written communication case study

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1. WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?

1.4 Case Study: The Cost of Poor Communication

No one knows exactly how much poor communication costs business, industry and government each year, but estimates suggest billions.  In fact, a recent estimate claims that the cost in the U.S. alone are close to $4 billion annually! [1] Poorly-worded or inefficient emails, careless reading or listening to instructions, documents that go unread due to poor design, hastily presenting inaccurate information, sloppy proofreading — all of these examples result in inevitable costs. The problem is that these costs aren’t usually included on the corporate balance sheet at the end of each year; if they are not properly or clearly defined, the problems remain unsolved.

You may have seen the Project Management Tree Cartoon before ( Figure 1.4.1 ); it has been used and adapted widely to illustrate the perils of poor communication during a project.

The waste caused by imprecisely worded regulations or instructions, confusing emails, long-winded memos, ambiguously written contracts, and other examples of poor communication is not as easily identified as the losses caused by a bridge collapse or a flood. But the losses are just as real—in reduced productivity, inefficiency, and lost business. In more personal terms, the losses are measured in wasted time, work, money, and ultimately, professional recognition. In extreme cases, losses can be measured in property damage, injuries, and even deaths.

The following “case studies” show how poor communications can have real world costs and consequences. For example, consider the “ Comma Quirk ” in the Rogers Contract that cost $2 million. [3]   A small error in spelling a company name cost £8.8 million. [4]   Examine Edward Tufte’s discussion of the failed PowerPoint presentation that attempted to prevent the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. [5] The failure of project managers and engineers to communicate effectively resulted in the deadly Hyatt Regency walkway collapse. [6]   The case studies below offer a few more examples that might be less extreme, but much more common.

In small groups, examine each “case” and determine the following:

• Define the rhetorical situation : Who is communicating to whom about what, how, and why? What was the goal of the communication in each case?
• Identify the communication error (poor task or audience analysis? Use of inappropriate language or style? Poor organization or formatting of information? Other?)
• Explain what costs/losses were incurred by this problem.
• Identify possible solution s or strategies that would have prevented the problem, and what benefits would be derived from implementing solutions or preventing the problem.

Present your findings in a brief, informal presentation to the class.

Exercises adapted from T.M Georges’ Analytical Writing for Science and Technology. [7]

CASE 1: The promising chemist who buried his results

Bruce, a research chemist for a major petro-chemical company, wrote a dense report about some new compounds he had synthesized in the laboratory from oil-refining by-products. The bulk of the report consisted of tables listing their chemical and physical properties, diagrams of their molecular structure, chemical formulas and data from toxicity tests. Buried at the end of the report was a casual speculation that one of the compounds might be a particularly safe and effective insecticide.

Seven years later, the same oil company launched a major research program to find more effective but environmentally safe insecticides. After six months of research, someone uncovered Bruce’s report and his toxicity tests. A few hours of further testing confirmed that one of Bruce’s compounds was the safe, economical insecticide they had been looking for.

Bruce had since left the company, because he felt that the importance of his research was not being appreciated.

CASE 2: The rejected current regulator proposal

The Acme Electric Company worked day and night to develop a new current regulator designed to cut the electric power consumption in aluminum plants by 35%. They knew that, although the competition was fierce, their regulator could be produced more affordably, was more reliable, and worked more efficiently than the competitors’ products.

The owner, eager to capture the market, personally but somewhat hastily put together a 120-page proposal to the three major aluminum manufacturers, recommending that the new Acme regulators be installed at all company plants.

She devoted the first 87 pages of the proposal to the mathematical theory and engineering design behind his new regulator, and the next 32 to descriptions of the new assembly line she planned to set up to produce regulators quickly. Buried in an appendix were the test results that compared her regulator’s performance with present models, and a poorly drawn graph showed the potential cost savings over 3 years.

The proposals did not receive any response. Acme Electric didn’t get the contracts, despite having the best product. Six months later, the company filed for bankruptcy.

CASE 3: The instruction manual the scared customers away

As one of the first to enter the field of office automation, Sagatec Software, Inc. had built a reputation for designing high-quality and user-friendly database and accounting programs for business and industry. When they decided to enter the word-processing market, their engineers designed an effective, versatile, and powerful program that Sagatec felt sure would outperform any competitor.

To be sure that their new word-processing program was accurately documented, Sagatec asked the senior program designer to supervise writing the instruction manual. The result was a thorough, accurate and precise description of every detail of the program’s operation.

When Sagatec began marketing its new word processor, cries for help flooded in from office workers who were so confused by the massive manual that they couldn’t even find out how to get started. Then several business journals reviewed the program and judged it “too complicated” and “difficult to learn.” After an impressive start, sales of the new word processing program plummeted.

Sagatec eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite cost Sagatec $350,000, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use business software.

CASE 4: One garbled memo – 26 baffled phone calls

Joanne supervised 36 professionals in 6 city libraries. To cut the costs of unnecessary overtime, she issued this one-sentence memo to her staff:

After the 36 copies were sent out, Joanne’s office received 26 phone calls asking what the memo meant. What the 10 people who didn’t call about the memo thought is uncertain. It took a week to clarify the new policy.

CASE 5: Big science — Little rhetoric

The following excerpt is from Carl Sagan’s book, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, [8] itself both a plea for and an excellent example of clear scientific communication:

The Superconducting Supercollider (SSC) would have been the preeminent instrument on the planet for probing the fine structure of matter and the nature of the early Universe. Its price tag was $10 to $15 billion. It was cancelled by Congress in 1993 after about $2 billion had been spent — a worst of both worlds outcome. But this debate was not, I think, mainly about declining interest in the support of science. Few in Congress understood what modern high-energy accelerators are for. They are not for weapons. They have no practical applications. They are for something that is, worrisomely from the point of view of many, called “the theory of everything.” Explanations that involve entities called quarks, charm, flavor, color, etc., sound as if physicists are being cute. The whole thing has an aura, in the view of at least some Congresspeople I’ve talked to, of “nerds gone wild” — which I suppose is an uncharitable way of describing curiosity-based science. No one asked to pay for this had the foggiest idea of what a Higgs boson is. I’ve read some of the material intended to justify the SSC. At the very end, some of it wasn’t too bad, but there was nothing that really addressed what the project was about on a level accessible to bright but skeptical non-physicists. If physicists are asking for 10 or 15 billion dollars to build a machine that has no practical value, at the very least they should make an extremely serious effort, with dazzling graphics, metaphors, and capable use of the English language, to justify their proposal. More than financial mismanagement, budgetary constraints, and political incompetence, I think this is the key to the failure of the SSC.

CASE 6: The co-op student who mixed up genres

Chris was simultaneously enrolled in a university writing course and working as a co-op student at the Widget Manufacturing plant. As part of his co-op work experience, Chris shadowed his supervisor/mentor on a safety inspection of the plant, and was asked to write up the results of the inspection in a compliance memo . In the same week, Chris’s writing instructor assigned the class to write a narrative essay based on some personal experience. Chris, trying to be efficient, thought that the plant visit experience could provide the basis for his essay assignment as well.

He wrote the essay first, because he was used to writing essays and was pretty good at it. He had never even seen a compliance memo, much less written one, so was not as confident about that task. He began the essay like this:

On June 1, 2018, I conducted a safety audit of the Widget Manufacturing plant in New City. The purpose of the audit was to ensure that all processes and activities in the plant adhere to safety and handling rules and policies outlined in the Workplace Safety Handbook and relevant government regulations. I was escorted on a 3-hour tour of the facility by…

Chris finished the essay and submitted it to his writing instructor. He then revised the essay slightly, keeping the introduction the same, and submitted it to his co-op supervisor. He “aced” the essay, getting an A grade, but his supervisor told him that the report was unacceptable and would have to be rewritten – especially the beginning, which should have clearly indicated whether or not the plant was in compliance with safety regulations. Chris was aghast! He had never heard of putting the “conclusion” at the beginning . He missed the company softball game that Saturday so he could rewrite the report to the satisfaction of his supervisor.

• J. Bernoff, "Bad writing costs business billions," Daily Beast , Oct. 16, 2016 [Online]. Available:  https://www.thedailybeast.com/bad-writing-costs-businesses-billions?ref=scroll ↵
• J. Reiter, "The 'Project Cartoon' root cause," Medium, 2 July 2019. Available: https://medium.com/@thx2001r/the-project-cartoon-root-cause-5e82e404ec8a ↵
• G. Robertson, “Comma quirk irks Rogers,” Globe and Mail , Aug. 6, 2006 [Online]. Available: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/comma-quirk-irks-rogers/article1101686/ ↵
• “The £8.8m typo: How one mistake killed a family business,” (28 Jan. 2015). The Guardian [online]. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/law/shortcuts/2015/jan/28/typo-how-one-mistake-killed-a-family-business-taylor-and-sons ↵
• E. Tufte, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint , 2001 [Online]. Available: https://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/pi/2016_2017/phil/tufte-powerpoint.pdf ↵
• C. McFadden, "Understanding the tragic Hyatt Regency walkway collapse," Interesting Engineering , July 4, 2017 [Online]: https://interestingengineering.com/understanding-hyatt-regency-walkway-collapse ↵
• T.M. Goerges (1996), Analytical Writing for Science and Technology [Online], Available: https://www.scribd.com/document/96822930/Analytical-Writing ↵
• C. Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, New York, NY: Random House, 1995. ↵

Technical Writing Essentials Copyright © 2019 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

How to write a case study — examples, templates, and tools

It’s a marketer’s job to communicate the effectiveness of a product or service to potential and current customers to convince them to buy and keep business moving. One of the best methods for doing this is to share success stories that are relatable to prospects and customers based on their pain points, experiences, and overall needs.

That’s where case studies come in. Case studies are an essential part of a content marketing plan. These in-depth stories of customer experiences are some of the most effective at demonstrating the value of a product or service. Yet many marketers don’t use them, whether because of their regimented formats or the process of customer involvement and approval.

A case study is a powerful tool for showcasing your hard work and the success your customer achieved. But writing a great case study can be difficult if you’ve never done it before or if it’s been a while. This guide will show you how to write an effective case study and provide real-world examples and templates that will keep readers engaged and support your business.

In this article, you’ll learn:

What is a case study?

How to write a case study, case study templates, case study examples, case study tools.

A case study is the detailed story of a customer’s experience with a product or service that demonstrates their success and often includes measurable outcomes. Case studies are used in a range of fields and for various reasons, from business to academic research. They’re especially impactful in marketing as brands work to convince and convert consumers with relatable, real-world stories of actual customer experiences.

The best case studies tell the story of a customer’s success, including the steps they took, the results they achieved, and the support they received from a brand along the way. To write a great case study, you need to:

• Celebrate the customer and make them — not a product or service — the star of the story.
• Craft the story with specific audiences or target segments in mind so that the story of one customer will be viewed as relatable and actionable for another customer.
• Write copy that is easy to read and engaging so that readers will gain the insights and messages intended.
• Follow a standardized format that includes all of the essentials a potential customer would find interesting and useful.
• Support all of the claims for success made in the story with data in the forms of hard numbers and customer statements.

Case studies are a type of review but more in depth, aiming to show — rather than just tell — the positive experiences that customers have with a brand. Notably, 89% of consumers read reviews before deciding to buy, and 79% view case study content as part of their purchasing process. When it comes to B2B sales, 52% of buyers rank case studies as an important part of their evaluation process.

Telling a brand story through the experience of a tried-and-true customer matters. The story is relatable to potential new customers as they imagine themselves in the shoes of the company or individual featured in the case study. Showcasing previous customers can help new ones see themselves engaging with your brand in the ways that are most meaningful to them.

Besides sharing the perspective of another customer, case studies stand out from other content marketing forms because they are based on evidence. Whether pulling from client testimonials or data-driven results, case studies tend to have more impact on new business because the story contains information that is both objective (data) and subjective (customer experience) — and the brand doesn’t sound too self-promotional.

Case studies are unique in that there’s a fairly standardized format for telling a customer’s story. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for creativity. It’s all about making sure that teams are clear on the goals for the case study — along with strategies for supporting content and channels — and understanding how the story fits within the framework of the company’s overall marketing goals.

Here are the basic steps to writing a good case study.

1. Identify your goal

Start by defining exactly who your case study will be designed to help. Case studies are about specific instances where a company works with a customer to achieve a goal. Identify which customers are likely to have these goals, as well as other needs the story should cover to appeal to them.

The answer is often found in one of the buyer personas that have been constructed as part of your larger marketing strategy. This can include anything from new leads generated by the marketing team to long-term customers that are being pressed for cross-sell opportunities. In all of these cases, demonstrating value through a relatable customer success story can be part of the solution to conversion.

2. Choose your client or subject

Who you highlight matters. Case studies tie brands together that might otherwise not cross paths. A writer will want to ensure that the highlighted customer aligns with their own company’s brand identity and offerings. Look for a customer with positive name recognition who has had great success with a product or service and is willing to be an advocate.

The client should also match up with the identified target audience. Whichever company or individual is selected should be a reflection of other potential customers who can see themselves in similar circumstances, having the same problems and possible solutions.

Some of the most compelling case studies feature customers who:

• Switch from one product or service to another while naming competitors that missed the mark.
• Experience measurable results that are relatable to others in a specific industry.
• Represent well-known brands and recognizable names that are likely to compel action.
• Advocate for a product or service as a champion and are well-versed in its advantages.

Whoever or whatever customer is selected, marketers must ensure they have the permission of the company involved before getting started. Some brands have strict review and approval procedures for any official marketing or promotional materials that include their name. Acquiring those approvals in advance will prevent any miscommunication or wasted effort if there is an issue with their legal or compliance teams.

3. Conduct research and compile data

Substantiating the claims made in a case study — either by the marketing team or customers themselves — adds validity to the story. To do this, include data and feedback from the client that defines what success looks like. This can be anything from demonstrating return on investment (ROI) to a specific metric the customer was striving to improve. Case studies should prove how an outcome was achieved and show tangible results that indicate to the customer that your solution is the right one.

This step could also include customer interviews. Make sure that the people being interviewed are key stakeholders in the purchase decision or deployment and use of the product or service that is being highlighted. Content writers should work off a set list of questions prepared in advance. It can be helpful to share these with the interviewees beforehand so they have time to consider and craft their responses. One of the best interview tactics to keep in mind is to ask questions where yes and no are not natural answers. This way, your subject will provide more open-ended responses that produce more meaningful content.

4. Choose the right format

There are a number of different ways to format a case study. Depending on what you hope to achieve, one style will be better than another. However, there are some common elements to include, such as:

• An engaging headline
• A subject and customer introduction
• The unique challenge or challenges the customer faced
• The solution the customer used to solve the problem
• The results achieved
• Data and statistics to back up claims of success
• A strong call to action (CTA) to engage with the vendor

It’s also important to note that while case studies are traditionally written as stories, they don’t have to be in a written format. Some companies choose to get more creative with their case studies and produce multimedia content, depending on their audience and objectives. Case study formats can include traditional print stories, interactive web or social content, data-heavy infographics, professionally shot videos, podcasts, and more.

5. Write your case study

We’ll go into more detail later about how exactly to write a case study, including templates and examples. Generally speaking, though, there are a few things to keep in mind when writing your case study.

• Be clear and concise. Readers want to get to the point of the story quickly and easily, and they’ll be looking to see themselves reflected in the story right from the start.
• Provide a big picture. Always make sure to explain who the client is, their goals, and how they achieved success in a short introduction to engage the reader.
• Construct a clear narrative. Stick to the story from the perspective of the customer and what they needed to solve instead of just listing product features or benefits.
• Leverage graphics. Incorporating infographics, charts, and sidebars can be a more engaging and eye-catching way to share key statistics and data in readable ways.
• Offer the right amount of detail. Most case studies are one or two pages with clear sections that a reader can skim to find the information most important to them.
• Include data to support claims. Show real results — both facts and figures and customer quotes — to demonstrate credibility and prove the solution works.

6. Promote your story

Marketers have a number of options for distribution of a freshly minted case study. Many brands choose to publish case studies on their website and post them on social media. This can help support SEO and organic content strategies while also boosting company credibility and trust as visitors see that other businesses have used the product or service.

Marketers are always looking for quality content they can use for lead generation. Consider offering a case study as gated content behind a form on a landing page or as an offer in an email message. One great way to do this is to summarize the content and tease the full story available for download after the user takes an action.

Sales teams can also leverage case studies, so be sure they are aware that the assets exist once they’re published. Especially when it comes to larger B2B sales, companies often ask for examples of similar customer challenges that have been solved.

