The authors discuss the use of apologies in conflict resolution. In cases where one side simply wants the other side to admit responsibility an apology may be sufficient to resolve the conflict.
Apologies also play an important role in maintaining and repairing relationships.
For example, the authors point out that when a Japan Air Lines flight crashed in 1982, the company president went promptly in person to apologize to each of the crash victims' families. The U.S. culture creates at least two obstacles to apologizing. First, apologizing is often felt to be demeaning or humbling. This may be contrasted to Japan, where open conflict results in a loss of face, and apologies preserve honor. Second, some legal jurisdictions treat an apology as evidence of wrongdoing.