International Business Company CEOs’ Public Apologies and their Users’ Responses

Abstract

An important aspect of the emerging user care discourse is the apologies offered by companies. Previous research has focused on public apologies; however, there has been little focus on the users’ comments in response to apologies. This case study aimed to investigate (i) the structure of the public apologies in terms of their frequency and sequence, and (ii) the users’ responses to these apologies as indicated in their comments. Four public apologies were purposively selected: They were all presented in English by the executives and posted on Facebook between 2011 and 2015. The responses to these apologies were also collected. The results of content analysis indicate that apology strategies, including taking full responsibility, asking for forgiveness, being sincere, and being published in a timely manner are the most effective strategies to elicit positive responses. The results have useful implications for research and practice in the area.