Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • April 16, 2019
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

Research Confirms: When Receiving Bad News, We Shoot the Messenger

By: Leslie John, Hayley Blunden and Heidi Liu
  • Format:Electronic
ShareBar

Abstract

Most jobs require us at some point to deliver bad news—whether it be a minor revelation such as a recruiter telling a prospective employee that there’s no wiggle room in salary, or something major, like when a manager must fire an employee. We dread such discussions even when the revelations aren’t at all our fault. It turns out that our aversion is for good reason. Our research shows that people are prone to derogating those who tell them things they don’t want to hear—we shoot the messenger.

Keywords

Interpersonal Communication; Perception; Judgments

Citation

John, Leslie, Hayley Blunden, and Heidi Liu. "Research Confirms: When Receiving Bad News, We Shoot the Messenger." Harvard Business Review (website) (April 16, 2019).
  • Register to Read

About The Author

Leslie K. John

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • 2024
    • Faculty Research

    Measuring the Prevalence of Sensitive Behaviors

    By: Tamar Krishnamurti and Leslie John
    • 2024
    • Faculty Research

    The Agreeable Revealer: Personality Correlates of Self-Disclosure

    By: Elinora Pentcheva and Leslie John
    • 2024
    • Faculty Research

    Should I Stay or Should I Disclose? How Omission Bias Guides Our Disclosure Decisions

    By: Elinora Pentcheva and Leslie John
More from the Authors
  • Measuring the Prevalence of Sensitive Behaviors By: Tamar Krishnamurti and Leslie John
  • The Agreeable Revealer: Personality Correlates of Self-Disclosure By: Elinora Pentcheva and Leslie John
  • Should I Stay or Should I Disclose? How Omission Bias Guides Our Disclosure Decisions By: Elinora Pentcheva and Leslie John
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.