Organizational Guilt Management: A Paradox Perspective

Abstract

Alleged organizational wrongdoings are often characterized by high levels of uncertainty about what happened, which can take years to be established judicially. In this study, we examine organizations’ efforts to manage their stakeholders’ impressions of their possible guilt in this period of uncertainty. The study examines the discursive guilt-management strategies organizations employ in such situations to embrace the paradoxical tensions that emerge between their routine, positive self-presentations as responsible organizations and their communication about their possible guilt. Taking departure in impression management and a paradox perspective, we conceptualize guilt management as a discursive practice enacted in times of uncertainty. Specifically, we conduct a microlevel discourse analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports published by large US banks after the financial crisis and analyze how these banks managed impressions of their possible guilt, before they eventually agreed to legal settlements. We identify amending, bracketing, shifting locus of control, implicating, as well as reattributing and extending moral agency as central guilt-management strategies that embrace the paradoxical tensions between the banks’ positive self-presentations and their communication about their possible guilt. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and methodological contributions to organization studies.

Corporate guilt (management)

“…Guilt management denotes the discursive practice of managing others' impressions of one's guilt without admitting or denying it (Pollach et al, 2022). The concept of guilt has its origins in the disciplines of philosophy, law, and psychology, each of which contributes its own conceptualization of guilt.…”

“…Further, one may incur legal and moral guilt without emotional guilt when conducting a wrongdoing in revenge, for which one does not feel guilty. Lastly, when violating an immoral law, one can be legally guilty without incurring moral guilt, and one may or may not incur emotional guilt for this violation (Pollach et al, 2022).…”

“…On the basis of a discourse analysis, it has been found that organizations employ several guilt-management strategies in order manage their guilt discursively. These strategies include: amending, bracketing, shifting locus of control, implicating, as well as reattributing and extending moral agency (Pollach et al, 2022).…”

Corpus Linguistics on the Impression Management Strategy of Indonesian Public Officials after Covid-19 Denial Statements

“…For politicians, reputation is a major concern because they hold their positions as a result of the public having at least a passably favourable opinion of them (Talbot and Boiral, 2021;Pollach, Ravazzani and Maier, 2022;Wu et al, 2022). Once they became aware of the risk of losing the public's trust, public officials attempted to create positive impressions by addressing these accusations, defending themselves, and ensuring that they maintain a good impression before the public.…”

Indonesian public officials after erroneous statements about COVID-19: An application of image restoration theory

“…For individuals and organizations, reputation is a highly important asset (Benoit, 1995(Benoit, , 2003Benoit and Czerwinski, 1997;Carnevale and Gangloff, 2022). Image restoration theory is applied not only to case studies of companies but also to government entities, so this study extends its application to the public sector (Yamazaki, 2005;Marcoux et al, 2013;Ayoko et al, 2017;Pollach et al, 2022).…”