Now that you’ve learned a bit about case studies and what they should include, you may be wondering how to start creating great customer story content. Here are a couple of templates you can use to structure your case study.

Template 1 — Challenge-solution-result format

• Start with an engaging title. This should be fewer than 70 characters long for SEO best practices. One of the best ways to approach the title is to include the customer’s name and a hint at the challenge they overcame in the end.
• Create an introduction. Lead with an explanation as to who the customer is, the need they had, and the opportunity they found with a specific product or solution. Writers can also suggest the success the customer experienced with the solution they chose.
• Present the challenge. This should be several paragraphs long and explain the problem the customer faced and the issues they were trying to solve. Details should tie into the company’s products and services naturally. This section needs to be the most relatable to the reader so they can picture themselves in a similar situation.
• Share the solution. Explain which product or service offered was the ideal fit for the customer and why. Feel free to delve into their experience setting up, purchasing, and onboarding the solution.
• Explain the results. Demonstrate the impact of the solution they chose by backing up their positive experience with data. Fill in with customer quotes and tangible, measurable results that show the effect of their choice.
• Ask for action. Include a CTA at the end of the case study that invites readers to reach out for more information, try a demo, or learn more — to nurture them further in the marketing pipeline. What you ask of the reader should tie directly into the goals that were established for the case study in the first place.

Template 2 — Data-driven format

• Start with an engaging title. Be sure to include a statistic or data point in the first 70 characters. Again, it’s best to include the customer’s name as part of the title.
• Create an overview. Share the customer’s background and a short version of the challenge they faced. Present the reason a particular product or service was chosen, and feel free to include quotes from the customer about their selection process.
• Present data point 1. Isolate the first metric that the customer used to define success and explain how the product or solution helped to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Present data point 2. Isolate the second metric that the customer used to define success and explain what the product or solution did to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Present data point 3. Isolate the final metric that the customer used to define success and explain what the product or solution did to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Summarize the results. Reiterate the fact that the customer was able to achieve success thanks to a specific product or service. Include quotes and statements that reflect customer satisfaction and suggest they plan to continue using the solution.
• Ask for action. Include a CTA at the end of the case study that asks readers to reach out for more information, try a demo, or learn more — to further nurture them in the marketing pipeline. Again, remember that this is where marketers can look to convert their content into action with the customer.

While templates are helpful, seeing a case study in action can also be a great way to learn. Here are some examples of how Adobe customers have experienced success.

Juniper Networks

One example is the Adobe and Juniper Networks case study , which puts the reader in the customer’s shoes. The beginning of the story quickly orients the reader so that they know exactly who the article is about and what they were trying to achieve. Solutions are outlined in a way that shows Adobe Experience Manager is the best choice and a natural fit for the customer. Along the way, quotes from the client are incorporated to help add validity to the statements. The results in the case study are conveyed with clear evidence of scale and volume using tangible data.

The story of Lenovo’s journey with Adobe is one that spans years of planning, implementation, and rollout. The Lenovo case study does a great job of consolidating all of this into a relatable journey that other enterprise organizations can see themselves taking, despite the project size. This case study also features descriptive headers and compelling visual elements that engage the reader and strengthen the content.

Tata Consulting

When it comes to using data to show customer results, this case study does an excellent job of conveying details and numbers in an easy-to-digest manner. Bullet points at the start break up the content while also helping the reader understand exactly what the case study will be about. Tata Consulting used Adobe to deliver elevated, engaging content experiences for a large telecommunications client of its own — an objective that’s relatable for a lot of companies.

Case studies are a vital tool for any marketing team as they enable you to demonstrate the value of your company’s products and services to others. They help marketers do their job and add credibility to a brand trying to promote its solutions by using the experiences and stories of real customers.

When you’re ready to get started with a case study:

• Think about a few goals you’d like to accomplish with your content.
• Make a list of successful clients that would be strong candidates for a case study.
• Reach out to the client to get their approval and conduct an interview.
• Gather the data to present an engaging and effective customer story.

Adobe can help

There are several Adobe products that can help you craft compelling case studies. Adobe Experience Platform helps you collect data and deliver great customer experiences across every channel. Once you’ve created your case studies, Experience Platform will help you deliver the right information to the right customer at the right time for maximum impact.

To learn more, watch the Adobe Experience Platform story .

Keep in mind that the best case studies are backed by data. That’s where Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform and Adobe Analytics come into play. With Real-Time CDP, you can gather the data you need to build a great case study and target specific customers to deliver the content to the right audience at the perfect moment.

Watch the Real-Time CDP overview video to learn more.

Finally, Adobe Analytics turns real-time data into real-time insights. It helps your business collect and synthesize data from multiple platforms to make more informed decisions and create the best case study possible.

Request a demo to learn more about Adobe Analytics.

https://business.adobe.com/blog/perspectives/b2b-ecommerce-10-case-studies-inspire-you

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/business-case

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/what-is-real-time-analytics

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1.10 Case Studies: The Cost of Poor Communication

This chapter is adapted from Technical Writing Essentials – H5P Edition by Suzan Last licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Learning Objectives

• Apply your understanding of context, purpose, audience, and channel in case studies.

No one knows exactly how much poor communication costs business, industry and government each year, but estimates suggest billions.  In 2017, Josh Bernoff claimed that the cost of poor communication was nearly $4 billion per year: “American workers spend 22 percent of their work time reading; higher compensated workers read more… America is spending 6 percent of total wages on time wasted attempting to get meaning out of poorly written material. Every company, every manager, every professional pays this tax, which consumes $396 billion of our national income” (Meier, 2017).

Poorly-worded or inefficient emails, careless reading or listening to instructions, documents that go unread due to poor design, hastily presenting inaccurate information, sloppy proofreading — all of these examples result in inevitable costs. In one tragic case, a lack of communication between contractors and engineers resulted in a walkway collapse that killed 114 people at the Hyatt Regency .

The waste caused by imprecisely worded regulations or instructions, confusing emails, long-winded memos, ambiguously written contracts, and other examples of poor communication is not as easily identified as the losses caused by a bridge collapse. But the losses are just as real—in reduced productivity, inefficiency, and lost business. In more personal terms, the losses are measured in wasted time, work, money, and ultimately, professional recognition. In extreme cases, losses can be measured in property damage, injuries, and even deaths.

The following cases show how poor communications can have real world costs and consequences.

A .  Read “Case 1: The Unaccepted Current Regulator Proposal”. Then, answer the 5 questions in the quiz set.

CASE 1:  Acme Electric Company

The Acme Electric Company worked day and night to develop a new current regulator designed to cut the electric power consumption in aluminum plants by 35%. They knew that, although the competition was fierce, their regulator could be produced more cheaply, was more reliable, and worked more efficiently than the competitors’ products.

The owner, eager to capture the market, personally but somewhat hastily put together a 120-page proposal to the three major aluminum manufacturers, recommending that their regulators be installed at all company plants.

The first 87 pages of the proposal were devoted to the mathematical theory and engineering design behind the new regulator, and the next 32 pages to descriptions of a new assembly line to produce regulators quickly. Buried in an appendix were the test results that compared her regulator’s performance with present models and a poorly drawn graph showed how much the dollar savings would be.

Acme Electric didn’t get the contracts, despite having the best product. Six months later, the company filed for bankruptcy.

B .  In small groups, examine one of the following cases and complete the following :

• Define the rhetorical situation : Who is communicating to whom about what, how, and why? What was the goal of the communication in each case?
• Identify the communication error (poor task or audience analysis? Use of inappropriate language or style? Poor organization or formatting of information? Other?)
• Explain what costs/losses were incurred by this problem.
• Identify possible solution s or strategies that would have prevented the problem, and what benefits would be derived from implementing solutions or preventing the problem.

Present your findings in a brief, informal presentation to the class.

CASE 2: Petro-chemical company report

Cameron (he/him), a research chemist for a major petro-chemical company, wrote a dense report about some new compounds he had synthesized in the laboratory from oil-refining by-products. The bulk of the report consisted of tables listing their chemical and physical properties, diagrams of their molecular structure, chemical formulas and computer printouts of toxicity tests. Buried at the end of the report was a casual speculation that one of the compounds might be a particularly effective insecticide.

Seven years later, the same oil company launched a major research program to find more effective but environmentally safe insecticides. After six months of research, someone uncovered Cameron’s report and his toxicity tests. A few hours of further testing confirmed that one of Cameron’s compounds was the safe, economical insecticide they had been looking for.

Cameron had since left the company because he felt that the importance of his research was not being appreciated.

CASE 3: Novaware instruction manual

As one of the first to enter the field of office automation, Novaware, Inc. had built a reputation for designing high-quality and user-friendly database and accounting programs for business and industry. When they decided to enter the word-processing market, their engineers designed an effective, versatile, and powerful program that Novaware felt sure would outperform any competitor.

To be sure that their new word-processing program was accurately documented, Novaware asked the senior program designer to supervise writing the instruction manual. The result was a thorough, accurate and precise description of every detail of the program’s operation.

When Novaware began marketing its new word processor, cries for help flooded in from office workers who were so confused by the massive manual that they couldn’t even find out how to get started. Then several business journals reviewed the program and judged it “too complicated” and “difficult to learn.” After an impressive start, sales of the new word processing program plummeted.

Novaware eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite cost Novaware $350,000, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use business software.

CASE 4: Policy memo

Nhi (they/them) supervised 36 professionals in 6 city libraries. To cut the costs of unnecessary overtime, they issued this one-sentence memo to their staff:

After the 36 copies were sent out, Nhi’s office received 26 phone calls asking what the memo meant. What the 10 people who didn’t call about the memo thought is uncertain. It took a week to clarify the new policy.

CASE 5: “Nerds gone wild”

The following excerpt is from Carl Sagan’s book, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, itself both a plea for and an excellent example of clear scientific communication:

The Superconducting Supercollider (SSC) would have been the preeminent instrument on the planet for probing the fine structure of matter and the nature of the early Universe. Its price tag was $10 to $15 billion. It was cancelled by Congress in 1993 after about $2 billion had been spent — a worst of both worlds outcome. But this debate was not, I think, mainly about declining interest in the support of science. Few in Congress understood what modern high-energy accelerators are for. They are not for weapons. They have no practical applications. They are for something that is, worrisomely from the point of view of many, called “the theory of everything.” Explanations that involve entities called quarks, charm, flavor, color, etc., sound as if physicists are being cute. The whole thing has an aura, in the view of at least some Congresspeople I’ve talked to, of “nerds gone wild” — which I suppose is an uncharitable way of describing curiosity-based science. No one asked to pay for this had the foggiest idea of what a Higgs boson is. I’ve read some of the material intended to justify the SSC. At the very end, some of it wasn’t too bad, but there was nothing that really addressed what the project was about on a level accessible to bright but skeptical non-physicists. If physicists are asking for 10 or 15 billion dollars to build a machine that has no practical value, at the very least they should make an extremely serious effort, with dazzling graphics, metaphors, and capable use of the English language, to justify their proposal. More than financial mismanagement, budgetary constraints, and political incompetence, I think this is the key to the failure of the SSC.

CASE 6: Same topic, different genres

Rowan (she/her) was simultaneously enrolled in a university writing course and working as a co-op student at the New Minas Boat Manufacturing plant. As part of her co-op work experience, Rowan shadowed her supervisor/mentor on a safety inspection of the plant, and was asked to write up the results of the inspection in a compliance memo . In the same week, Rowan’s writing instructor assigned the class to write a narrative essay based on some personal experience. Rowan, trying to be efficient, thought that the plant visit experience could provide the basis for her essay assignment as well.

She wrote the essay first because she was used to writing essays and was pretty good at it. She had never even seen a compliance memo, much less written one, so was not as confident about that task. She began the essay like this:

On June 1, 2018, I conducted a safety audit of the New Minas Boat Manufacturing plant. The purpose of the audit was to ensure that all processes and activities in the plant adhere to safety and handling rules and policies outlined in the Workplace Safety Handbook and relevant government regulations. I was escorted on a 3-hour tour of the facility by…

Rowan finished the essay and submitted it to her writing instructor. She then revised the essay slightly, keeping the introduction the same, and submitted it to her co-op supervisor. She “aced” the essay, getting an A grade, but her co-op supervisor told her that the report was unacceptable and would have to be rewritten – especially the beginning, which should have clearly indicated whether or not the plant was in compliance with safety regulations. Rowan was aghast! She had never heard of putting the “conclusion” at the beginning . She missed the company softball game that Saturday so she could rewrite the report to the satisfaction of her supervisor.

Meier, C. (2017, January 14). The Exorbitant Cost of Poor Writing (About $400 Billion). Medium . https://medium.com/@MeierMarketing/the-exorbitant-cost-of-poor-writing-about-400-billion-973b5a4f0096

Sagan, C. (1995). The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. Random House.

Exercises adapted from T.M Georges’ Analytical Writing for Science and Technology. T.M. Goerges (1996), Analytical Writing for Science and Technology [Online], Available: https://www.scribd.com/document/96822930/Analytical-Writing

1.10 Case Studies: The Cost of Poor Communication Copyright © 2021 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Written communication and energy transfer to fix a dysfunctional team: a case study in conflict resolution in an educational institution

LBS Journal of Management & Research

ISSN : 0972-8031

Article publication date: 2 November 2023

Task conflict and relationship conflict are common in organizations. This paper aims to present a unique case of the use of the targeted conflict-resolution technique. The revival of positive group dynamics is aptly shown.

Design/methodology/approach

This descriptive case study is developed as a practice insight to showcase how a peculiar case of misunderstanding is resolved in the most unconventional way through the intervention of a mediator who unearths the real cause of contention. The mediator works through logic and emotion to remove negativity. Narration, a necessary component of the case study approach, peeps into the research subject involving flashbacks, flash forward, backstories and foreshadowing. The mediator uses reframing as a tool very efficiently, encouraging the people in conflict to understand the nothingness in their cold war and eventually prompting them to collaborate and compromise.

The shifts in communication dynamics post-mediator’s intervention are subtle and full of wisdom, encouraging introspection and constructive interaction, eventually bridging the differences. The possibility of achieving a state of homeostasis in the future magnifies. The belief in the power of affirmation and manifestation is validated. The heavy, difficult, hardened negativity loses ground and gets transformed.

Social implications

Conversation/prayers at the deepest level in several meetings are the communication tools that have immense social relevance in the Indian context.

Originality/value

A unique combination of intermediation encompassing written communication and energy transformation is adopted to resolve ongoing conflict by stroking the positive psychology of the partakers. To some, the method may appear to have a spiritual connotation.

• Intermediation
• Narrative style
• Transformative method mediation

Rai, P. , Gupta, P. and Parewa, B. (2023), "Written communication and energy transfer to fix a dysfunctional team: a case study in conflict resolution in an educational institution", LBS Journal of Management & Research , Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/LBSJMR-10-2022-0066

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Pratibha Rai, Priya Gupta and Bhawna Parewa

Published in LBS Journal of Management & Research . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

The elders of the village settled disagreements in the past through intermediation ( Cohn, 1965 ). However, modern conciliation differs slightly since the mediator doesn't suggest to the partakers what to do. Instead, they aid in equilibrating the power in the affiliation, ensuring that everyone gets an opportunity to have an impartial go and that their anxieties are well perceived and understood. From time immemorial, a disagreement or conflict that arises between close associates or family members is settled by unbiased and sorted individuals through mediation who have no vested interest in the case. However, a delay in dispute settlement may lead to several problems. Invariably, this intensifies into conflict as the disagreement and disharmony become deep-rooted. That eventually risks things mounting up to where the possibility of resuming a cooperative relationship becomes a far-fetched dream.

In this paper, a simmering conflict amongst a team of faculty members of an educational institution is taken to understand the complex and intertwined nature of the conflict, and the newness in the paper lies in the method adopted to resolve it. The members of this department worked together very cohesively for years together succeeded in bringing laurels to their department and the college through their joint intellectual capital. However, after fifteen years of close cooperation, cracks appeared in the fabric of this alliance. Somehow constituents got delineated from each other to become too visible, and their delineation affected them to the extreme. Regular professional communication almost became impossible. The negativity around the stalwarts amongst whom the differences took birth started impacting the newcomers in the department unknowingly. In this scenario, the most common issues that the team experienced were a complete lack of trust and commitment, a distraction from results leading to unaccountability ( Lencioni, 2012 ).

