Countering the effects of destructive criticism: The relative efficacy of four interventions.

Examined the effectiveness of four interventions in countering the negative impact of destructive criticism. Results agreed closely with those of the laboratory investigation: an apology and attributional information were rated as most effective by both groups. Both managers and employees viewed destructive criticism as a moderately important cause of conflict in their organizations. However, managers rated the negative impact of cristicism on motivation and working relationships as less severe than did employees