Gossip goes wherever people go... It's as central to most workplace cultures as
skin is to bones.... Lately though, gossip has become a hot topic of research. Seems that new theories now show the relevance of gossip … and can help us understand its place at work.
By the way, asking why people gossip in the first place, is like asking…”Is the pope Catholic…?”
I find it interesting to read though, that gossip helps form bonds, improves our self image and helps defines group norms. Hmmmm…. What do you think?
Apparently, popular girls in 5th grade who are well liked by their peers, tend to use gossip to maintain their status, and it works.... Check out Dingfelder’s research and you’ll see that the gossip tide turns… because starting around 10th grade, popular girls tend to be disliked by most of their classmates, who abhor spiteful gossip and other social aggressive behaviors….
Oops, once again “A child shall lead them…” Maybe too much gossip’s not so good for workplace culture after all…. What's your take...?
This is a great topic. Sometimes gossip in the work place is the result of a lack of information. When people don't know what's going on, they read the clues, fill in the blanks themselves, and pass it along - whether they're right or not! It may be that if companies shared more information there would be less of this kind of gossip. That kind of gossip isn't necessarily personal in nature. When it gets personal, it's almost always destructive (imho!).
Posted by: ann michael | May 2, 2006 3:13 PM | Permalink to Comment