The intense negative emotion, sometimes called anxiety, needs to be addressed to resolve a conflict that may or may not manifest itself openly. There is a need to identify the trigger and reason. The anxiety experienced amongst the group members and the felt emotion needed an expression enabling people to think precisely and clearly and thereby prepare them to unravel the problem. Comella (1996) has beautifully presented the emotional side of organizations.

This paper focuses on the conflict resolution approach through mediation offered by the mediator without being asked by any aggrieved party. In this unique case, the observer (also a co-worker) who sensed the negativity amongst the colleagues during a couple of meetings essentially initiates to end the cold-fighting and attempts to rekindle the lost amicable relationship. The initiatives taken are unique and unconventional. The uniqueness of those initiatives is enough motivation to document them. As is well known, mediation diffuses and de-escalates disputes by shifting the center to problem-solving rather than cold fighting. Here, the charisma and character of the mediator also assume a critical role. By not being involved in an issue, they are the people who could perceive the minor nuances of the problems amongst the professionals and co-workers from an unbiased perspective. However, some facilitation of reconciliations in an unconventional way is desirable. The case study discussed here and the approach taken was slightly different because the mediator attempts to strike a reconciliation amongst the concerned individuals after sensing the differences without a call by aggrieved parties. The facilitator’s approach of this type comes in the category of “Mavericks at Work” ( Taylor, LaBarre, & Whitener, 2006 ). These individuals may be non-conformists, but they look at every issue from a moralistic perspective. They are the people who believe in the goodness of beings in general but also accept “all rose bushes have thorns.” Given this realization, such people are fully aware that one may experience negativity from people who have been very close at some point in time.

2. Review of literature

Conflict is ubiquitous, pervasive in nature and has assumed numerous connotations and meanings as expressed in the writings of many. Coser (1956) considers it a struggle for scarce status and personal values. Robbins (2005) observe conflict arise while performing assigned tasks. The cause of conflict in organizations is competitive supremacy, the paucity of resources that are required to be shared, and due to differences in leadership style ( Bernard & Ashimi, 2014 ). Offering to resolve conflicts means challenging normal procedures and processes to increase efficiency and productivity or introducing systems that are innovative ( Robbins, 2005 ).

Mediation as a conflict-resolving technique is a social process that is intricate and facilitates not only intergroup but international negotiations as well ( James & Wall, 1981 ). Transformative mediation is also not uncommon. In the process of resolving the dispute, each method has its place. Mediators select a blend of styles depending on the peculiarity of the case conflict and the type of parties involved. Transformative mediation is often a subject of criticism because it has received less focus, is considered too idealistic, and is less useful for business and court matters ( Zumeta, 2018 ). However, such characterizations are challenged by mediators using evaluative and transformative techniques. Riskin (2003) believes these styles to be the most interventionist. They consider it to be more of a continuum than distinct differences.

Pizarro et al. (2020) in “The Mediating Role of Shared Flow and Perceived Emotional Synchrony on Compassion for Others in a Mindful-Dancing Program” and Kolb and Bartunek (1992) states that non-rational approaches are more often used in informal conflict resolution and consider this method as stressing “the unconscious or spontaneous aspects of a dispute governed by feeling and impulse of participants and not by their cognizance.” They are endeavoring to claim that the manifestation of emotions in any form does not essentially suggest a loss of reason. On the contrary, emotion is considered an adequate expression in conflict resolution. Moreover, rational methods of conflict resolution score over emotional methods of handling conflict resolution because the latter is considered an informal method.

The transformative structure centers on and reflects relational ideology. Human beings are fundamentally socially formed in and through their relations with other human beings, essentially connected to others and motivated by a desire for both personal autonomy and constructive social interaction However, empowerment shift, recognition shift and positive dynamics and regenerative interaction are recognized in transformative models ( Bush & Folger, 1994 ).

However, the transformative model theorizes that despite ensuing conflicts amongst people, they have an innate ability to change the quality of communication and interaction to reflect upon relative personal strength or self-confidence (the empowerment shift) and relative openness or responsiveness to the other (the recognition shift) to avoid the potentially destructive effects of conflict. Furthermore, as these affirmative subtleties and dynamics feed each other, the relations can revive to assume a humanizing character. It is a unique approach to conflict intervention ( Bush & Folger, 1994 ) as an alternative framework based on personal strength and compassion.

The parties' rights, needs and interests are the primary focus of mediation, and it essentially is a “party-centered process.” Optimal solutions for the involved parties are case-specific. They require diverse techniques that direct the processes constructively and pragmatically. The facilitation is done by the mediator in a manner so that open communication is possible. Mediation is evaluative if the mediator analyzes issues and relevant norms and refrains from giving prescriptive assistance to the involved ones.

The validity and power of emotion should be given appropriate weightage to gain an all-inclusive picture of conflict dynamics. A word of caution is that intense emotion can sometimes be so reactive that it creates smoke around resolution. As per Gilbert (1992) , “The problem that triggered the emotions is never addressed; emotions are merely generated and circuited and re-circuited through the system” when seen in the context of a family from a systems perspective. From this perspective, emotions are neither good nor bad and the level of duration and intensity of feeling in which it occurs matters. Table 1 presents the selected literature review, which is relevant to the methodology chosen in this study.

3. Methodology

As illustrated in this paper, workplace conflict is a gamut of emotions and the consequent connection with wise reasoning. The mediator role is essential in unearthing and working through emotion. For making the way toward resolution, the mediator's role is vital in unearthing and working through them. Therefore, the narration is an essential component in the case study approach of this paper. This Narrative [1] style peeps into the research subject involving flashbacks, flash forward, backstory and foreshadowing. Common technique relevant to the narrative perspective is the practice of double listening, counter-story construction and mapping the effects and externalizing conversation.

In social sciences, storytelling methodology is revelatory and exploratory. The background story of the team covers the reasons for differences amongst the group members without too much detailing of specific events. The story becomes an object of study that focuses on individuals or groups who either make sense or non-sense of actions and events that happen and influence their lives ( Mitchell & Egudo, 2003 ). The mediator's letter (appears in section IV (ii)) serves as a supporting tool for the members in conflict to have an unbiased perspective/assessment of a well-wisher on reasons for the conflict. The request to end the conflict in the interest of all is also the clear intent of the mediator. The push is on nurturing positive psychology ( Seligman, 2002 ).

The theoretic substructures to narrative approaches are drawn in the letter since they can facilitate sense-making and help construct identity. The path of mediation chosen by a co-worker leads to some thawing of negativity and paves the way for initiating conflict resolution within a department of an educational institution, followed by consequent cleansing of negativity through the transfer of negativity onto paper/papers and then surrendering those papers to flames. Introspection and sharing and discourse analysis all find a place under the section titled bringing to the negotiating table. In addition, the choice of a peaceful setting to finally draw a curtain on differences to be remembered as an experience to learn from, has been used by the mediator for the affected parties to accommodate, compromise and eventually collaborate.

True self-discovery is about viewing the resolutions and comprehending those meticulously, leading to the most authentic discoveries emanating from within. However, most of the time, psychodynamic perspectives ( Bornstein, 2005 , 2006 ) are not known to people.

Some signs are visible in the current literature that the narrative approach ( Kim, 2016 ; Winslade & Monk, 2000 ) is progressively gaining acceptance in many disciplines, including the ones that are outside the realm of social sciences. The method is said to capture social representation in the form of processes involving imagery that raises positive emotions but is indeed time-consuming. It offers the potential to address complexity and ambiguity in the approach followed by individuals and groups, which are part and parcel of organizational phenomena. ( Mitchell & Egudo, 2003 ). Creating healthy and productive organizations is so very important ( Costantino & Merchant, 1996 ).

The person taking the lead in solving differences amongst people may not be an expert in the mediation process, yet can solve the problems if the mediator has a fair intent.

The case offers a new direction in future research because the relationship rekindles after following not the set but an unconventional procedure in the intermediation process.

The study hinges on three-phased detailing done under the case study section in line with the methodology adopted to achieve informal conflict resolution. The background of the team presented will indirectly hint at the nature of the conflict. Moral appeal through written communication will present a generalized analysis of the conflict from the mediator's perspective. Burning the negativity comes under the realm of an unconventional conflict resolution technique which may have a placebo effect. Reframing [2] ( Schütte, 2015 ) was used effectively by the mediator to have willing participation. This indicates the mediator's triumph since the mediation ( Bush & Folger, 2004 ) process became voluntary, and the mediator participated the least in the outcome. The disputing parties themselves have control over the tacit agreement.

It hinges on a five-phased approach adopted to achieve informal conflict resolution. (1) The background of the team presented will indirectly hint at the nature of the conflict. (2) Moral appeal through written communication will present a generalized analysis of the conflict from the mediator's perspective. (3) Burning the negativity comes under an unconventional conflict resolution technique that may have a placebo effect. Finally, the practical insights are concluded by covering (4) discussions amongst the group and (5) the outcome of the social science experiment. The sequenced approach sets the structure of the paper as well.

4. The case study

The case study (see Figure 1 ) appears in the form of anamnesis ( Allen, 1959 ) i.e., recollection, an account of the whole case, which is the subject of analysis in this paper.

The three subsections cover: (1) Background of the team presents the shades of the relationship of past and present amongst the team members. It is desirable to wake the department from slumber and encourage them to overcome the inertia by ending the negativity in the group. (2) Moral Appeal through written communication details the letter written by the self-styled way of a mediator to resolve colleagues' conflict, which gives a fair and unbiased analysis of the nature of the conflict. (3) In this section, the technique that may appear to have spiritual connotation is discussed, christened as burning the negativity as an unconventional conflict resolution technique.

4.1 Background of the team: the conflict

A cohesive team of an educational institution belonging to the same department achieved milestones in their career by setting Robotics Laboratory, Fab Laboratory. It carried out research with joint efforts and much more. If the work centers within the department, all members share great affinity and bonding. They work as a close team, and they hardly participate in activities beyond their department. There was an element of groupthink. Each member believed that all members approved of a particular decision taken by anyone of them. No one expressed dissenting opinion because each person thought that it is in the larger interest of the group and it would undermine the cohesion of the group. To preserve the group's harmony and well-being, they had become increasingly out-of-touch with outside (external) reality ( Rummel, 1991 ). Groupthink ( Janis, 2008 ) is probable in cohesive groups that are socially homogenous that are separated from outsiders.

Cracks appeared in this harmony as this groupthink ( Wekselberg, 1996 ) tendency started to wither away since some members had to work outside the group to meet higher institutional goals. The members' readiness to accept this situation was very poor; hence, the blame game, distrust for each other and other differences started raising ugly heads. After a couple of heated discussions and continued infighting, the whole department fragmented into two subgroups, generating negativity. As a result, communication broke between the two groups. The faculty who did most of the talking with the administrative head started getting appreciation and recognition while they engaged themselves in working outside the group. The result of such recognition being given to only one member by the institution's administrative head was looked upon by other members as a violation of a tacit agreement broken by the member because they always worked in-group (one's own group) and not out-group (other groups).

4.2 Moral appeal through written communication: analysis of conflict

This situation of tacit infighting and broken communication due to differences created continued for a couple of years, around four years. Another colleague makes a fair assessment of the hostile work environment and considers it to be an outcome of collective doing. As a realist, this colleague assumes the role of a mediator and floats a letter to all department members to bring out the positive group psyche. Another colleague working in a different department gets a chance to work with this department. The communication by the mediator was like Hyperbole. There was an element of over-exaggeration to make a point. A spiritual mantra to lead a worldly life is to either forgive or seek forgiveness.

Dear colleagues,

A small initiative is taken since I chose to respond to Angel's whisper.

A lot of hope backs this initiative. This is written with an expectation that at least it would be read carefully. Whatever differences are within the department are not right. It is worthy of close observation because the harms caused are known to everybody, but none consider themselves responsible for it. Instead, the blame is on others. Deep analytical introspection and soul searching would reveal the delusion. The journey of life, including a professional one, is being led according to lessons learned from a set of experiences, belief systems and a certain fixed way of looking at things, issues and events. If you can respect this effort, the transmission will be effective; else, it will remain an effort only. Both conditions are acceptable.

In professional decision-making, sometimes the decisions taken may be correct in a relative sense but not appropriate in an absolute sense. The decision can be considered accurate in a complete sense when it does not hurt anybody and deems it to be correct in relative importance when it may be correct when seen from a specific perspective but maybe hurt someone. If seen from the lens of the person deciding from a particular perspective, it may appear valid. Every individual, in a contextual sense with a compartmentalized outlook, tries to make a correct decision. In the process of decision-making, harm to an individual may occur. The person attempts to justify oneself on one plea or the other rather than looking at it in its entirety. Whenever one reviews the decision taken in totality, the lacunae in the decisions appear. The options that could ensure no one is harmed and hurt in the decision-making were overlooked and not exercised. The failure to acknowledge the situation generally is under a supreme false ego. The ideal situation would be if such a miss happens unknowingly, then it is the archetype to seek forgiveness or forgive the other person who commits the mistake unknowingly ( Bell, 2008 ). The problem is we never seek forgiveness from within nor forgive. We create distances unnecessarily. There is an urgent need to bridge these distances. The persistence of such a state kills infinite possibilities that are neither good for an institution nor suitable for any individual associated with that institution.

A spiritual mantra to lead a worldly life is to either forgive or seek forgiveness. ‘A quote by a neighbor-friend impacts me as if some cosmic force or angel whispers these words. The question before me is whether I share this churning of thoughts. There were multiple reasons for not sharing, but sometimes one reason is sufficient to take a decisive call. This initiation did flash a fear in the mind of the mediator that the collective impression would be an ‘attempt to pose as a leader or an uncalled-for intervention.

It is essential to reiterate that the motivation is not to prove superiority in understanding situations. Under professional compulsion, small time-bound responsibilities are taken and accomplished, and many times there is a complete lack of consistency at a personal level. However, the situation is analyzed better by a third person who is not an aggrieved party. A group whose contribution has been immense can contribute more if harmony comes in the department is the forthright opinion of the third person. Hence, the third person wants acceptance from the team to at least allow to try to resolve the matter as a mediator. Society has given immensely, and we owe it and should pay it back. Therefore, if an opportunity comes by, one should take it as the will of the Almighty to reduce one’s dues, and who knows, this could be part of a larger “scheme of things.” The role of the mediator should be seen in this light.

The internal differences in the department and even at the institution level could be due to several factors. One, while resolving contemporary issues, we hurt each other's interests unknowingly, and the one who is hurt takes it as a deliberate attempt by the other. Second, administrative decisions by the head of the institution leading to role change also sometimes create unnecessary confusion between the core group and hurt the members. The frequent change in job roles by the administrative head sometimes leads to confusion and misunderstanding. The work done by the team of faculty at the committee level is quite extensive and requires passionate pursuit. The change in job roles appears to be a decision taken in consultation with associated faculty, a close associate. However, sometimes it is dictated by the whims and fancies of the authorities, but the suspicion is on one’s own colleagues. Third, a friend or colleague not expressing disapproval on the hurts inflicted by the seniors on the fellow colleague impairs their relationship. One should not disregard the fact that such situations are for self-evolution and self-actualization and the best way to move on is to forgive all people who are knowingly or unknowingly the cause of one’s pain (mental forgiveness) ( Bauer et al. , 1992 ).

Firstly, working to accomplish the task with a sense of detachment is the highest way of action. When a certain task is being taken away without one's will (and one has exercised all ways of fairness in one's control to restrain it), then it should be considered by the doer as an indication of the need to change the direction of action governed by some positive cosmic forces. This realization leaves no space for negativity to breed. This may appear to be an ideal thing, but achieving the ideal state is the objective of life that cannot be refuted. Another way of looking at it is that one allows the administrative head to become unbridled and autocratic and allows unfairness. But this is going to continue the storm unabated within, which is not good.

Second, when a group works continuously on a project, the credit sometimes goes to the faculty who leads the project. There may be practically no realization of this fact because the one who leads the project thinks the group to be a collective identity of persona. When differences start appearing, the team members may manifest such trivialities. The departmental bonding and affinity, as displayed in yesteryears, could be an example, a precedent to be emulated. There is a need to rejuvenate and revive the same. Another question that may arise is that if the ‘larger scheme of things governs events ( Kendrick et al. , 1990 ), then why do cracks appear in the first place? A satisfactory answer could be that while members worked as a team in the past before the differences emerged, the individual members had lost their identity. The mutual dependence amongst some members had crossed limits that had started affecting their respective personal family life. In fighting the differences, some emerge as strong individuals who gain the ability to work independently. Groupthink will not appear now if they combine their energies. There can be a host of possible explanations, maybe debatable or un-debatable.

