I completely agree with you in regards to Howard Tannebaums major mistake. When people are emotional they do not always see the big picture. According to Draft (2014), during crisis situations managers needs to remain calm when communicating with others. It is also important that the information is truthful, respectful, and shows that the speaker or writer is open to input from the receivers, in this situation Tannenbaum was defiently in the heat of the moment when his emotions were at their highest. I believe that he should have waited until the initial shock wore off to discuss the sitaution with others.
Reference:
Daft, R. L. (2014). Management (11th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: