Apology Strategies Research Articles

Apology Strategies in English: A Pragmatic Analysis of Moroccan Undergraduate EFL Learners and British Native Speakers

Apology Strategies in English: A Pragmatic Analysis of Moroccan Undergraduate EFL Learners and British Native Speakers

NAVIGATING CANCEL CULTURE: PR AND MARKETING TACTICS FOR BRAND REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

This paper explores the multifaceted role of public relations (PR) and marketing in managing brand reputation amidst the growing influence of cancel culture. With the rise of social media, cancel culture has become a powerful force, holding brands and individuals accountable for their actions and statements. This research delves into how brands can navigate this challenging landscape by employing proactive communication, apology strategies, and rebranding efforts. The study examines key case studies, such as Gillettes The Best Men Can Be campaign and Nikes partnership with Colin Kaepernick, showcasing how these brands tackled controversies through strategic messaging and aligning with social justice causes. Additionally, the research highlights the importance of authenticity, humility, and accountability in PR responses, and the power of real-time audience engagement in mitigating negative sentiment. By analyzing these elements, the paper provides actionable insights for PR professionals and marketers to enhance brand resilience and maintain trust in an era of heightened public scrutiny.

Language Styles, Recovery Strategies and Users’ Willingness to Forgive in General Artificial Intelligence Service Recovery: A Mixed Study

As the prevalence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the service sector continues to grow, the impact of the language style and recovery strategies utilized during service failures remains insufficiently explored. This study, grounded in the theory of social presence and dual-process theory, employed a mixed-method approach combining questionnaire surveys and event-related potential (ERP) experiments to investigate the effect of different language styles (rational vs. humorous) and recovery strategies (gratitude vs. apology) on users’ willingness to forgive during the GenAI service recovery process. It further delves into the chained mediating role of perceived sincerity and social presence in this process. The findings revealed that a humorous language style was more effective in enhancing users’ willingness to forgive compared to a rational style, primarily through the enhancement of users’ perceived sincerity and sense of social presence; recovery strategies played a moderating role in this process, with the positive impact of perceived sincerity on social presence being significantly amplified when the GenAI service adopted an apology strategy. ERP results indicated that a rational language style significantly induced a larger N2 component (cognitive conflict) in apology scenarios, while a humorous style exhibited higher amplitude in the LPP component (positive emotional evaluation). This research unveils the intricate relationships between language style, recovery strategies, and users’ willingness to forgive in the GenAI service recovery process, providing important theoretical foundations and practical guidance for designing more effective GenAI service recovery strategies, and offering new insights into developing more efficacious GenAI service recovery tactics.

Mending the Image: The Role of Crisis Communication and Apology Strategies in Recovering from Brand Transgressions

This study investigates the impact of brand transgression on brand image, with a focus on the moderating roles of crisis communication, religiosity, and the effectiveness of apology strategies in brand recovery. Brand transgressions, defined as violations of consumer expectations or ethical standards, often result in a significant loss of consumer trust and negative shifts in brand perception. Drawing on a sample of 400 consumers, the study examines whether timely crisis communication and well-structured apology strategies can mitigate the detrimental effects of brand transgressions on brand image. Additionally, religiosity is explored as a moderating factor, given that highly religious consumers may respond more severely to perceived ethical violations. The results confirm that brand transgression has a strong negative impact on brand image. Effective crisis communication strategies significantly reduce this impact, while apology strategies contribute positively to brand image recovery. Moreover, religiosity exacerbates the adverse effects of transgression, with highly religious consumers showing a lower tendency to forgive and restore trust. These findings provide valuable insights for brand managers on how to handle crises effectively, suggesting that a combination of clear communication, sincere apologies, and an understanding of cultural and religious sensitivities can assist in maintaining and recovering brand image. The study also highlights the importance of tailoring brand responses to audience characteristics in crises. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Apology Strategies: Appropriateness and Frequency of Use by Saudi EFL Students

Apology Strategies: Appropriateness and Frequency of Use by Saudi EFL Students

Apology strategies in Tashelhit: linguistic realization and religious influence

Abstract This study adopts the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Patterns (CCSARP) framework to investigate the apology strategies used by L1 speakers of Tashelhit, a variety of Amazigh spoken in central Morocco. To this end, 82 university students either filled an assessment questionnaire or participated in an oral closed role-play. The findings indicated that L1 speakers of Tashelhit employed seven strategies to apologize, namely taking on responsibility, Illocutionary Force Indicating Devices (IFIDs), explanation or account, offer of repair, promise of forbearance, determinism, and self-criticism. While taking on responsibility, IFIDs, and explanation or account were used most frequently in all the role-play situations to realize apologies, the other apology strategies appeared to be situation-dependent. There was also a tendency for L1 speakers of Tashelhit to use certain religious expressions to modify their apologies. These findings yielded a number of recommendations for further research and suggestions for improving the teaching of apologies in Tashelhit.

An investigation of cross-cultural gender-wise stereotypes in apologizing through film series

The present study examined gender-wise differences in the use of apology strategies employed by Persian and American English interlocutors in two popular Persian and American TV film-series. To this aim, 347 apology utterances across 600 min of both Persian and American TV film-series were selected for analysis. The apology utterances produced by males and females in the two film series were observed, classified, and coded based on the apology strategies taxonomy propounded by Eslami-Rasekh (2004) [59]. The acquired data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and Binomial tests to depict the frequency and type of apologies concerning female-female, female-male, male-female, and male-male interactions. The frequency of the males' apologies to the females and males suggested no statistically significant differences between the two communities. In addition, the findings manifested both similarities and differences in the realization and distribution of the apology speech act between males and females in the targeted cultures. For example, the apology strategies were more commonly used by the males than the females. Illocutionary Force Indicating Devices were the most frequent apology strategies employed by the Persian and American males in both languages. In the Persian film series, ‘Acceptance of responsibility’ and ‘Offer of repair’ were the other frequent apology strategies which differed significantly between the males and females. In the American film series, ‘Explanation’, ‘Acceptance of responsibility’, and ‘Refusing responsibility’ were the strategies found to be significantly different between the males and females. Generally, it was realized that males were more inclined to apologize in the examined film series despite the prevalent stereotype that women apologize more frequently than men.

Navigating through crisis: an empirical investigation of effective response strategies for reputation restoration

We examine the effectiveness of response strategies in repairing reputational damage using 242 crisis events for Chinese listed companies between 2015 and 2021. Our results indicate that minimization and correction strategies effectively restore a company’s reputation after a crisis, and the effectiveness of an apology strategy is heightened when a company bears primary responsibility. In contrast, the transfer strategy is ineffective and may worsen the damage, especially during a serious crisis. Additionally, in a positive social trust environment, the minimization strategy is more effective for restoring the reputation of companies experiencing significant harm than other strategies. These findings are informative for crisis managers in selecting appropriate response strategies for reputation repair.

Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence of University Students: An Error Analysis of Apology Speech Act Strategies in Japanese Learners

While acquiring a second language, learners may encounter challenges and difficulties in effectively carrying out verbal communication in the second language. Mastering the apology speech act is a challenge for L2 learners. The objective of this study is to identify the apology strategies utilized by individuals learning the Japanese language, as well as the specific types and underlying causes of errors produced during the execution of apologetic speech acts. The results of this study were gathered via the Discourse Completion Test (DCT), which encompassed a sample of 150 Japanese language learners. The gathered data were further classified using eight semantic formulas based on the research conducted by Haristiani and Sopiyanti (2019), while the various types and sources of error categorization were conducted based on the theories proposed by Corder (1981) and Richards (1975). The results of this study suggest that Japanese learners utilize the same primary strategies in apology speech acts. Furthermore, the study findings indicated that learners at the intermediate level displayed a higher frequency of errors in their speech compared to learners at the beginner levels and pre-intermediate levels, particularly in the strategy of taking responsibility. The main reason for this was primarily a lack of familiarity with the conventions of sentence structures, the proper use of language, and the appropriate use of expressions. The other sources of errors in language learning are likely to be ignoring language rule restrictions, incomplete application of rules, the learner’s false hypothesis, overgeneralization, and language transfer. This study is anticipated to function as a point of reference for research in interlanguage pragmatics, second-language acquisition, and error analysis. Gaining comprehension of the various problems and difficulties encountered when performing the speech act of apology in Japanese can assist both learners and educators in reducing these errors.

Gender and Age Differences in Using Apology Strategies in Saudi Arabia

Apology has been an important topic in personal relationship studies over the past three decades. This study is based on Sugimoto’s empirically derived characterization of apology strategies and explores how Saudis of both genders and of different ages use apology strategies to demonstrate their politeness. The study’s three main objectives were to identify the most commonly employed apology strategies and to determine the significance of gender and of age on how people used apology strategies. Data collection relied on the Multiple Discourse Completion Task Questionnaire, which contains questions about different real-life scenarios and multiple answers that measure the use of apology strategies. It was distributed to 102 female and 93 male participants of different ages (between 18 and 50). The study established that the most used apology strategies are self-blame and then compensation, while the least used are blaming the victim and asking the victim not to be angry. The rest of the apology strategies occur at different frequencies. The study also found that women use apology strategies significantly more than men do. Women tend to use thanking, lack of intent, asking for forgiveness, and asking the victim not to be angry, whereas men use compensation, avoiding the victim, blaming the victim, promising not to repeat, and offending the victim more than women do. In addition, the study found significant differences in which apology strategies people of different ages used.