Third, the divisive functioning style of the administrative authority is the leading cause of the differences among the faculty. This line of argument is disputable. All members have worked closely with the executive head, and they have a host of positive experiences and negative experiences to share. Again, to restore positivity to dissolve the negative experiences, the best way is to seek forgiveness and forgive at the mental level. The position of the head of the institution comes with a host of administrative powers and restrictions. These powers may sometimes be misused/abused while meeting administrative challenges. Giving a benefit of the doubt that the abuse or misuse might have happened unknowingly will keep us away from undesirable hopelessness, cynicism and skepticism. Running an institution while accommodating multiple idiosyncrasies of the staff would not be a cakewalk. Discharging duties while maintaining the dignity of administrative positions would not be easy. If the idea that the institutional fragmentation is due to the administration's policies is entertained, then the differences would have been only with the head of the institution. Often, the faculty errs and does not accept the erring done against one another, creating impregnable walls around them. While working in small committees, the faculty take positions under certain circumstances and look from that perspective the decision is right. However, from the outside, we hold each other responsible without taking cognizance of the complex decision-making process.

Deeper introspection may lead to a convergence of views somewhere ( Freeberg, 2002 ). All will be able to understand the rigidity of the stands of subgroups holding amicable communication amongst the members. Although this writing is an outcome of an analysis of one person, there may be many unaddressed issues that may have been deliberately or otherwise avoided because of several opposing personal nuances. Further detailing may end up in bad taste. Whenever pearls are broken from a string, and then they are bound together after catharsis, they unite with spiritual strength. The strength of spiritual tie becomes very strong. However, if they reunite to serve personal gains due to situational convergence of interests, then the knot in the string will always leave scope for a snap to occur in the knotted string.

Warm Regards,

Your colleague.

4.3 Burning the negativity: unconventional conflict resolution technique

The members of the group did not respond immediately to the letter. Sometimes, the conflict as seen on the exterior does not convey in totality what's wrong, and sometimes deeper issues are simmering beneath the surface that makes it more problematic. Repeated requests by the mediator by being assertive and politely persuasive led to some thawing. Eventually, two members of the team wrote back to the mediator, the content of which was quite intense that revealed the prior too close an affinity and relationship. The hurts went beyond professional boundaries. The two who belonged to the opposite gender were carrying personal pains and complaints against each other that were more emotional in nature. The two were romanticizing the hurts given to each other. After seeking polite permission, the two letters marked to the mediator were exchanged with the respondents. This was meant to share the sensitivity on both sides. As a result, further thawing happened. The group members were talking to the mediator separately but were sidestepping coming to the negotiating table. There were certain nasty occurrences of the past holding them from going to the negotiating table. The mediator finally decides to write again to the two respondents of the team. The mediator had a straightforward approach and strong belief that, in certain circumstances, written communication is more powerful in creating an impact than verbal communication and vice versa.

The writing of this case clearly brings to the fore that mediation could work only if aggrieved members come across the table. Further reiteration by the mediator that how there was a longing on his part to see the department together, happy in their coziness of fraternity and respect for each other, probably made a desirable impact on the group. Generally, no difference lasts for so long if mistakes are not on both sides.

The letters and communication of the mediator, written with clarity and pure intent, created a crack in the vicious cycle of negative dynamics feeding each party's sense of self-absorption and weakness. The mediator was considered unbiased and sort of revered by all the members. These two members convinced the other members to come to the negotiating table. The colleague who had assumed the role of a mediator by some intent that flashed across now had no clue how to handle the parties on the negotiating table. An evening before the meeting, while browsing through the internet happened to hit on a video of Dhandapani. In this video, the spiritual guru, the motivational speaker, linked beautifully how experiences have emotions attached to them that feed the human mind. When one tries to relive it or write about it, it goes from the subconscious mind to the conscious mind, flows through hands into the piece of paper, and if the paper is surrendered to fire, it changes its form, eventually transforming the negative energy.

This motivated the mediator to try something new. The following day when the members met at 9 a.m., the mediator handed a piece of paper to each and asked them to jot down the hurts that they had received while working, partly working or not-working with each other in the same department, in the order of intensity of the hurts/grievances. The mediator also asked them to reflect upon and write about their own personal misses and omissions in avoiding the situation of conflict. This was a challenge for the mediator to motivate the group/department members to willfully transfer the hurts on a piece of paper (guided by Jensen, 2020 ) article in Harvard Business Review). The mediator continued, “Well, whatever we observe, test and validate, we believe it, and we can make the world believe it. There are many finer, deeper, complex nuances and processes of the human brain beyond human (scientific) comprehension. For instance, the chemical secretion in response to certain human brain triggers is not in the same amount. Maybe after meditative experiences, the chemical processes in two human brains may not be the same even if the two humans are undergoing those experiences in a controlled environment, so we say the receptivity levels are different. There is a lot of subjectivity, philosophical angles and scientific challenges in exploring this space.” This route is a kind of reframing tool that the mediator was trying to make use of. Reframe is a simple tool/strategy of holding the mutuality of the challenge in view to see what they can attempt together to resolve the conflict. The choice of a frame that best supports resolution is a key question for the mediator. The primary task of the mediator is to support the participants in experiencing a shift, whether it pertains to how they perceive the conflict situation, how they feel about one another, or how they view the world. A reframing from a negative to a positive perception removes the sting. In conflict resolution, the primary reframe is from conflict as a problem to conflict as an opportunity. This is not easy to appreciate when people conflict, but it’s easy for people outside the conflict zone to understand and facilitate as a mediator even if they are not experts in intermediation.

However, the participants were not too convinced with the rationale behind the writing/detailing about their hurts and their own mistakes in not managing conflict situations. After observing the members' reluctance, the mediator continued that this effort would prove fruitful and unless the unanimous decision is reached, the written content of each would be kept confidential and secret from everyone, even the facilitator would not read it. Some willingly and some unwillingly followed the instruction. After they were done with this exercise, the obvious question asked was how they felt. Two of them said that they felt lighter, few others also agreed that, to some extent, they felt better. All these writings were sealed in one envelope. The mediator requested the members to assemble again before leaving for the day in the evening. The mediator further suggested that they observe their inner self for a couple of hours and see if the lighter feeling stayed for a couple of hours or just fleeted in an hour. In the second meeting at 4 p.m., the mediator felt that the group was more peaceful, and the group also accepted the same. The mediator then asked them if some of the group members felt like transferring some of the remaining Negativity on a piece of paper, they could do it. Some of the members again wrote. These sheets of paper were sealed in the second envelope. After the experiment, there were two options available: One to read each other's hurts jotted on paper and the second to burn the negativity transferred in the form of writing.

The mediator suggested the second option to save them from embarrassment and further entanglement. The members were a little unsure but did not question the surrealism of the act and finally agreed to the mediator's suggestion. The facilitator took the group to the open field and lighted the two envelopes with a matchstick, the two thick envelopes slowly caught fire and all the members saw them burning to ashes in the silence of nature. The facilitator continued to share the rationale behind the experiment. If anyone desires to unveil the mysteries of the universe, one should strive hard to think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. Everything is made up of energy, and it vibrates at a certain frequency. It's true for emotional energy as well ( Hunt & Schooler, 2019 ). There was an unresolved negative emotional experience sitting in the subconscious mind of everyone here, consuming a tremendous amount of energy. Every experience had emotion attached to it; it was vibrating in the subconscious mind. In the process of writing, it passed from hand to the paper, and now the sealed envelopes were surrendered to fire; the emotion could get transformed into heat, flame, ash smoke and a bunch of different things. Obviously, the fire will not destroy emotion since it has certain energy but will transform it.

The mediator could see awe and disbelief on specific faces. This kind of expression took the explanation further. The mediator continued that this whole experimental process may appear surreal, obscure and may appear to have a spiritual connotation. When a four-year-old baby makes a birthday card for the mother or the father, it may not be significant in terms of quality of creativity, but what makes it priceless is the love that is transferred while making the card. The deep emotion, as in this case, gets transferred into the piece of paper. The warmth of the emotion of love is felt whenever the card is held by the parents, even after several years have passed. Likewise, one can transfer the emotion from inside to another matter. Likewise, neither energy can be created nor destroyed, but it can be transferred or transformed from one thing to another.

5. Discussions: an outcome of the social science experiment

The biggest challenge in this case study was to bring the group to the negotiating table. Some members were very rigid and refused to come to discuss their traumas and their hurts. However, the open discussion with three members, A, B and C, helped a lot. Their share appears in the excerpts I and II.

5.1 Excerpt – I - discussions with member A and C

Member A- I and member B joined the college in the same year as ad-hoc faculty way back in 1997. In 1998 member B became permanent, and in the same year, two more members, C and D, joined the department as ad-hoc faculty. Member B, as senior most faculty, was pally with all the members. He shared special bonds with me. We all were from the science stream; laboratory sessions kept us in college till 4 p.m. We sometimes stayed back in college even if the laboratory class was that of our colleague. These long stays brought us very close. We all had faith in member A. We tacitly accepted him as a leader. Sometimes I shared my family issues, personal goals, and aspirations with him. He, too, did the same. The whole college knew about our friendship and bonding, which was so apparent among all four of us. I also became permanent in the year 2001.

We all used to work on tasks taken by senior faculty member-A since he was functioning as a Teacher-in-charge of our department without ever questioning him, but all the credit for the work was taken by him, and this continued for years in the department. Even when his tenure as a TIC was over, the administrative head discussed infrastructure and facility-related issues with him and assigned him tasks. We collaborated to complete the job assigned, yet the leadership quality of member B was acknowledged and recognized, and we felt we were equally competent, and this began to irk us (members A and C). Right from establishing an electronic laboratory for our course to setting up an advanced Robotics laboratory in several phases was collaborative teamwork. I always felt overshadowed. I was not happy with this situation and felt hurt sometimes, but I never talked to him about it.

We kept on ignoring our personal discomfort for several years. I started feeling that I am suffering from an identity crisis. However, our relationship and friendship at outer level seemed to continue.

In the meantime, I (member C) lost my job for technical reasons when the appointment for permanent faculty happened. I was very hurt since I blamed member B for not letting me know beforehand about the prerequisite for seeking a permanent appointment. Even if a faculty is working in the same college before the selection committee meets, his name is to be registered in the panel of the ad-hoc list of the parent department. I felt that as a senior faculty (member B) should have informed me about it and ensured this.

However, after six months’ time, the posts got advertised again, and I performed extremely well in the interview and then joined back the college. I internally continued to carry personal hurt and a grudge against member B.

Both members A and C had a feeling that he takes us and others in the department for granted. They felt that member B had narcissistic (Self-absorbed) attitude.

When member B was on long leave, the administrative head changed and he started contacting the faculty next in seniority, i.e., the two of us. We started doing the work, and obviously, our efforts got recognized. This was good for our self-esteem. The new administrative head different functioning style. However, when member B joined back, he found that there wasn’t the same kind of affinity between the three of them.

In one of the departmental meetings, he screamed at the two for a valid reason for taking a stupid position which was, according to him, not in the interest of the department. This incident created a visible rift among them, and member B stopped communicating with the two. We thought probably the feeling of dilution in his leadership was the cause for his conduct. The department got divided into two groups member B with five other faculty in one group, and members A and C formed another group.

Departmental meetings did not go well after this incident. The petty differences started surfacing now and then.

5.2 Excerpt – II - meeting with member B

The mediator shared the gist of discussions with members A and C. Member B was taken aback, especially for the phrase narcissistic used for him. He was so surprised to know that members A and C suffered from identity crisis. He clarified that in all the meetings, he did mention that the work done is the outcome of all the faculty members of the department. He could do nothing to change the functioning style of the erstwhile administrative head. He never realized his colleagues felt like that, and unfortunately, they never mentioned it. He felt sorry because they used to communicate so much earlier, but what was professionally bothering them was never shared. He could have got a chance to explain. He probably never realized that there was a kind of discontent amongst the colleagues due to the reasons mentioned by member A and C.

He also shared that he was instrumental in getting the appointment of member C, which out of magnanimity, he never shared. He had met the department head in person to inform him that due to technical reasons, member C was not selected as permanent faculty in the last interview and hinted at the areas of his expertise and strengths.

There was a lot of other unpleasantness that happened between the two groups that is too petty and not so significant to elaborate. All was reactionary and counter reactionary outbursts due to negativity amongst us. We all did that in the state of child ego.

He further went on to add that how I wish I had read psychology and cognitive behaviour theory to be more perceptive. Human behaviour is so complex, and I realize that to be successful one needs to have a balance between art and science. Probably whatever happened was for good because members A and C worked very hard during the years when differences had appeared, and they made several publications and rose to new heights professionally, converting potentiality to achievable possibility. Sometimes, it is designed by the Almighty to ensure you achieve desired goals by moving out of the comfort zone.

In addition, reliving the memories of extreme negativity and confronting them across the table, however, was averted through the technique of writing the hurts on paper. The mediator also convinced the group to sit together and have a couple of meditation sessions. The group saw the videos of Joe Dispenza: How to unlock the full potential of the mind, https://youtu.be/La9oLLoI5Rc , You are the Placebo [3] How to exercise the power of the mind, https://youtu.be/0Uw0hJxy7Y4 , Learn How To Control Your Mind (Use this to brainwash yourself), https://youtu.be/v7KQsS2kLM4 . All this was done to maintain the modified state of mind of the group members.

They continued to remain positive and exhibited faith and, therefore, the possibility of achieving a state of homeostasis got magnified. Homeostasis is a core concept necessary for understanding the many regulatory mechanisms in physiology. Bernard (1974) originally proposed the idea of the constancy of the “milieu Interieur” [4] but his discussion was rather abstract. Walter Cannon introduced the term homeostasis [5] and expanded Bernard's notion of “constancy” of the internal environment explicitly and concretely.

Harmony kept on increasing day by day. Once they started inching towards that state at the individual level, the friction and inertia started dissolving at the group level. Interestingly, no one was compelled into any agreement or decision. The unique technique of the mediator transformed the negativity, and facilitated self-determination, empowering the members in dispute to look at the differences that had caused their conflict and consider what they could accept, what had to change and how they could accomplish the change. The experiment seemed to have a Placebo Effect. Accomplishment is assessed not by resolution but by the way the members having group conflict shifted toward personal strength, constructive interaction, and interpersonal responsiveness through this transformative mediation ( Bush & Folger, 2004 ). The results were entirely in the members' own hands and were essentially based on their own choices.

In this case, intuitive sensitivity and imagination came into play. The subconscious mind ( Affendy and Nurilia, 2014 ) is the memory recall domain. When attention is paid, the imagery stored there gets activated. Dreaming is considered a good illustration. The levels of the subconscious also vary while dreaming. Sometimes recall of the dream is there, sometimes recall is faint, sometimes not. However, when some people experience negativity, they have trained themselves to throw it away even from their subconscious instantly not to affect them. They are generally more forgiving people. A mix of these must have been experienced by some of the team members. Probably, some of them felt an urgent need to end the conflict since it was adversely impacting their psychological health. Some people need some placebo effect type of thing to happen, like writing it on a piece of paper and burning it, leading to the transformation of the negative energy. This could be considered a purely intuitive and experiential way of looking at things. Neuro mapping [6] may help to decipher these conditions.

6. Conclusion

Interestingly, the dysfunctional group of the college department, in a short span of three months, resumed a working professional relationship. Since the mediator was a colleague of the group, hence kept on meeting them regularly and acted as a catalyst to bring the group together and was immensely satisfied with the outcome of the experiment. Once each of them identified the cause of the anxiety and emotions expressed (transferred), members could think more clearly, and come out of the hurts felt due to their earlier groupthink syndrome. They felt equipped to settle their departmental issues. The constructive interaction, and communication amongst the group, grew, and broken ties started strengthening. This was particularly because member A now knew that members A and C felt that he had a narcissistic attitude, and introspection made him realize that. Members A and C went through an identity crisis, unknowingly inflicted by member B. This realization diluted the differences to a great extent. However, the older ties of friendship never got revived due to changes in the relationship dynamics.

Although various qualities could describe the communication dynamics required in mediation, however, here the pure intent of the mediator, not too expert in the domain of mediation, could remove the bitterness and negativity that had set in amongst a group. The intervention and shifts in communication dynamics ( Mattsson & den Haring, 1998 ) were so subtle and full of wisdom that the heavy and difficult, hardened negativity lost ground by being transformed.

