust

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  • Brühl, Rolf
  • Basel, Jörn S.
  • Kury, Max F.

Abstract

How can an organization repair trust through communication after an ethical failure? This study examines how trust is repaired after an integrity-based trust violation using three different accounts: apology, excuse, and refusal. In our approach, we rely on two strands of attribution theory, which suggests that different attributions for responsibility and credibility affect trust. An experiment with n = 368 was conducted to explore trust repair effectiveness of apology versus refusal and apology versus excuse after an integrity-based trust violation. Results revealed apology as a double-edged sword; it repairs trust more successfully than refusal and excuse because it is evaluated as more credible. However, it is less successful than refusal and excuse because it is evaluated as more responsible.

Suggested Citation

  • Brühl, Rolf & Basel, Jörn S. & Kury, Max F., 2018. "Communication after an integrity-based trust violation: How organizational account giving affects trust," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 161-170.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eurman:v:36:y:2018:i:2:p:161-170
    DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2017.08.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sharma, Isha & Jain, Kokil & Behl, Abhishek, 2020. "Effect of service transgressions on distant third-party customers: The role of moral identity and moral judgment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 696-712.
    2. Jörn S. Basel & Katja Rubin, 2021. "Repair of Trust Through Apology at a Reputable Company: The Case of PostBus In Switzerland," International Journal of Business Research and Management (IJBRM), Computer Science Journals (CSC Journals), vol. 12(3), pages 116-138, June.
    3. Božič, Branko & Siebert, Sabina & Martin, Graeme, 2020. "A grounded theory study of factors and conditions associated with customer trust recovery in a retailer," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 440-448.
    4. Jahn, Johannes & Brühl, Rolf, 2019. "Can bad news be good? On the positive and negative effects of including moderately negative information in CSR disclosures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 117-128.
    5. Bozic, Branko & Kuppelwieser, Volker G., 2019. "Customer trust recovery: An alternative explanation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 208-218.

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