Repairing damaged professional relationships with leader apologies: An examination of trust and forgiveness

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of different leader apology expressions in restoring workplace relationships after transgressions. We propose that “ideal” apology expressions, such as those that are sincere, can act as signals that the transgressing leader is trustworthy and that the relationship between the victim and offender is safe to restore through forgiveness. We support this contention with findings from four studies. In a hypothetical scenario involving a mid-level leader’s transgression (Study 1), we found that a sincere apology expression was the most effective at facilitating forgiveness compared to alternative expressions (basic, amends, remorse, responsibility, insincere). Additional field studies (Studies 2a and 2b) and an experiment that manipulated leader trust (Study 3) also supported the role of a sincere apology in facilitating forgiveness through the mechanism of increased leader trust. Our findings have implications for leadership theory and practice.