“The Sorriest Prime Minister”

In contemporary political discourse, political apologies have emerged as a critical linguistic tool allowing politicians to sway and manipulate public perception. Especially the act of historical apology has been on the rise. This article examines the apology strategies of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and how Trudeau modifies his apologies when apologizing for personal offenses versus historical transgressions. Drawing on politeness theory, the article suggests that Trudeau apologizes differently when apologizing for personal offenses than for historical transgressions. The article asserts that Trudeau’s personal apologies are marked by non-apology and face-saving strategies, whereas his historical apologies are more performative. This contrast underlines a strategic approach to apologizing, suggesting that Trudeau strategically leverages historical apologies to bolster his image as a progressive politician and minority ally. The article claims that, through these linguistic tactics, historical apologies, particularly historical apologies, serve as powerful means for shaping and perpetuating a desired political identity.

How to rebuild trust through apology: Evidence from public apology letters

This paper explores how apology strategies are used to rebuild the public's trust using evidence from Chinese e-commerce live-streaming hosts' apology letters. It is found that live-streaming hosts can use two strategies to rebuild the public's trust: apology-related metalanguage labels and apology-related supportive moves. The former are routine formulas generally used to give an explicit apology, such as “sorry.” The latter are strategies used to support apology-related metalanguage labels, including offering explanations, taking responsibility, making promises, showing empathy, and expressing integrity. Further quantitative analyses indicate that metalanguage labels alone cannot rebuild the public's trust. Trust can be rebuilt only by combining metalanguage labels and supportive moves. This paper contributes to the theoretical study of trustworthiness building in the public arena and can enhance trust relationships between e-commerce and the public.

How do Alexandrians and Najdis Apologize? A Variational Pragmatic Study of Arabic

There is a paucity of variational pragmatic research that compares the realization of the speech act of apology across dialects of one and the same language. The current study aimed at comparing the realization of the speech act of apology between two Arabic dialects, namely Alexandrian Arabic in Egypt and Najdi Arabic in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from 120 participants using role-play. The participants were undergraduate students, equally divided into males and females. Half the participants were Najdis, while the other half were Alexandrians. The apology strategies were coded using Olshtain and Cohen’s (1983) model. Additionally, initiators and internal/external modifications were analyzed. The results showed that the two groups of participants adopted a similar apology behavior, a finding which was explained in terms of the unifying influence of religion. The results also showed a strong influence for social dominance on the participants’ apology behavior. This influence was larger than the moderate influence for social distance and the limited influence for gender. Based on the findings, we recommend conducting further variational pragmatic research on the Arabic language.

A ragmatic Contrastive Analysis of Apology Strategies in Jordanian Arabic and English Language

A ragmatic Contrastive Analysis of Apology Strategies in Jordanian Arabic and English Language

Exploring Apologizing Strategies in the Movie “Captain Marvel”

The study explored apologizing strategies within the movie "Captain Marvel" through the analysis of illocutionary speech acts. The research adopted a qualitative approach and utilized the framework of apologizing strategies developed by Kramer-Moore and Moore. The primary data sources were the movie and its script, with instances of apologizing transcribed verbatim, along with nonverbal cues. The analysis revealed two main types of apologies: expressive and directive. Expressive apologies, demonstrated by characters like Maria, Carol, and Coulson, conveyed genuine remorse and empathy to maintain harmonious interactions. On the other hand, Talos utilized directive apologies, combining sincerity with a plea for understanding and forgiveness. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of communication dynamics within cinematic narratives and real-world interactions. Future research could explore cultural variations in apology strategies within different genres and the impact of cultural nuances on apology portrayal in films. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the portrayal of apologizing strategies in the movie "Captain Marvel" and how they contribute to the dynamics of communication and character development. The identification of expressive and directive apology types showcases the complexity of human interactions and emotions within the context of a popular cinematic narrative.

The Role of Gender in the Realisation of Apologies in Local Council Meetings: A Variational Pragmatic Approach in British and New Zealand English

Abstract This variational pragmatic study investigates the realisation of apologies in local council meetings in New Zealand and Britain. Specifically, it aims to establish to what extent the macro-social factors gender and region influence the choice and combination of apology strategies. The data are drawn from two multi-modal corpora, The Corpus of Australian and New Zealand Spoken English (CoANZSE) and The Corpus of British Isles Spoken English (CoBISE). Our findings reveal general shared trends both across the two regional varieties and the two gender groups. Apologies are mostly realised by sorry forms and speakers prefer to use just one single apology strategy. Nevertheless, within these general trends, some distinct gender patterns are manifest. Overall, though, our findings indicate that the influence of gender and region on the realisation of apologies is limited. The communicative setting of council meetings seems to exert a bigger impact on the apology behaviour of the councillors.