6.1 Implications

It remains to be validated whether the placebo effect ( Wei et al. , 2018 ) or actual transformation of negativity or bitterness got removed by adopting the transformative method. Therefore, more case studies using the technique need to be initiated in the future to test the efficacy of this technique. When the people involved were amid resolving the hurts and healing the contextually generated sensitivities and sensibilities, no one had in mind to bring this intense experience on paper. The mediator felt that it is an experience worth sharing with the people, and so it is seeing the light of day to find a humble place in the repository of knowledge sharing.

The mediator used Reframing as a tool very efficiently, transforming the conflict from being combative and contentious and bringing them on a collaborative and compromising platform. This proved to be most amenable to reaching a desirable, creative resolution. The mediator builds an argument that the past is history and can only serve to teach us lessons. The future epitomizes where the participant members are going and has the conceivable potential of hitting something superior. Therefore, the participants are encouraged to choose a future orientation.

The case study approach presented in the flow chart

Glimpses of the literature on the connotation of the study

Source(s): compiled by authors

Understanding narrative Inquiry, The Crafting and Analysis of Stories as Research, by Jeong Hee Kim (2016).

Reframing ( Schütte B., 2015 ) is used as a tool to change the view of something. It acknowledges that the setting or reframe that is utilized to make complete sense of an incident, state or relationship is not something neutral. The judgment as to the use of a specific frame, consequently, involves a mindful-conscious choice. Any times, reframing may be intellectualized as refocusing since the influence of the reframe leads to an innovative focus. For the mediators to function most effectively, the two 'refocuses' that are especially significant may involve the reframe from past to future and – demands to need.

Placebo effect causes miracles in your body, health and life. It can transform the experience and influencing the matter: by taking control of thought and emotions, we can reprogram our cells; We have the biological and neurological machinery necessary to do it. A placebo is a substance without any pharmacological power that, however, causes a positive effect on the patient ( https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect ).

“Milieu Intérieur” refers to the physiological regulation of the internal environment emphasized by Claude Bernard. In the field of medicine and physiology, it occupies an important position describing the interstitial fluid and its physiological capacity to ensure protective stability for the tissues and organs of multicellular organisms ( Bernard et al., 1974 ; Holmes,1986 ).

Homeostasis is the word derived from the two Greek words “homeo” meaning “similar,” and “stasis” meaning “stable.” Homeostasis refers to stability, balance or equilibrium within a cell or the body. Maintaining a stable internal environment which requires adjustments as conditions change inside and outside the cell. The maintenance of systems within a cell is called homeostatic regulation ( Yadav, Jain, Bissi, & Marotta, 2016 ; Rodova and Kim, 2016 ; Singh and Shoab Mansuri, 2016 ; Andrey and Vladimir, 2016 ; Cooper, 2008 ).

Brain (neuro) mapping is done to evaluate brainwaves and identify opportunities to improve communication between several regions of the brain and attempts to capture a window of brain activity, analyze the data and create a visual representation for each lobe of the brain and each specific brain wave (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta). The mission of brain mapping is to define the structure and function of the human brain in health and disease ( https://www.uclahealth.org/neurology/brain-mapping ).

Affendy , A. H. , & Nurilia , A. ( 2014 ). The influence of subconscious mind on human behavior . Journal of Postgraduate Current Business Research , 2 ( 2 ). doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4725.4564 .

Allen , R. E. ( 1959 ). Anamnesis in plato’s ‘meno and phaedo’ . The Review of Metaphysics , 13 ( 1 ), 165 – 174 .

Andrey , Z. M. , & Vladimir , Z. M. ( 2016 ). An integral concept of regulating immune homeostasis . Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pathology , 6 , 267 .

Bauer , L. , Duffy , J. , Fountain , E. , Halling , S. , Holzer , M. , Jones , E. , … Rowe , J. O. ( 1992 ). Exploring self-forgiveness . Journal of Religion and Health , 31 ( 2 ), 149 – 160 .

Bartunek , J. M. , Kolb , D. M. , & Lewicki , R. J. ( 1992 ). Bringing conflict out from behind the scenes: Private, informal, and nonrational dimensions of conflict in organizations . Hidden conflict in organizations: Uncovering behind-the-scenes disputes (pp.  209 – 28 ). London : Sage Publications .

Bell , M. ( 2008 ). Forgiving someone for who they are (and not just what they've done) . Philosophy and Phenomenological Research , 3 , 625 – 658 . doi: 10.1111/j.1933-1592.2008.00213.x .

Bernard , C. ( 1974 ). Lectures on the phenomena common to animals and plants . Trans. H. E. Hoff, & L. Guillemin . Springfield, IL : Charles C. Thomas .

Bernard , O. , & Ashimi , R. A. ( 2014 ). Organizational conflicts: Causes, effects and remedies . International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences , 3 ( 6 ), 118 – 137 . doi: 10.6007/IJAREMS/v3-i6/1351 .

Bornstein , R. F. ( 2005 ). Reconnecting psychoanalysis to mainstream psychology. Challenges and opportunities . Psychoanalytic Psychology , 3 , 323 – 340 . doi: 10.1037/0736-9735.22.3.323 .

Bornstein , R. F. ( 2006 ). A Freudian construct lost and reclaimed: The psychodynamics of personality pathology . Psychoanalytic Psychology , 2 , 339 – 353 . doi: 10.1037/0736-9735.23.2.339 .

Bush , R. A. B. , & Folger , J. P. ( 1994 ). The promise of mediation: Responding to conflict through empowerment and recognition ( 1st  ed. ). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass .

Bush , R. A. B. , & Folger , J. P. ( 2004 ). The promise of mediation: The transformative approach to conflict . New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons . Available from: https://www.wiley.com

Cohn , B. S. ( 1965 ). Anthropological notes on disputes and law in India 1 . American Anthropologist , 67 ( 6 ), 82 – 122 .

Ed Comella , P. A. ( 1996 ). The emotional side of organizations: Applications of bowen theory . Papers Presented at the Georgetown Family Center's Conference on Organizations , April 22-23, 1995 . Georgetown Family Center .

Connell , R. W. ( 1987 ). Gender and power: Society, the person and sexual politics . Sydney, Cambridge, Stanford : Allen & Unwin, Polity Press, Stanford University Press .

Cooper , S. ( 2008 ). From Claude bernard to walter cannon. Emergence of the concept of homeostasis . Appetite , 51 , 419 – 27 . doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.06.005 .

Coser , L. A. ( 1956 ). The functions of social conflict . New York : Routledge and Kogan Paul .

Costantino , C. A. , & Merchant , C. S. ( 1996 ). Designing conflict management systems: A guide to creating productive and healthy organizations . San Francisco : Jossey-Bass .

Freeberg , E. M. ( 2002 ). Regarding equality: Rethinking contemporary theories of citizenship, freedom, and the limits of moral pluralism . Lexington Books, American Publishing Company .

Friedman , E. H. ( 1985 ). Generation to generation: Family process in church and synagogue . Asian American Theological Forum AATF , 9 ( 2 ), ISSN: 2374-8133 .

Gilbert , R. M. ( 1992 ). Extraordinary relationships: A new way of thinking about human interactions (pp.  216 ). Minneapolis, MN : Chronimed .

Gold , L. ( 1993 ). Influencing unconscious influences: The healing dimension of mediation . Mediation Quarterly , 11 ( 1 ), 55 – 66 . doi: 10.1002/crq.3900110107 .

Holmes , F. ( 1986 ). Claude Bernard, the “milieu Interieur”, and regulatory physiology . History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences , 8 ( 1 ), 3 – 25 . Available from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23328847 ( accessed 30 June 2021 ).

Hunt , T. , & Schooler , J. W. ( 2019 ). The easy part of the hard problem: A resonance theory of consciousness . Frontiers in Human Neuroscience , 13 , 378 . doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00378 .

Janis , I. L. ( 2008 ). Groupthink . IEEE Engineering Management Review , 36 ( 1 ), 36 .

James , A. , & Wall Jr ( 1981 ). An analysis, review, and proposed research . Journal of Conflict Resolution , 25 ( 1 ). doi: 10.1177/002200278102500107 .

Jensen , D. ( 2020 ). Turn your team’s frustration into motivation . Available from: https://hbr.org/2020/11/turn-your-teams-frustration-into-motivation ( accessed June 2021 ).

Keashly , L. , & Harvey , S. ( 1994 ). Journal of organizational behavior , 15 ( 3 ), 285 - 287 . Available from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2488451 ( accessed June 28 2021 ).

Kendrick , S. , Straw , P. , & McCrone , D. ( 1990 ). Interpreting the past, understanding the present . London : Macmillan .

Kim , J. ( 2016 ). Narrative research genres . In understanding narrative inquiry (pp.  116 – 153 ). SAGE Publications . doi: 10.4135/9781071802861 .

Klerman , D. , & Klerman , L. ( 2015 ). Inside the caucus: An empirical analysis of mediation from within . Journal of Empirical Legal Studies , 12 ( 4 ), 686 – 715 .

Kolb , D. M. , & Bartunek , J. M. ( 1992 ). Hidden conflict in organizations: Uncovering the behind-the-scenes disputes (p. 241 ). Newbury Park, CA : Sage Publications .

Lencioni , P. ( 2012 ). The five dysfunctions of a team . San Francisco : Pfeiffer, A Wiley Imprint .

Mattsson , J. , & den Haring , M. J. ( 1998 ). Communication dynamics in the service encounter . International Journal of Service Industry Management , 5 , 416 – 435 . doi: 10.1108/09564239810238839 .

Mitchell , M. , & Egudo , M. ( 2003 ). A review of narrative methodology (pp.  1 – 39 ). Edinburgh : Australian Government, Department of Defense, DSTO Systems Sciences Laboratory .

Pizarro , J. J. , Basabe , N. , Amutio , A. , Telletxea , S. , Harizmendi , M. , & Van Gordon , W. ( 2020 ). The mediating role of shared flow and perceived emotional Synchrony on compassion for others in a mindful-dancing Program . Mindfulness . doi: 10.1007/s12671-019-01200-z. .

Riskin , L. L. ( 2003 ). Decision making in mediation: The new old grid and the new new grid system . The Notre Dame Law Review , 79 , 1 .

Robbins , S. ( 2005 ). Organizational behavior . New Jersey : Prentice Hall .

Rodova , M. , & Kim , S. ( 2016 ). Hepcidin regulation by bone morphogenetic protein signaling and iron homeostasis . Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences , 4 . doi: 10.4172/2155-9600.1000521 .

Rowe , M. P. ( 1995 ). Options, functions, and skills: What an organizational ombudsman might want to know . Negotiation Journal , 11 ( 2 ), 103 – 114 . doi: 10.1111/j.1571-9979.1995.tb00051.x .

Rummel , R. J. ( 1991 ). The conflict helix: Principles and practices of interpersonal, social, and international conflict and cooperation . New Brunswick : Transaction Publishers .

Schütte , B. ( 2015 ). Remarkable reframing . Journal of Mediation & Applied Conflict Analysis , 2 ( 2 ), 1 – 11 .

Seligman ( 2002 ). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment . New York : Free Press . ISBN 978-0-7432-2297-6 .

Singh , M. , & Shoab Mansuri , M. ( 2016 ). Interleukin 1-α: A modulator of melanocyte homeostasis in vitiligo . Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry , 2 . doi: 10.4172/2161-1009.1000273 .

Taylor , M. ( 2000 ). Informal conflict resolution: A workplace case study . Available from: https://www.mediate.com/articles/taylor.cfm

Taylor , W. , LaBarre , P. G. , & Whitener , B. ( 2006 ). Mavericks at work . Harper Audio . Available from: https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/636076216/Mavericks-At-Work-Why-the-Most-Original-Minds-in-Business-Win

Van , V. M. , & Schaller , M. ( 2008 ). Evolutionary approaches to group dynamics: An introduction . Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice , 12 ( 1 ), 1 – 6 . doi: 10.1037/1089-2699.12.1.1 .

Wall , J. A. , & Lynn , A. ( 1993 ). Mediation: A Current Review . Journal of Conflict Resolution , 37 ( 1 ), 160 – 194 . doi: 10.1177/0022002793037001007 .

Wei , H. , Zhou , L. , Zhang , H. , Chen , J. , Lu , X. , & Hu , L. ( 2018 ). The influence of expectation on nondeceptive placebo and nocebo effects . Pain Research and Management . doi: 10.1155/2018/8459429 . PMCID: PMC5884148 .

Wekselberg , V. ( 1996 ). “ Groupthink: a triple fiasco in social psychology ”, Tolman , C. W. , Cherry , F. , van Hezewijk , R. and Lubek , I. (Eds), Problems of Theoretical Psychology , Captus Press , 217 – 227 .

Winslade , J. , & Monk , G. D. ( 2000 ). Narrative mediation: A new approach to conflict resolution . San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass , available at : https://www.beyondintractability.org/bksum/winslade-narrati ( accessed 27 February 2018 ).

Yadav , H. , Jain , S. , Bissi , L. , & Marotta , F. ( 2016 ). Gut microbiome derived metabolites to regulate energy homeostasis: How microbiome talks to host . Metabolomics , 6 , e150 .

Zumeta , Z. ( 2018 ). Styles of mediation: Facilitative, evaluative, and transformative mediation. National Association for Community Mediation Newsletter , 5 , available at : https://mediate-com.webpkgcache.com/doc/-/s/mediate.com/styles-of-mediation-facilitative-evaluative-and-transformative-mediation/

Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely acknowledge the trust and support given by seven colleagues of Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi, who supported this experimental study.

Corresponding author

About the authors.

Dr Pratibha Rai has over 24 years of professional experience, which includes a four-year stint in the corporate sector from 1991 to 1995. She holds a master ’s degree in economics from Banaras Hindu University and has pursued her M.Phil. and Ph.D. at the University of Delhi. Her teaching expertise spans various subjects within economics and management, specializing in environmental economics. Since August 1998, she has been an educator at the Department of Business Economics, Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi. Dr Rai has an impressive publication record, with research papers covering diverse areas such as environmental economics, finance and spiritual ecology.

Dr Priya Gupta is working as Associate Professor at ABVSME, Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has more than 20 years of teaching and industry experience. Her educational qualification includes MCA, M.Phil (Computer Science), JRF (Computer Science and Application) and Ph.D. from Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra), Ranchi. Her research interest lies in the area of data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining, customer relationship management system, management information system, financial modelling, etc.

Bhawna Parewa is Ph.D. (management) research scholar at the Department of Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ABV-SME) of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, India. Her educational qualification includes B.Com, M.Com, UGC NET-JRF (commerce). Before joining ABV- SME, she worked as Assistant Professor in NCWEB. Her research interest includes financial markets and information technology.

Related articles

We’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here

• Prospective Members

Written communication by public servants: A case study on responding with the right words amid challenging contexts at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City

Teaching workplace communication is vitally important as we expect public servants to have the skills to draft, review, and revise written communication materials. Less explicitly demanded, and more often implicitly expected, we assume public servants know how to respond to individuals with empathy while also meeting technical obligations, such as adhering to conventional formats and meeting regulations imposed by administrative or statutory law. The compounding nature of these requirements provides a challenging context for public servants to write responsive and appropriate messages. Using a second-person narrative to heighten empathic skill development, this case study explores how a public servant at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City navigates writing formal responses to members of the community amid difficult circumstances. This case study presents an opportunity for public servants to learn about combining interpersonal and technical skills while communicating on the job.

• Communications
• Experiential Learning
• JPAE Article
• Public Service Values

Internal Communication Case Studies: The Terrible & The Terrific

It’s a question that often comes up: ‘How do other businesses do this?’. Whether you’re implementing a new sales structure or updating your software systems, it’s always helpful to consider how similar companies approached the issue. This is particularly relevant for internal communications , where there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each organisation has its own unique set of challenges and needs to tailor its internal communication strategy accordingly. Internal communication case studies can help you evaluate your approach, by exploring comparable situations and their outcomes.

In this blog, we’ve selected some of the best internal communication examples from the world of business. Not all were successful. In fact, some were complete disasters. But these failures, along with the success stories, are great examples of internal communication in action. When you’re looking for the answers to effective internal communication , nothing speaks more clearly than real-life examples.

We have grouped the following internal communication case study examples under the ‘seven golden rules’. These rules were proposed by Fitzpatrick in his ground-breaking  publication  Internal Communications: A Manual for Practitioners. These fundamental rules of internal communication best practices help us to categorise the relative successes and failures of these examples.

