Utilizing gossip as a strategy to construct organizational reality

Abstract

Purpose

Gossip is one of the reality organizations. Employees might regard gossip as a kind of information and behave based on that, thus gossip management is of great importance for effective management. In this article we investigate gossip and suggest a model for managing it.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper the authors have tried to study gossip behaviors and misbehaviors and suggest solutions to manage them.

Findings

Based on the literature on gossip, the authors suggest ABC model for gossip management in organizations. In the ABC model some factors like importance, ambiguity, stress and tension, tendency to believe gossips and contrast as antecedents, making gossips, fighting gossips and spreading gossips as a strategy and other factors like mistrust, feedback, behavior modifying mechanism, information source and evaluating the employees reaction have been analyzed as the consequences of gossip.

Originality/value

This paper analyses intentional usage of gossips by managers to shape the intended organizational realities in light of social constructionist.

Citation

Gholipour, A., Fakheri Kozekanan, S. and Zehtabi, M. (2011), "Utilizing gossip as a strategy to construct organizational reality", Business Strategy Series, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 56-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/17515631111114859