Grapevines in the Workplace

Socialization is an important aspect of any environment people are placed in, especially their workplace, where they accommodate to co-workers, form a network of supportive relationships with them and take part in high-quality interactions within and outside of the formal settings. The formal communication channels in an organization cannot fulfill all these socialization needs of employees and thus, informal modes of communication become a necessary part of their everyday life. The traditionally face-to-face communication taking place in cafeterias, across working stations, in hushed tones, employees sharing confirmed as well as unconfirmed information that has been overheard, speculated by some or comes from doubtful sources, is a part of every workplace. Digital channels like WhatsApp groups further increase the connectivity and efficiency of these communication channels.

This type of informal communication is called a ‘grapevine’ and usually thrives on rumors, gossip and speculation that is passed on through friends and acquaintances. Not only does information via the grapevine move invariably much faster than through formal communication channels but also connects people across departments and sometimes even hierarchy, filling in the gaps where formal communication is too slow or ineffective.

As we know a large chunk of information passed through grapevines is gossip and rumors that could have very negative implications in a work setting. What gives rise to such gossip?

Apart from socialization, there is an entertainment value attached to this which can be reflective of a possible lack of challenges and a feeling of boredom amongst the employees regarding their work. Gossiping can raise people’s self-esteem, they feel more important by getting information first and by the interest it creates. People like to show their awareness (‘I already know this’) rather than look foolish in the future (coming across statements like ‘Oh did you not know?’).

Most rumors are concerned with common organizational changes such as possible mergers and acquisitions, new aspects of these processes that are already under way, staff changes and restructurings. Job satisfaction rumors comprise of word-of-mouth comments by unhappy employees, dissatisfaction with management and changed duties. The intensity of grapevine activity also reflects prevailing conditions in the organization as it increases under certain conditions like- during times of uncertainty, in an insecure environment where formal communication is poor or lacking and when the subject matter is important and/or ambiguous.

This can have negative implications for the work environment. Information via these informal channels is not consistent and may create a lack of trust amongst employees as well as their bosses. Since this information is inconsistent and not documented, employees often hear and remember only part of the conversation and promote the spread of unreliable false information. This can further create misunderstandings amongst co-workers, annihilate credibility and make it impossible to control the flow of rumors and gossip that could potentially ruin someone’s career and relations. People can use it to push for individual agendas to climb the ladder.

This can also create an adversary culture amongst employees in the organization and drastically inhibit cooperation, collaboration and teamwork. It increases the risk of important confidential information to spread as it becomes very difficult to maintain any sort of secrecy and leads to unwanted issues and turmoil. This informal mode of communication can also lead to employees developing different perceptions of the company culture, their goals and how their own work impacts the organization, leading to a lack of productivity and inability to successfully carry out the job.

However, there are also a number of positives that are facilitated by grapevine communication. Grievance redressal is one such outcome, where employees can talk about their feelings, satisfactions and dissatisfactions, express opinions, requirements and expectations without any hesitation. Managers and supervisors can find out about employee grievances and problems and can use this to guide and help these employees improve. The management is able to get precise feedback from these informal modes as concerns are shared openly, and is able to plan effective problem resolution strategies and activities for employee welfare. This in turn improves the productivity and growth of the organization.

Informal communication is not only a cause of misunderstandings, but can also help resolve them effectively and efficiently, whether it is clashes amongst employees or between various teams and the management. Due to lack of proper formal communication, there could be gaps between different departments and teams in the company and between employees in different hierarchical positions. Informal information sharing makes people feel they are at an equal footing and reduces this gap at many different levels, which results in better collaborative work carried out with comfort and ease in a happy environment where the employees feel they belong. Excellent opportunities for making social contacts and diplomatic relations are achieved that make being at work more enjoyable.

Therefore, there is no need to view grapevine communication as a purely negative mode of information sharing. If handled intelligently by the management, the organization can tap tremendous benefits of such informal communication and to some extent even effectively control the process. They need to start by understanding the importance of networking, that grapevines would always be a part of any organizational culture, and that it’s better to work with and be a part than try to absolve it. Taking notice of where these conversations are happening can help understand who the leaders are amongst employees and how information generation takes place in this mode. This could further help to feed and spread proper information that needs to reach every employee. Developing more mediums to encourage such informal communication through activities such as lunch socials, recreational outings and more can help show employees that the management is not against cooperation amongst employees and create opportunities for the management to take part in these communications as well. Handling the negative aspects such as rumors can be done by quickly dispelling the false information before it reaches the majority. Having transparency in formal communication and letting the employees know they can safely voice their concerns to the management results in better use of such systems. Steered in the right direction, grapevine communication could become the best form of communication mode in the workplace.