he problem faced by Rebecca Dennet, a branch manager for a major bank. Her boss, a senior executive, told her that her branch would be shut down in two months, shortly after the first of the year. The executive asked Dennet to keep the information confidential because important regulatory papers had yet to be filed, and she agreed to do so.

Two days later, a coworker who is also a long time good friend asked Dennet if she knew anything about the rumor that the branch would soon be closed. When she hesitated, the coworker grew impatient and said, "Look, this is serious. There aren't a lot of jobs around here. Do I cut back on Christmas gifts? Do you know anything?"