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BT 272 - Bad News: Home

This guide is specifically for the Bad News assignment for Business Technology 272.

Bad News Introduction

Woman in distress looking at laptop
Photo by Anna Shvets via Pexels

Introduction

How do companies deliver bad news? What are some examples of difficult situations that require business communication? This guide will point you in the right direction for learning more about bad news and finding sources that can support you and your learning.

Using Databases to Find Sources

Some research tips for finding database sources that provide information about bad news in a business or organization:

  • Databases have many ways of describing this topic
  • Consider using natural language in your keyword phrases (eg. "Delivering bad news")
  • Look at the subjects used in the database to describe one source (eg. "Business Communication" or "Interpersonal Communication"
  • Another path is to look for an event or crisis that can serve as a specific context, such as "COVID-19" or "The Great Recession" or "layoff"

See the list of recommended databases at the bottom of this guide to get started.

Using Search Engines to Find Sources

You may also find great articles with examples by searching in a popular search engine like Google. Business, HR, and Job websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review are a few examples of public-facing sites with strong content on this topic.

As with any research, be careful with the sources you find on the web. Apply proper evaluation to any webpage or web document you discover. See the bottom of this guide for brief tips on how to evaluate websites.

Recommended Databases

Evaluating information and domain searching

WWW Test - ask these questions when determining whether a source is reliable, especially when Googling.

  • Who's the author?  Is the author an expert?
  • What's the nature of the information?  Is it objective or biased?  Is it based on careful research?
  • When was it written?  Is it appropriately up-to-date?

Note:  These questions are simplistic. If you need help thinking through the evaluation process, ask a librarian or your instructor.

Domain Searching

Try limiting your Google search to a particular domain (such as .edu or .gov which are restricted domains). You may find more reliable information.  Here's a search example:

"employee retention" stress site:.edu