Apology Strategy in Senior High School Students of North Aceh Dialect

An apology is an important expression of contact. The form of apology differs from the form of apology in different languages, circumstances, beliefs, ethnography, and so on. In certain situations, forgiveness is a form of accepting mistakes someone makes. This study examines the apology strategies used in the North Aceh dialect among high school students. This research is qualitative research with survey analysis. The subjects of this study were 40 students. The methods used to collect data are interviews, questionnaires, and surveys. The instrument used to collect data is a questionnaire. The technique used to analyze the data is descriptive qualitative analysis. Research has shown that, although direct and indirect reasons can lead to long discussions among the interlocutors, the communicative content can be observed through indirect reasons so that shared views and attitudes can be conveyed. Further analysis of the different statistics is suggested to look at the gaps in apology across ages. Further analysis of the different statistics is recommended to examine the gaps in the apology strategy of these two variables, age group, and gender.

APOLOGY STRATEGY IN DISNEY AND PIXAR’S LUCA MOVIE: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH

This paper aims to analyse the various apology strategies used by the characters in the Luca movie script and describe their use through a pragmatic approach by referring to the theory of Klimczak and Pawlak (2014) and Fraser's theory (1981) to explain the factors that influenced the use of apology strategies by characters in Luca's film script. This study uses a descriptive qualitative research method with data obtained from the film script Luca. The results of this study indicate that there are 23 utterances featuring apologies made by 6 characters in Luca's story. The findings are grouped into a taxonomy of apology strategies, there are 9 types of apology strategies used by the characters in Luca's story. The 9 types of strategy include Illocutionary Force Indicating Device (an expression of regret) of 5 utterances, Illocutionary Force Indicating Device (a request for the forgiveness) of 1 utterance, Phatic Communication of 2 utterances, Acknowledgement of Responsibility (explicit self-blame) of 2 utterances, Internal Intensifiers (intensifying adverbials) with 2 utterances, Acknowledgement of Responsibility with 4 utterances of lack of intent, Acknowledgement of Responsibility (expression of embarrassment) with 4 utterances, Explanation or account of the situation with 2 utterances, and Acknowledgement of Responsibility (refusal to acknowledge guilt) with 1 utterance, which every utterance and strategy were influenced by 1-2 factors.

The Speech Act of Apology by Lenovo on Facebook

New media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have allowed brands to connect with the public. However, negative comments can damage their image, so brands should use clear apology strategies. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of the electronics market is closely related to the connection between brands and customers. This article examined the apology strategies used by Lenovo, a company with international brand influence, in response to negative messages or complaints on its official Facebook account from April 30, 2023 to June 9, 2023. The study used a mixed research method to identify responses containing common apology words on Lenovo's public account through IFIDs and obtained all posts using the two most frequently used apology words in the text. Under the guidance of Olshtain and Cohen (1983) and Page (2014)'s apology strategies, the study examined the apology strategies and combinations used by Lenovo in its posts.The results showed that Lenovo often used the following six apology strategies: "expression of apology", "explanation or account of the situation", "acknowledgment of responsibility", "an offer of repair", "follow-up moves: questions and imperatives", and "greetings, closings, and terms of address". Furthermore, "greetings", "expression of apology", and "follow-up moves: questions and imperatives" were the most frequently used semantic combinations.

Gender and Communicative Styles in Apologising Among Students of the University of Bamenda

Lack of understanding of some social indicators, cultural values (values of apology) and the importance of face may lead to communication breakdown, discrimination and conflict. In this regard, this paper set out to identify apology strategies of male and female students of The University of Bamenda, to determine the attitude of male and female users of English in The University of Bamenda towards the use of face in social interactions, and to verify the extent to which culture influences their apology strategies. To carry out this study, 50 participants (made up of 25 boys and 25 girls among level 400 geography students from the faculty of arts) between the ages 20 and 35 were purposefully selected as respondents to our questionnaire. The findings indicated that the two genders have different strategies in offering apology and that the female gender apologises more than the male, this is demonstrated in the use of the difference theory. Also, most of the respondents felt that people are polite in most conversations to pass across their ideas or make the conversation good, this shows that most of them do not give pride of place to the issue of face in social interactions. Also, the findings indicated that culture and cultural practices influence social interaction between both genders. This, ties with a study conducted by Bataineh and Bataineh (2005) which was aimed at investigating the potential gender effects in American students’ use of apologies within the framework of the two-culture theory. The researchers recommended that, the use of speech acts specifically in apology strategies in male and female communication styles should be given more attention by students, teachers, curriculum developers, policy makers and governments so as to enhance its teaching, knowledge and usage by young Cameroonian speakers of English.