When the Tone of an Email Went Wrong Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

A tense situation arosein 2015 after a faculty member at the Premier School of Management in New Delhi, India, mistakenly emailed a test paper to a group email address that comprised the school's students, faculty, and alumni. An alumna who received the e-mail replied to the professor using the "reply to all" choice. The tone of her email was considered to be disrespectful to the professor. The professor replied by sending his own "answer to all," explaining his error to the alumna and chastising her for using a tone improper for a student-to-teacher communication.

One of the pupils on the group email subsequently composed his own offensive e-mail to the alumna, although the alumna apologized. Was there a means to defuse the mounting tension and prevent a possible rift between her former school and the alumna? Mukesh Kumar is affiliated with Indian Institute of Management Raipur.SanjeevPrashar is affiliated with Indian Institute of Management Raipur.

PUBLICATION DATE: May 18, 2016 PRODUCT #: W16282-HCB-ENG

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