Rule 1: Activity means nothing without results

The starting point for every IC has to be: “What do we want people to do?” Being busy and generating a constant stream of campaigns, videos and newsletters is a waste of time if nothing changes as a result. When you’re looking at improving internal communications , always keep track of the outcome as well as the action. This is where the true significance lies.

Case Study 1 - Nationwide Building Society

Background: Nationwide Building Society ran an award-winning five-week BIG Conversation, gathering ideas from all its 18,000 employees in a company-wide collaboration. The aim was directed to reinvigorating Nationwide’s sense of purpose.

Approach: The activity included TalkBack events, online surveys and a huge listening exercise to give staff and members the chance to contribute to its future. By implementing a company-wide internal communications survey , Nationwide opened up a free-flowing conversation with its workforce.

Outcome: The result has been a refreshed strategy and a marketing campaign based on the new concept of ‘building society, nationwide’ – helping people improve the quality of their lives. This business communication case study demonstrates the power of actively listening and acting on employee’s suggestions. 

Verdict: Success

Rule 2: Value benefits the business

You will only be adding real value if your employee communication links directly to the business needs of your organisation and helps to achieve a defined strategy or a specific project. The benefits of good internal communication only become apparent when you define your desired outcomes and set actual targets.

Case Study 2 – XPO Transport and Logistics

Background: XPO wanted to leverage great ideas from its colleagues across its 104 UK sites to help its customers improve productivity and reduce costs. Its large, flexible and hard-to-reach workforce (from drivers for Asda to B&Q warehouse contractors) don’t usually have a company phone or laptop. Of all the case studies on communication in the workplace, this large-scale exercise is remarkable in its scope.

Approach: To spark engagement, Talkfreely developed the Ideas Matter App, which every employee was able to download to their personal phone. An internal communications app is the ideal way to connect with remote workers and hard-to-reach employees.

Outcome: Linked directly to business needs, the internal communications platform proved to be exceptional value. The generation of ideas has been significant; 1 in 4 of all ideas submitted are being put into practice. In addition, it showed a remarkable return on investment of 6.5:1 with £156,000 of savings in the first year alone.

Rule 3: In the thick of it

When you’re looking for new ideas, trying to work out what your employees are really thinking or wondering why a previous internal communications plan went wrong, don't sit pondering at your desk or researching online. Leave your office and start talking. Once you talk and listen to your employees, you will begin to understand what motivates them, what concerns them and how they feel about the company. Of all the internal communication ideas , this one is key if you want to keep track of engagement levels.

Case Study 3 – AOL

Background: AOL announced it was slashing its Patch local news network by a third. This was a large-scale change affecting many employees across the company and required careful handling in its communication.

Approach: CEO Tim Armstrong set up a conference call with 1,000 employees with the aim of boosting morale across the workforce. As Armstrong talked, Patch Creative Director Abel Lenz began taking pictures of him. He was immediately sacked, in front of the 1,000 staff on the conference call.

Outcome: Perhaps Armstrong did not know that Lenz’s job included photographing meetings with key leaders for the Patch intranet, for the benefit of remote workers. But he should have. If he had been in touch with his workforce, he would have been fully aware of the roles of individual employees. This employee communication case study gives a clear indication of the importance of understanding your employee’s job roles.

Verdict: Failure

Rule 4: Shut up and listen

Communicating with employees should be a two-way street. The megaphone approach is never going to work best because people only feel connected and motivated if they are part of a conversation. It’s vital to put internal communication channels in place that allow employees to comment on the messages coming down from the top. Listen to what they have to say … and learn.

Case Study 4 – PayPal

Background: The digital payment company needed to address an internal report that revealed not all their employees were not using the PayPal app. The President, David Marcus, wrote a company-wide memo to all staff regarding the problem.

Approach: David Marcus took a heavy-handed approach to the matter. He told his staff to use the product or quit: “If you are one of the folks who refused to install the PayPal app or if you can’t remember your PayPal password, do yourself a favor, go find something that will connect with your heart and mind elsewhere”.

A better policy would have been to find out why his employees weren’t using the payment app, whether they felt competitor products had better features and ask for their suggestions.

Outcome: The memo was leaked to the press. It generated widespread coverage across the media and left customers wondering what was wrong with an app that PayPal’s own staff wouldn't use. Internal communications best practice case studies demonstrate that opening a two-way channel for feedback will improve both internal and external communication .

Rule 5 – I did it their way

Understand the working methods of those you need to convince. If leaders seem bound up in stats and spreadsheets, give them what they want. Gather data to prove your ideas work, show them a process, outline a clear outcome and they’ll soon be on your side. Measuring internal communications will help to provide the rationale behind your ideas. Equally, if the types of internal communication you are using don’t seem to be connecting with your employees, don’t be afraid to try a different approach.

Case Study 5 – Seymour House

Background: Seymour House runs ten outstanding childcare nurseries and wanted to get staff across the group engaging better with each other to share great practice. They needed to identify the best methods of internal communication that would resonate with their unique team-based workforce.

Approach: Talkfreely innovated with an internal communications app called Community. Community replaces static web pages and posts with highly personalised, bite-sized chunks of information presented on boards displaying relevant cards. These communicate quick stories and are far better at connecting people across teams. 

Outcome: The Seymour House teams instantly connected with the Community app. Engagement levels took an immediate uplift as the communication and understanding between teams and individuals improved. This internal communications case study shows how crucial it is to connect with employees in a way that suits their style of interaction.

Rule 6: Make the most of managers

Your leadership team are crucial to the success of your strategy. However big or small your organisation, line managers and local leaders are your allies. They are essential to motivating employees and getting them on board: through discussion, allaying fears and leading by example. When you’re pulling together your internal communication definition , make sure leadership is one of the key points.

Case Study 6 – Yahoo

Background: The tech pioneer defined a need for remote workers return to the office environment. There was no longer a role for staff working from home and all employees needed to be office-based moving forward. The job of communicating this message was handed to the HR department.

Approach: Yahoo’s Head of HR sent out a motivational memo full of praise for the company’s “positive momentum”, “the buzz and energy in our offices”, “remarkable progress” and promising “the best is yet to come”. At the end of this message was the directive that all staff working from home must move back into the office or quit.

Outcome: A communication of this importance should have come from the head of the business. By trying to hide the order as a motivational HR message, it failed to provide a strategic business rationale. This is where the CEO needed to be a visible presence, sharing the reasoning behind this unpopular decision. Internal communication case study examples show time after time that leadership visibility is an essential element, especially when communicating change .

Rule 7: There is no silver bullet

We’d love to be able to reveal the secret to implementing that perfect internal communication strategy. Social media, the employee intranet , digital screens, email – they have all at some stage promised to revolutionise internal communications and make everything else redundant. But it hasn’t happened, which means the role of the internal communicator remains absolutely pivotal. Cut yourself slack in how you judge success, because every organisation has a different set of challenges and issues to overcome.

Case Study 7 – West Sussex County Council

Background: West Sussex Country Council has a workforce of over 6,000 staff spread across a wide geographic area in a variety of locations. In addition, around 25% of staff members have limited access to IT equipment and/or limited IT knowledge. The channels of internal communication in operation were outmoded and ineffective, leading to misinterpretation and inconsistencies.

Approach: Talkfreely developed a bespoke internal communications app designed to connect the disparate council workforce. Called ‘The Big Exchange’, the app allowed for real-time communication over a variety of digital platforms. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it allowed for flexibility in work patterns, increasing its appeal for all employees.

Outcome: By the end of the first quarter, a third of the employee base were actively using the app. In some sectors, 33% would be a pretty modest engagement score. For West Sussex Country Council however, it has connected with those hard-to-reach employees for the very first time. In addition, it proved that there is a real council workforce appetite to get involved. For example - there were 25,200 page views in the first month which means on average, each active user visited over 25 pages of content per month. Read the full case study .

“The TalkFreely app has helped improve, beyond recognition, the way we communicate with our 6000 strong workforce, many of whom are hard to reach. This has become even more evident over the last few weeks in our local response to the coronavirus crisis, helping us to get critical, time-sensitive information out to staff quickly and easily wherever they are across the county.” William Hackett, Communications & Engagement Lead, West Sussex County Council

Final thoughts

It’s clear, when looking at this selection of communication case studies, that not every internal communication is destined for success. And, if handled incorrectly, a poorly targeted message can actually do more harm than good. Internal communication mistakes are very costly, to both morale and the bottom line. However, if you take the time to plan carefully, the positive impact of a good internal communication exchange can be considerable. When assessing internal communications case studies, it’s also vital to consider the arena in which the company is operating before judging the relative success of the campaign. Ultimately, every organisation will need to take a different approach, tailored to suit their unique set of circumstances.

Engage every employee with your own branded Internal Comms App

Featured Resources

The big book of employee engagement ideas

If you are looking to improve employee engagement, this guide is a great place to start. Packed with 44 pages of ideas, insights and inspiration to help you engage your workforce.

How to choose the right employee engagement solution

Navigating the world of employee engagement solutions can be overwhelming. Download our guide to help you choose the best option for you, your employees and your business.

Try Talkfreely for FREE

Explore Talkfreely FREE for 14 days.

Get access to all our employee engagement tools plus support to help you get the most from your trial.

*Trial limited to one trial per person. Each trial will provide unlimited access to all features for 14 days.

Internal communication: everything you need to know.

With so many potential benefits to both employer and employee, this eBook details everything decision-makers and business leaders need to know about internal communication.

Tasked with improving employee engagement

Find out how an employee engagement app can play a pivotal role in delivering an employee engagement strategy.

You might also like...

The Seven Key Internal Communication Trends for 2024

Internal Communications Metrics: Five Steps To Success

• Browse All Articles
• Newsletter Sign-Up

Communication →

• 16 Feb 2024
• Research & Ideas

Is Your Workplace Biased Against Introverts?

Extroverts are more likely to express their passion outwardly, giving them a leg up when it comes to raises and promotions, according to research by Jon Jachimowicz. Introverts are just as motivated and excited about their work, but show it differently. How can managers challenge their assumptions?

• 06 Nov 2023

Did You Hear What I Said? How to Listen Better

People who seem like they're paying attention often aren't—even when they're smiling and nodding toward the speaker. Research by Alison Wood Brooks, Hanne Collins, and colleagues reveals just how prone the mind is to wandering, and sheds light on ways to stay tuned in to the conversation.

• 31 Oct 2023

Checking Your Ethics: Would You Speak Up in These 3 Sticky Situations?

Would you complain about a client who verbally abuses their staff? Would you admit to cutting corners on your work? The answers aren't always clear, says David Fubini, who tackles tricky scenarios in a series of case studies and offers his advice from the field.

• 24 Jul 2023

Part-Time Employees Want More Hours. Can Companies Tap This ‘Hidden’ Talent Pool?

Businesses need more staff and employees need more work, so what's standing in the way? A report by Joseph Fuller and colleagues shows how algorithms and inflexibility prevent companies from accessing valuable talent in a long-term shortage.

• 23 Jun 2023

This Company Lets Employees Take Charge—Even with Life and Death Decisions

Dutch home health care organization Buurtzorg avoids middle management positions and instead empowers its nurses to care for patients as they see fit. Tatiana Sandino and Ethan Bernstein explore how removing organizational layers and allowing employees to make decisions can boost performance.

• 24 Jan 2023

Passion at Work Is a Good Thing—But Only If Bosses Know How to Manage It

Does showing passion mean doing whatever it takes to get the job done? Employees and managers often disagree, says research by Jon Jachimowicz. He offers four pieces of advice for leaders who yearn for more spirit and intensity at their companies.

• 10 Jan 2023

How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle

People need all kinds of relationships to thrive: partners, acquaintances, colleagues, and family. Research by Michael Norton and Alison Wood Brooks offers new reasons to pick up the phone and reconnect with that old friend from home.

• 15 Nov 2022

Why TikTok Is Beating YouTube for Eyeball Time (It’s Not Just the Dance Videos)

Quirky amateur video clips might draw people to TikTok, but its algorithm keeps them watching. John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld explore the factors that helped propel TikTok ahead of established social platforms, and where it might go next.

• 03 Nov 2022

Feeling Separation Anxiety at Your Startup? 5 Tips to Soothe These Growing Pains

As startups mature and introduce more managers, early employees may lose the easy closeness they once had with founders. However, with transparency and healthy boundaries, entrepreneurs can help employees weather this transition and build trust, says Julia Austin.

• 15 Sep 2022

Looking For a Job? Some LinkedIn Connections Matter More Than Others

Debating whether to connect on LinkedIn with that more senior executive you met at that conference? You should, says new research about professional networks by Iavor Bojinov and colleagues. That person just might help you land your next job.

• 08 Sep 2022

Gen Xers and Millennials, It’s Time To Lead. Are You Ready?

Generation X and Millennials—eagerly waiting to succeed Baby Boom leaders—have the opportunity to bring more collaboration and purpose to business. In the book True North: Emerging Leader Edition, Bill George offers advice for the next wave of CEOs.

• 05 Aug 2022

Why People Crave Feedback—and Why We’re Afraid to Give It

How am I doing? Research by Francesca Gino and colleagues shows just how badly employees want to know. Is it time for managers to get over their discomfort and get the conversation going at work?

• 23 Jun 2022

All Those Zoom Meetings May Boost Connection and Curb Loneliness

Zoom fatigue became a thing during the height of the pandemic, but research by Amit Goldenberg shows how virtual interactions can provide a salve for isolation. What does this mean for remote and hybrid workplaces?

• 13 Jun 2022

Extroverts, Your Colleagues Wish You Would Just Shut Up and Listen

Extroverts may be the life of the party, but at work, they're often viewed as phony and self-centered, says research by Julian Zlatev and colleagues. Here's how extroverts can show others that they're listening, without muting themselves.

• 24 May 2022

Career Advice for Minorities and Women: Sharing Your Identity Can Open Doors

Women and people of color tend to minimize their identities in professional situations, but highlighting who they are often forces others to check their own biases. Research by Edward Chang and colleagues.

• 12 May 2022

Why Digital Is a State of Mind, Not Just a Skill Set

You don't have to be a machine learning expert to manage a successful digital transformation. In fact, you only need 30 percent fluency in a handful of technical topics, say Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi in their book, The Digital Mindset.

• 08 Feb 2022

Silos That Work: How the Pandemic Changed the Way We Collaborate

A study of 360 billion emails shows how remote work isolated teams, but also led to more intense communication within siloed groups. Will these shifts outlast the pandemic? Research by Tiona Zuzul and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• Cold Call Podcast

What’s Next for Nigerian Production Studio EbonyLife Media?

After more than 20 years in the media industry in the UK and Nigeria, EbonyLife Media CEO Mo Abudu is considering several strategic changes for her media company’s future. Will her mission to tell authentic African stories to the world be advanced by distributing films and TV shows direct to customers? Or should EbonyLife instead distribute its content through third-party streaming services, like Netflix? Assistant Professor Andy Wu discusses Abudu’s plans for her company in his case, EbonyLife Media. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 11 Jan 2022

Feeling Seen: What to Say When Your Employees Are Not OK

Pandemic life continues to take its toll. Managers who let down their guard and acknowledge their employees' emotions can ease distress and build trust, says research by Julian Zlatev and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 04 Jan 2022

Scrap the Big New Year's Resolutions. Make 6 Simple Changes Instead.

Self-improvement doesn't need to be painful, especially during a pandemic. Rather than set yet another gym goal, look inward, retrain your brain, and get outside, says Hirotaka Takeuchi. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Your browser is ancient! Upgrade to a different browser or install Google Chrome Frame to experience this site.

Master of Advanced Studies in INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Case Studies in Intercultural Communication

Welcome to the MIC Case Studies page.

Here you will find more than fifty different case studies, developed by our former participants from the Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication. The richness of this material is that it contains real-life experiences in intercultural communication problems in various settings, such as war, family, negotiations, inter-religious conflicts, business, workplace, and others. 

Cases also include renowned organizations and global institutions, such as the United Nations, Multinationals companies, Non-Governmental Organisations, Worldwide Events, European, African, Asian and North and South America Governments and others.

Intercultural situations are characterized by encounters, mutual respect and the valorization of diversity by individuals or groups of individuals identifying with different cultures. By making the most of the cultural differences, we can improve intercultural communication in civil society, in public institutions and the business world.

How can these Case Studies help you?

These case studies were made during the classes at the Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication. Therefore, they used the most updated skills, tools, theories and best practices available.   They were created by participants working in the field of public administration; international organizations; non-governmental organizations; development and cooperation organizations; the business world (production, trade, tourism, etc.); the media; educational institutions; and religious institutions. Through these case studies, you will be able to learn through real-life stories, how practitioners apply intercultural communication skills in multicultural situations.

Why are we opening our "Treasure Chest" for you?

We believe that Intercultural Communication has a growing role in the lives of organizations, companies and governments relationship with the public, between and within organizations. There are many advanced tools available to access, analyze and practice intercultural communication at a professional level.  Moreover, professionals are demanded to have an advanced cross-cultural background or experience to deal efficiently with their environment. International organizations are requiring workers who are competent, flexible, and able to adjust and apply their skills with the tact and sensitivity that will enhance business success internationally. Intercultural communication means the sharing of information across diverse cultures and social groups, comprising individuals with distinct religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. It attempts to understand the differences in how people from a diversity of cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them. For this reason, we are sharing our knowledge chest with you, to improve and enlarge intercultural communication practice, awareness, and education.

We promise you that our case studies, which are now also yours, will delight, entertain, teach, and amaze you. It will reinforce or change the way you see intercultural communication practice, and how it can be part of your life today. Take your time to read them; you don't need to read all at once, they are rather small and very easy to read. The cases will always be here waiting for you. Therefore, we wish you an insightful and pleasant reading.

These cases represent the raw material developed by the students as part of their certification project. MIC master students are coming from all over the world and often had to write the case in a non-native language. No material can be reproduced without permission. ©   Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication , Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland.

Subscribe Us

If you want to receive our last updated case studies or news about the program, leave us your email, and you will know in first-hand about intercultural communication education and cutting-edge research in the intercultural field.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Crisis communication

• Business management
• Corporate communications
• Internal communication
• Public relations

Let the Response Fit the Scandal

• Alice M. Tybout
• Michelle Roehm
• From the December 2009 Issue

Resilience in the Eye of the Storm

• Tony Schwartz
• November 01, 2012

The Power of Options

• David Noble
• Carol Kauffman
• From the January–February 2023 Issue

What Aristotle Can Teach Firms About CSR

• September 12, 2016

How to Reassure Your Team When the News Is Scary

• Allison Shapira
• March 05, 2020

Volkswagen and the End of Corporate Spin

• Gareth Jones
• October 28, 2015

Unifying Your Company Around a Moral Goal

• Ranjay Gulati
• November 22, 2023

The Former CEO of Guardian on Using Values to Drive Strategic Planning

• Deanna Mulligan
• From the January–February 2021 Issue

When We Learn From Failure (and When We Don't)

• Gretchen Gavett
• May 28, 2014

Samsung, Shame, and Corporate Atonement

• May 17, 2017

Putting the Right Information on Twitter in a Crisis

• Sarah Green Carmichael
• November 20, 2015

"They Burned the House Down"

• Michael Lynton
• Adi Ignatius
• From the July–August 2015 Issue

A Leader's Guide to Navigating Employee Activism

• Megan Reitz
• John Higgins
• February 06, 2024

What 100,000 Tweets About the Volkswagen Scandal Tell Us About Angry Customers

• Vanitha Swaminathan
• September 02, 2016

Preparing Your Company for a Crisis

• Marshall Goldsmith
• September 15, 2008

Crisis Communication: Lessons from 9/11

• Paul A. Argenti
• Paul Argenti
• From the December 2002 Issue

Three Rules for Communicating During a Crisis

• Nancy Koehn
• July 15, 2020

Don’t Hide Bad News in Times of Crisis

• Amy C. Edmondson
• March 06, 2020

7 Steps to Stop Finger-Pointing in a Crisis

• October 01, 2008

In New Jersey, Good Crisis Management Has Mitigated Sandy's Impact

• Lauren Stiller Rikleen
• November 02, 2012

Crisis at Away (B)

• Yo-Jud Cheng
• Jared D. Harris
• Noelle Surprise
• October 23, 2022

Masglo: A Media Scandal

• Silvana Dakduk
• Ricardo Di Carlo
• November 30, 2021

Changing Perceptions and Transforming Outcomes: L&T's Acquisition of Mindtree

• Sobhesh Kumar Agarwalla
• September 09, 2020

Innovative Automation: Coping with COVID-19

• R. Chandrasekhar
• March 02, 2021

D&G's Marketing Missteps in China (C): The Epilogue

• Kineta Hung
• October 10, 2019

Nestlé Entangled! Braving the Maggi Noodle Crisis in India (A)

• Vidhi Chaudhri
• June 14, 2016

United Flight 3411: What Went Wrong?

• Barry Salzberg
• July 31, 2017

DYOT: Do Your Own Thing - Risks of Engineering Virality

• Khawaja Zain-ul-Abdin
• December 01, 2018

Starbucks Corporation: A Bittersweet Reputation Recovery

• Christine Yan
• October 23, 2020

Lawnsite.com vs. DuPont (B): The Crisis Widens

• Luk Van Wassenhove
• Mark Hunter
• Maria Besiou
• July 30, 2014

Leading in the Immediate Fallout of Campus Homicide

• Christine M. Pearson
• January 23, 2024

The Flawed Emergency Response to the 1992 Los Angeles Riots (B)

• Richard Falkenrath
• Susan Rosegrant
• September 01, 2000

Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World

• Sally Susman
• March 28, 2023

iPremier (A): Denial of Service Attack (Graphic Novel Version)

• Robert D. Austin
• Jeremy C. Short
• June 25, 2009

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The Politics of Crisis Response (A)

• David Giles
• Arnold Howitt
• Dutch Leonard
• February 25, 2013

Ichko: In the Eye of a Cyclone

• Chandra Mohan B
• Anusha Parihar
• Philip Zerrillo
• February 08, 2021

Leadership and Power Dynamics in Crisis Management (A): China

• Kaisa Snellman
• Andy J. Yap
• Gabrielle Lamont-Dobbin
• September 14, 2020

D&G's Marketing Missteps in China (B): The Deepening Crisis

The phoenix project: remediation of a cybersecurity crisis at the university of virginia.

• Ryan Nelson
• Ryan Wright
• September 27, 2017

Navigating SheaMoisture through a Racial Awakening: Cara Sabin's Authentic Leadership

• Stephanie Robertson
• Jeremy Petranka
• July 26, 2022

The Value of Communication During a Crisis: Insights From Strategic Communication Research

• W. Timothy Coombs
• March 15, 2015

Popular Topics

Partner center.

Exploring the Dynamics of Willingness to Communicate in Written Communication: A Case Study

Article sidebar, main article content.

This paper investigates the dynamics of willingness to communicate (WTC) in written communication between a native and non-native speaker of English. Although research into WTC has identified topic as an interacting variable affecting L2 learners’ WTC during task performances (MacIntyre & Legatto, 2011) and classroom interactions (Cao, 2013), fewer studies have explored the nature of written WTC, its relationships with topics, as well as L2 writing development. This study addresses this gap by exploring the dynamism of WTC in writing from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) perspective. Through the employment of three methods—WTC analysis, complexity and accuracy analysis, and functional analysis—the findings suggest that WTC in written communication also reflects the characteristics of a dynamic system. Specifically, it fluctuates as the interlocutors organically move from one topic to the next. Results from the complexity and accuracy analysis and functional analysis provide further evidence to confirm that L2 development is a highly variable and nonlinear process. Overall, these findings lend support to the CDST perspective of interlanguage (IL) development, including dynamism in WTC and L2 writing development.

Article Details

5 Internal Communication Case Studies and Best Practices To Follow

Alex Cleary

Apr 6, 2022

Internal Communications

From employee engagement to workplace culture to change management, businesses often face similar challenges to each other even if those businesses are radically different. While the specifics of these challenges may differ, how other businesses solve these challenges can give you new insights into addressing your own.

We’re always interested in how our customers use ContactMonkey to solve their internal communications challenges, which is why we publish customer case studies. Learn how other businesses solve their communication challenges and get inspiration on ways you can improve your business by using an internal communications tool .

Improve your internal communications today.

Create and track internal messages with ContactMonkey.

What is an Internal Communication Case Study?

An internal communication case study examines how a company addressed a specific problem facing their organization, or achieved a specific goal. Communication is crucial for every business, and communication challenges can manifest in all kinds of situations.

An effective internal communication case study will clearly outline the problem, solution, and result of the business’ efforts to reach their goal. An internal communication case study should also outline best practices that were developed in this process, and how those best practices serve the business going forward.

Why are internal communication case studies important?

A good internal communication case study should not only explain the circumstances around a specific business’ problems and solution. It should also help others develop new ways to approach their own internal communication challenges , and shed light on common communication pitfalls that face a majority of businesses.

Whenever you’re facing a particular communication problem at your workplace, we recommend searching out a relevant internal communication case study about businesses facing similar issues. Even though the particulars may be different, it’s always important to see how internal communications problems are solved .

Featured Resource: Internal Email Benchmark Report 2023

How do your internal email performance metrics compare to 20 key industries? 

5 Best Internal Communications Case Studies

We put together this list of our favourite ContactMonkey case studies that best demonstrate the many problems our internal communications software can be used to solve. If you want to learn more about any of these customers and see other case studies, check out our Customers page .

Create engaging internal emails today.

Start a 14-day trial. No credit card is necessary. Zero risk.

1. Mettler Toledo Saves Days on their Internal Communications with ContactMonkey

When Kate Kraley began as Mettler Toledo’s Marketing Communications Specialist, she wanted to use internal communications to increase engagement and improve communication with employees.

But Mettler Toledo —a global manufacturer of precision instruments for various industries—had a confusing and ineffective array of internal communications channels . Here’s how Kate took charge of internal communications at Mettler Toledo with ContactMonkey.

Kate came to an internal communications department tasked with reaching employees through a number of channels. Email was the main focus of their approach, but this encompassed many forms of communication based on email like employee newsletters, eNews, and quarterly email updates.

Kate wanted to improve the quality of their internal communications. She used a variety of tools to create their newsletters, including using Mailchimp and online HTML template builder. But because Mailchimp is not for internal communications , Kate and her team found themselves spending over 8 hours a week building their internal communications:

“We faced challenges with Mailchimp. Since we had to leave Outlook to use Mailchimp, we found it was double the work to maintain distribution lists in both Outlook and Mailchimp. The HTML builder in Mailchimp was also difficult to use as it didn’t work well with older versions of Outlook, compromising the layout.”

Kate also needed a way to determine whether Mettler Toledo employees were actually reading her internal communications. She used Mailchimp to track open rate, but wanted more in-depth measures of engagement. That’s when she switched to ContactMonkey.

Kate found ContactMonkey via the IABC Hub in 2018, and began testing it out. ContactMonkey’s all-in-one internal communications software removed the need to switch from tool to tool. Using our email template builder , Kate now builds visually stunning email newsletters and templates without having to navigate away from Outlook:

She also now has access to her own analytics dashboard . Kate analyzes numerous email metrics like open rate, click-through rate, read time, opens by device and location, and more to see which communications are driving the most engagement. With this new centralized approach, Kate knew she had found the right solution:

“Once I started using ContactMonkey, I realized I was able to save 4 hours of work a week, which translated to 25 days saved per year! ContactMonkey has helped us understand what employees are interested in!”

Save time with ContactMonkey

Build and send professional emails in minutes, not hours.

2. BASF Manages Their Remote Workforce with ContactMonkey

Mark Kaplan is the Global Communications Manager at BASF’s Agricultural Group —a department of the German chemical company BASF SE. Because BASF has offices and production sites around the world, Mark coordinates with other internal communicators across the company to drive employee engagement.

With the success of any business comes new challenges, and BASF isn’t any different. While Mark knew he had to keep others informed of the latest news from the BASF Agricultural Group, he was aware employees would be receiving news from other parts of the company as well.

With many different departments sending their own internal communications, Mark faced a difficult task: keeping employees engaged while being careful not to overwhelm them with countless emails and updates.

“We try to be very strategic with what we’re sending out because people are already getting a lot.”

Not only did Mark have to find a solution that made his email communications more engaging, but he also had to prove the value of whatever solution he chose to management. How could Mark show that he was increasing employee engagement while avoiding tuning out from oversaturation?

Mark began using ContactMonkey to create better internal communications for BASF employees. Using our drag-and-drop email template builder, he designs emails that maximized communication and minimized distractions, keeping information to just what his recipients needed to know.

Mark uses ContactMonkey’s email template library to save time on his email design process. He also uses the easy drag-and-drop format of the email template builder to add multimedia into his email communications to save space and increase their effectiveness:

Mark uses the email analytics provided by ContactMonkey to determine the best times to send internal emails . Not only does email analytics help Mark increase engagement on his employee emails, but he now has hard data he can show management to prove the value of his internal communications.

“ContactMonkey has been great in that I can download a report, attach it to an email, and send it to our top leadership and say, ‘Oh, wow. 88% of the organization opened this in the last 24 hours, I think we should do more of this.’ It’s that little extra credibility.”

Build professional emails with ContactMonkey

Access beautiful email templates out of the box.

3. Alnylam Drives Remote Employee Engagement Using ContactMonkey

Employee engagement is crucial for ongoing productivity and growth, and Alnylam’s Brendon Pires wanted to leverage their internal communications to increase engagement.

Brendon is an internal communications specialist at Alnylam —the world’s leading RNAi therapeutics company—and is tasked with keeping their 2000+ employees engaged and informed. But Brendon’s existing internal communications process was leading to issues all over the place.

Like many companies, Alnylam shifted to remote work when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Brendon knew that employees would be relying on his emails to stay up-to-date on the latest company news and announcements, but their existing internal communications tool wasn’t up to the task:

• Scheduled emails were prevented from being sent out.
• Email design was a chore with a difficult-to-use email builder.
• Intranet traffic was down and Brendon’s emails weren’t driving traffic to it.
• Email tracking was limited as many internal emails were being flagged by their tracking software’s firewall.

“We were having consistent issues and it had been going on for like a couple of months. It was one issue after the other, between emails not sending because they were getting caught in our firewall, and then tracking not being consistent. So at the end of the day it was kind of like that’s really important, you know? Obviously if I can’t send that email that’s a problem. So that’s what really drove us to look at other solutions like ContactMonkey”

Brendon and Alnylam use Outlook for their employee emails, so he began looking for alternatives to his current software. That’s when Brendon found ContactMonkey.

Right away Brendon had a much easier time creating internal emails using our email template builder. He can create stellar internal emails and email templates that drive more engagement.

Brendon also uses ContactMonkey’s embedded star ratings to let Alnylam employees rate the emails they’re receiving. This helps Brendon and his team zero-in on their most engaging email content. He also uses our email analytics to measure engagement via open rate and click-through rate. He maximizes his results on these metrics by using ContactMonkey’s scheduled email sending:

Using ContactMonkey, Brendon was able to increase email engagement and drive traffic to Alnylam’s internal intranet . He now sends emails without worry of encountering sending errors that can hinder engagement—like Outlook not rendering HTML emails .

“ContactMonkey is really easy to use and allows me to create really nice content. There’s enough customization so we can do what we really want and have some creative freedom.”

4. Travel Counsellors Ltd. Stays Connected with Remote Employees Using ContactMonkey

In an economy deeply impacted by COVID-19, countless companies had to adapt to new challenges. As Community Manager at Travel Counsellors , Dave Purcell experienced firsthand the effects on morale and engagement his over 1,900 partners experienced as result of the quarantine and resulting societal changes.

Dave wanted to regularly check-in on Travel Counsellors franchisees’ wellbeing, and measure their engagement over time. But Dave’s current method of checking-in on an audience of over 1,900 was not up to the task.

Using their existing email software, Dave encountered all sorts of problems when trying to gauge wellness and drive email engagement. He and his team were unable to create personalized internal communications , as they were told it just wasn’t possible with their existing “solution”. They also experienced numerous tracking issues, as they were receiving tracking numbers that didn’t make any sense.

“The stats we had previously were unusable and that’s the easiest way I can put it. I was getting 200% open rates, which was just impossible.”

Realizing that email tracking and personalization were must-have features for him and his team, Dave sought a new email software that could deliver what he was looking for.

With the aim of sending personalized emails and tracking wellness in his organization, Dave was immediately impressed by ContactMonkey. “I stumbled across ContactMonkey, and everything just screamed: ‘This is the right platform for us’. It’s pretty fantastic.”

