Gossip Agenda: How People Use Gossip to Achieve Self-Serving Goals

Proceedings of The 3rd International Conference on Research in Human Resource Management

Year: 2023

DOI:

[PDF]

Gossip Agenda: How People Use Gossip to Achieve Self-Serving Goals

Sumit Kumar Ghosh

ABSTRACT: 

Studies exploring the use of information gathered through gossip for furthering self-interest are limited.   Hence, in this paper an attempt has been made to find if information gathered through gossip is used for achieving self-serving interests?  Stories of workplace gossip were accessed through interviews of executives narrating their personal experiences to find if information gathered through gossip is used to further their self-interest. Analysis of the stories reveal that most of the respondents used gossip to assess opportunity, manage impression, network, predict subordinate behavior, and create support base. Gossip can be used to meet personal agendas. Hence, organizations should be vigilant to curb possible misuse of information gathered through gossip by individuals who possess requisite skills to engage in such activity. Transparent and open communication strategies would help the organizations to deal effectively with possible ill effects of gossip. Mangers may also use gossip to convey the utilities of organizational initiates to stakeholders.

keywords: Gossip, Politics, Self-serving goals, Information gathering, Impression management, Networking