Uber heads on a new road to become a more humane company

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick had already apologized to employees for some missteps

Uber is vowing to head down a new road and become a more humane company.

The promise made in a conference call with reporters yesterday comes amid a wave of ugly developments, including allegations of rampant sexual harassment and a video of a profanity-laced confrontation between the ride-hailing company's CEO and a disgruntled driver.

The incidents have Uber scrambling to minimize damage caused by the unflattering portrait of the company that has emerged.

The backlash already has resulted in management defections, including the resignation of its president, Jeff Jones, after just six months of on the job.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick had already apologized to employees for the missteps and is looking for a chief operating officer to help him change his ways. Kalanick didn't participate in yesterday's call.