Dave uses ContactMonkey’s merge tags to create personalized subject lines and body copy based on the recipient:

He also began using emoji reactions on his weekly employee newsletters , using them as a pulse check survey for his audience.

“Mindset and wellbeing have always been a big part of what we do. It’s even more so now. Our franchisees craved that personal interaction. ‘Welcome to a Brand New Week’ checks in with them on a Monday, sees how they’re feeling with emoji reactions. And we do the same on a Friday.”

In addition to customization and surveys, Dave uses our email template builder’s custom employer branding options to save time on creating his email newsletters. All of this is driven by email analytics that help Dave and his team determine which content is generating the greatest engagement.

“Our commercial team is looking at what people are engaging with in terms of link clicks and what they’re not engaging with and changing our tactic depending on that. We also send an update from our CEO and we can now track this more accurately. We’re getting a 90% open rate within two days.”

Capture your team’s attention

Use ContactMonkey AI assistant to write captivating copy.

5. Exemplis Boosts Internal Communications Engagement with ContactMonkey

When Corey Kachigan arrived at Exemplis as Engagement and Communications Lead, she knew she had her work cut out for her. Exemplis—the largest volume manufacturer of office seating in North America—was experiencing rapid growth but did not have any sort of internal communications strategy . Corey knew if she wanted to properly manage Exemplis’ ongoing growth, she’d need to make internal communications an indispensable part of the business.

Before Corey arrived, Exemplis’ existing internal communications consisted only of random announcements and update emails. They had no defined approach for sending internal communications, which lead to emails that can cause employees to tune out.

“Our receptionist would email: ‘Hey, whoever left their coffee mug in the sink, please clean it and take it back to your desk.’ And it’s like, okay, that just went to 200 people.”

Corey and her team knew they had to harness their email resources better, and wanted a way to measure what employees actually wanted to see.

“We need some metrics to gauge whether this is working or not. We’re rolling out all these things, but we can’t tell if employees are even clicking these emails. Our team is inundated with hundreds of emails a day. How do we know they are reading these and how do we know they find it valuable? We have no idea.”

They also wanted to use emails to align their ever-growing employee base with Exemplis’ core values and vision. Using Mailchimp—an external marketing email tool—resulted in more problems than solutions. Corey experienced issues with importing and tracking emails within Outlook. She realized that Mailchimp is not for internal communications , and set out to find a new solution to power her employee emails.

So Corey began searching for a new email software for internal communications. Creating a definite approach to internal communications was just one priority of hers; she also wanted to prove the value of internal communications to management using hard data.

What first stood out to Corey about ContactMonkey was the crisp layout and that it worked with Exemplis’ existing Outlook system. ContactMonkey uses your company’s existing email services, and this meant Corey would no longer encounter internal email problems caused by an external tool like Mailchimp.

Corey now uses email metrics and employee feedback to inform her internal communications approach. She features pulse surveys on her internal emails, and uses the results in combination with email metrics to pinpoint what Exemplis employees want to see.

With ContactMonkey’s email analytics, Corey can point to real engagement data to back up her internal communications objectives.

“The thing I love about ContactMonkey is that it allows us to communicate more consistently with our team, but also be able to have the data to back it up. When we used to send out newsletters, we didn’t really have a way to see who did or didn’t open it, who clicked what and they couldn’t interact with the communication besides reply to me, which was super cumbersome.”

Boost employee engagement

Start gathering team feedback today.

Achieve Your Internal Communications Goals with ContactMonkey

Although internal communications is a common aspect of all businesses, everyone approaches it differently. Finding out the best email practices that work for your employees is a crucial step in the quest for increased engagement.

Read even one internal communication case study and you’ll see how ContactMonkey stands out among other internal communications tools. You can create, send, and track internal emails, and collect employee feedback and email metrics to develop innovative internal communication tactics . Whether you’re a seasoned internal communicator or new to the field, ContactMonkey can turn your internal communications into a powerful driver of productivity and growth at your organization.

Discover the power of modern internal comms tools.

See the benefits of ContactMonkey in about 15 minutes.

Want to see ContactMonkey in action? Book a free demo to see how our internal communications software can transform your employee emails:

Revamp your workplace comms with us, right from your inbox. Get started now!

[email protected]

Email Template Builder

Outlook Sending

Email Analytics

Integrations

SMS Communications

Customer Stories

Free Templates

Attend Live Demo

Help Center

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Wellcome Open Res

Poor communication by health care professionals may lead to life-threatening complications: examples from two case reports

Abhishek tiwary.

1 Department of Internal Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal

Ajwani Rimal

Buddhi paudyal, keshav raj sigdel, buddha basnyat.

2 Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Patan hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal

Associated Data

All data underlying the results are available as part of the article and no additional source data are required.

Peer Review Summary

We report two cases which highlight the fact how poor communication leads to dangerously poor health outcome. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis from Southern Nepal presented to Patan hospital with multiple episodes of vomiting and oral ulcers following the intake of methotrexate every day for 11 days, who was managed in the intensive care unit. Similarly, we present a 40-year-old man with ileo-caecal tuberculosis who was prescribed with anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) and prednisolone, who failed to take ATT due to poor communication and presented to Patan Hospital with features of disseminated tuberculosis following intake of 2 weeks of prednisolone alone. These were events that could have been easily prevented with proper communication skills. Improvement of communication between doctors and patients is paramount so that life-threatening events like these could be avoided.

Introduction

Communication refers to exchanging information with the help of different mediums, such as speaking, writing or body language 1 . It is of great importance in the field of medicine. Effective physician-patient communication is vital as it is related with favourable health outcomes such as increased patients satisfaction, compliance and overall health status 2 . A study in 2008 by Bartlett G et al. concluded that communication problems with patients lead to increased preventable adverse effects which were mostly drug-related 3 . It has been estimated that 27% of medical malpractice is the result of the communication failures. Better communication can reduce medical errors and patient injury 4 . Poor communication can result in various negative outcomes, such as decreased adherence to treatment, patients dissatisfaction and inefficient use of resources 5 . The cases discussed here highlight the importance of proper communication, how such unfortunate events could have been prevented with good communication skills. The traditional medical education curriculum in South Asia usually focuses more on technical expertise than teaching communication skills. This fact has hindered the capacity of technically expert health professionals to effectively communicate with their patients regarding the disease and treatment approach 6 , 7 . Thus, a concerted effort needs to be made to improve the communication skills of health professionals in South Asia.

Case reports

A 50-year-old woman diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 3 weeks previously presented to Emergency Department of Patan Hospital in June of 2018 with complaints of multiple episodes of vomiting and oral ulcers for 5 days. She had a history of multiple joint pain for a year, for which she sought medical attention in New Delhi, India as her son used to work there. She visited New Delhi with her neighbour, and there was diagnosed with RA. As per the standard treatment of RA, her treating rheumatologist prescribed her 15 mg methotrexate once weekly and 5 mg folic acid twice weekly without emphasizing that methotrexate is to be taken weekly and not daily. The pharmacist also failed to stress the weekly dose schedule. Unfortunately, she consumed methotrexate 15 mg daily for 11 days. At 11th day, she presented with those above complaints to the National Medical College and Teaching Hospital near her home in Birgunj, in the southern plains of Nepal. There she was managed conservatively with folic acid and fluids for 2 days, then referred to our centre for further management. She had ongoing vomiting and her examination of the oral cavity revealed multiple erythematous and ulcerative lesions. Her total white blood cell count (WBC) was 2400/µl (normal range, 4000–11000/µl), with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 1200/µl (normal range, 1500–8000/µl), haemoglobin of 9 g/dl (12–15 g/dl) and platelets of 84000/µl (150,000–450,000/µl). She was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for methotrexate toxicity (myelosuppression and mucositis). Her methotrexate was stopped and she was managed with leucovorin (15 mg once daily), GM-CSF (300 µg once daily) and nasogastric feeding as she was unable to eat anything because of the oral ulcers.

After 3 days in the ICU, she was transferred to the ward, where treatment with leucovorin and GM-CSF was continued at the same dose. She was discharged after a total of 11 days of hospital stay when her blood counts came back to within the normal range (WBC, 12300/µl; ANC, 6888/µl). Her haemoglobin increased to 13 g/dl and her platelet reached 340,000/µl. Her oral lesions subsided, and she was able to feed orally. She was started back on the correct dosage of methotrexate (15 mg once weekly) and counselled about the disease, medications (dosage and adverse effects) and was advised to follow up in rheumatology clinic. She has been followed-up every 3 months since then, is in remission and is taking medications properly.

A 40-year-old man from hills of Nepal presented to the emergency department of Patan Hospital in August 2018 with complaints of weakness in the right half of the body, deviation of the left side of the face and slurring of speech for 4 days. At 3 weeks prior to this, he had visited another tertiary level hospital in Kathmandu for pain in the lower abdomen and fever, where he was diagnosed as having ileo-cecal tuberculosis based on colonoscopy and biopsy with positive Ziehl-Neelson staining. He was then prescribed with antitubercular therapy (ATT) that included 3 tablets of Fixed dose combination consisting of isoniazid 75 mg, rifampicin 150 mg, pyrazinamide 400 mg and ethambutol 275 mg once daily and prednisolone 40 mg once daily. He was advised to take ATT from a health centre near his residence, whereas prednisolone was dispensed from the hospital pharmacy. Unfortunately, he just took prednisolone, but no ATT. As a result, he ended up in emergency with the aforementioned complaints. On evaluation, his chest x-ray showed features of pulmonary tuberculosis. Cerebral spinal Fluid (CSF) analysis was done which showed red blood cells (RBC) 200/µl (normal value, 0/µl), WBC 64/µl (normal range, 0–5/ µl), neutrophil 24%, lymphocytes 64%, protein 294 mg/dl (normal range, 15–45 mg/dl) and sugar 49 mg/dl (normal range, 50–80 mg/dl). Cerebrospinal fluid GeneXpert testing was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis . He was then diagnosed as disseminated tuberculosis with meningeal involvement and was admitted to Patan Hospital with ATT (3 tablets of fixed-dose combination consisting of Isoniazid 75mg, Rifampicin 150 mg, Pyrazinamide 400 mg and Ethambutol 275mg once daily) and dexamethasone (6 mg three times a day) for 3 days. He was then discharged with ATT (same dose as above) and prednisolone (40 mg once daily) after proper counselling about the nature of the disease and site of availability of anti-tubercular drugs. He came in for follow-up after 2 weeks with improvement in the symptoms and has been taking all medications properly.

In the discussed cases, the treating physicians had used the standard treatment protocol to best serve their patients. They used their medical knowledge in an appropriate manner to treat the disease condition, but proper communication with clear-cut emphasis on how and when to take the therapy, which is of utmost importance in achieving an overall positive health impact, was lacking. Had the doctors properly counselled and educated the patients regarding the disease, treatment options and the correct way of taking medications, these mishaps could have been prevented. Another major part of the communication involves the judgment of the doctor in figuring out how much the patient understood. As our patients were not literate, they could have explained about the disease and especially the weekly dosing of methotrexate and the availability and importance of ATT very clearly to the patient family. In South Asian countries like Nepal, the patient seldom is alone and therefore making things clear to the patient’s family is obviously a very important option that needs to be utilized to improve communication against the background of rampant illiteracy. In Nepal, only 48.6% of the population is literate; hence this fact needs to be kept in mind when explaining about diseases and prescribing drugs, especially regarding medicines that have dangerous side-effects 8 .

In Nepal, 25.2% population fall below the poverty line and 3.2% population are unemployed 9 . The young working generation have to leave their house for better employment opportunities, meaning they aren’t able to take care of their parents. In one of our cases, the son had to work in India for better employment opportunities and the patient came with her neighbour with whom the treating physician did not spend any time. It is possible that if the son had been there, he may well have been more concerned and asked more questions to the doctor. However, it is the responsibility of the health care professional to try to make sure the patient and their family have understood the matter clearly. There was also no caution mentioned by the pharmacy where the patient bought the medicine explaining the weekly (and not daily) dosing schedule of methotrexate. Hence there was failure of clear communication at various levels that led to this mishap.

Problems in doctor‐patient communication have received little attention as a potential but a remediable cause of health hazards, especially in a setting like this one in South Asia. Communication during the medical interaction among the health practitioner and the patient has a pivotal role in creating a positive health impact that includes drug adherence, future decision making on the interventions and modifying the health behaviours of the patient. We consider the cost and the negative impact on the outcome of the health from poor communication, which includes non-adherence to drugs regimens that will increase the burden of the cost of the total drug therapy, poor health outcomes, and unnecessary treatment and investigations. Different measures need to be considered to improve the communication between doctors and patients which would improve the overall health outcome. The measures include providing communication skills training to health care professionals and regular evaluation of communication skills of these professionals by interviewing the patients after a consultation.

Clear communication is vital in the proper treatment of the patient especially against the background of rampant illiteracy in countries such as Nepal in South Asia. Poor Communication may lead to life-threatening complications, as in our patients. For better communication practice, proper communication training to health care professionals including pharmacists is paramount.

Informed consent for publication of their clinical details, in the form of a fingerprint, was obtained from the patients.

Data availability

[version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Funding Statement

This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust (106680).

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Reviewer response for version 1

Jill allison.

1 Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada

• This article provides two cases where a lack of information and clear understanding of prescription medication contributed to morbidity and unnecessary suffering for the patients. The cases are linked to a lack of health professional engagement with the patient and failure to ensure full understanding of medication instructions. The cases and events surrounding are clearly described. The outcomes are also clearly described.
• The clinical scenario is well described but it would be helpful to know what steps were taken with these two patients to prevent similar circumstances. There is no mention of what was done to educate and inform the patient or their families on discharge. Was there an interdisciplinary team involved to try to ensure the patient got sufficient information and how was their level of comprehension assessed?
• There is a bit of repetition in the discussion and not many concrete suggestions for improving the skills of physicians in this area. Continuing medical education? Cultural competency teaching?
• There are a few grammatical errors that could be corrected to improve the paper. 
• Overall, an important concept for discussion and excellent examples of why the discussion must happen. 

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

Sharad Onta

1 Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

2 Nepal Public Health Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal

Introduction:

• This section should focus on contextual facts about the central issue of the manuscript, communication in clinical practice in the present context. It is better to avoid assessment of the contents of the cases and conclusion with recommendation. 
• The statement “ The cases discussed here highlight the importance of proper communication, how such unfortunate events could have been prevented with good communication skills” indicates to the assessment of upcoming contents of the manuscript. It seems inappropriate in the introduction. (It better fits in the discussion).
• The last phrase of this section “ Thus, a concerted effort needs to be made to improve the communication skills of health professionals in South Asia” carries a notion of recommendation, which seems premature for this section of the manuscript. (It can be moved to the conclusion).
• It will be better to highlight the objective and rationale of presenting cases in this section. It provides the space for the authors to justify importance of communication in clinical practice.
• Adequate exploration of the facts as the evidence of poor communication in health service/clinical practices and highlights of these facts (findings) are necessary in presentation of the cases for justification of explanations narrated in the section of discussion. The cases in the manuscript look weak, as the communication aspects are not adequately elaborated on. Elaboration of communication dimension in the case presentation is desirable and, hence, suggested.
• As emphasized in the discussion section, and in the conclusion, of the manuscript, socio-economic characteristics of the service seekers are not clearly mentioned in the cases. Therefore, rationalization of importance of communication in the basis of these attributes is not well justifiable.  

Discussion:

Few examples:

• In case 1 – it should be explored in depth whether the attitude and faith of patients to recover earlier by getting medicine in more (frequently) quantity than prescribed dose could be the reason for this situation.
• In case 2 – role of poor communication is not established clearly. Other possible reasons for not taking ATT like unavailability of medicines, distance to the health centres, and so on should be excluded to establish the role of communication. If prednisolone was the underlying cause of complication of the case, it should be analyzed, whether dispensing prednisolone alone without AT medicines to the patient was a right practice/protocol and correlate with the communication.

Confidentiality:

• In case 1 – name of the referring hospital as National Medical College and Teaching Hospital is mentioned whereas in the case 2 – it is mentioned as another tertiary level hospital in Kathmandu . It is better to maintain the consistency.

Conclusion:

• The conclusion is not well based in facts of cases. The manuscript has justified the importance of communication (in Nepal) in the background of rampant illiteracy . However, literacy and other socio-economic status of the patients in both cases are not known.
• Language could be improved.
• Manuscript has addressed very relevant and useful issues. It should be considered for indexing after improvement incorporating all comments. 

• Study Guides
• Homework Questions

Communication Case Study (1)

• Communications