This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Patel, A. Articles by Reinsch, L. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Companies Can Apologize: Corporate Apologies and Legal Liability

Georgetown University, Washington, D. C.

Lamar Reinsch

Georgetown University, Washington, D. C.

Discussions of corporate apologies frequently state or imply that apologies create legal liabilities for the apologist and, therefore, that corporate attomeys routinely recommend against apologies. A review of formal ("black letter") and common law indicates that apologies generally do not constitute evidence of guilt and that, in fact, they sometimes have positive consequences for the apologist. Persons who practice (or teach) crisis communication should avoid the mistake of relying on an over-simplified and inaccurate understanding of the legal issues surrounding corpo rate apologies.

Key Words: Apology • law • crisis • regret • responsibility

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?