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Grapevine Communication
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION
Communication (from Latin commnicre, meaning "to share") is the activity of
conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or
information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. It is the meaningful
exchange of information between two or a group of living creatures. Pragmatics
defines communication as any signmediated interaction that follows combinatorial,
contextspecific and contentcoherent rules. !ommunicative competence
designates the capability to install intersub"ective interactions, which means that
communication is an inherent social interaction.
#ne definition of communication is $any act by which one person gives to or
receives from another person%s information about that person&s needs, desires,
perceptions, 'nowledge, or affective states. !ommunication may be intentional or
unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may ta'e
linguistic or nonlinguistic forms, and may occur through spo'en or other modes.(
!ommunication re)uires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the
receiver doesn&t have to be present or aware of the sender&s intent to communicate
at the time of communication* thus communication can occur across vast distances
in time and space. !ommunication re)uires that the communicating parties share
an area of communicative commonality. +he communication process is complete
once the receiver has understood the message of the sender.
!ommunicating with others involves three primary steps, -+hought, .irst,
information exists in the mind of the sender. +his can be a concept, idea,
information, or feelings. -/ncoding, 0ext, a message is sent to a receiver in words
or other symbols. -1ecoding, Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols
into a concept or information that he or she can understand.
2 variety of verbal and nonverbal means of communicating exists such as body
language, eye contact, sign language, chronemics, and media content such as
pictures, graphics, sound, and writing.
!onvention on the 3ights of Persons with 1isabilities also defines the
communication to include the display of text, 4raille, tactile communication, large
print, accessible multimedia, as well as written and plain language, human
reader, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of
communication, including accessible information and communication technology.
.eedbac' is critical to effective communication between participants.
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Grapevine Communication
INTRODUCTION TO GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
Definition of Grapevine Communication:
+he grapevine is a communication system or process which is barely in formal
communication system. It is comprised of gossip and rumor. 5ore and
wide information can be transmitted through grapevine communication system. 4ut
there are also some negative ideas about grapevine communication system. 4ut
another image is shown by the reality. In the real world, it exists together with
the formal communication system.
2ccording to Prof. Keith Davi,
"6rapevine arises from social interaction* it is as fic'le, dynamic and varied as
people are. It is the exercise of their freedom of speech and is a natural, normal
activity".
+he phrase grapevine communication is generally associated with gossip, rumors
and illwill among other assorted negative connotations. 7owever, in its true sense
it is only another form of communication without anything positive or negative
associated with it. In an office environment the phrase gathers new meaning when
used as a doubleedged sword with intent to harm others and also for the benefit
of peers. In the following paragraphs we shall see why this form of communication
is a double edged sword.
/mployees routinely misuse this form of communication to download their
grievances. 8hile personal issues on occasions might be fine, calling names or
labelling the manager as an evil force because your leave was not approved9well,
that piece of information will travel faster to your manager than any brea'ing news.
:econdly, news li'e $you 'now I am through the first round of interview in ;y<
!ompany( is strictly off the communication list during tea brea's or hallway
meetings. 2nother favorite topic of discussion is tal'ing negatively of your
company. 8hile this is also against ethics, it is one of the primary reasons for
employees being fired, next only to performance.
+here exists an important channel which is the informal communication. +his
channel of communication does not follow any preestablished paths or the
hierarchy. It happens everywhere and anywhere in an organi<ation. It is not official
or sanctioned by the organi<ation. In fact it is sometimes even discouraged in
organi<ations. +his channel of communication is called =6rapevine% and is used to
spread information bypassing the formal communication structure. !ut "i#e the
$rapevine p"ant: informa" communication prea% in ran%om &a' an% it
$oe &here it can( It runs in all directions hori<ontal, vertical and diagonal. 2s the
management experts put it, $it flows around water coolers, down hallways, through
lunchrooms and wherever people get together in groups.(
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Grapevine Communication
:preading rumors is generally through this form of communication. +he rumor
cannot be verified as it bypasses formal channels of communication and also the
source of the rumor cannot be trac'ed.
2n employee can terminate the spread of rumors by not discussing the information
further and discouraging peers from such discussions.
4y his very nature man cannot always have a highly formali<ed or regimented
living. Logically he cannot and will not always communicate through formal
channels alone. :ide by side with the formal channel of communication, every
organi<ation has an e)ually effective channel of communication > that is the
informal channel. 7owever, 6rapevine !ommunication creates a social bond
where none existed. People love to tal' to one another, so whether the tal' is
about wor' or family, professional or personal, or anything. In fact teams have
'nown to become more cohesive when members tal' to one another outside of the
pro"ect or assignment they may be wor'ing on.
8ithout any of the trappings of formal messages, such a company letterhead,
planned meetings or specific introductions of guests, people are relaxed and
casual, eager to chat about many things, as there is no specific agenda to follow.
+he scope of the conversation may be broader than a formal presentation, and
may include topics that are diverse in nature, free flowing and loose rather than
being scripted carefully as in case of formal communication. It shows that the
people are almost always loo'ing forward to an opportunity to get together. 5an is
essentially gregarious by nature. +he lower we go down the pyramid of the
organi<ation the more manifest this gregariousness becomes. +here are strong
sociopsychological reasons for it. +he most important reason is the intense,
irrepressible desire to communicate, to tal', to share one%s feelings and thought, or
"ust to gossip or to indulge in small tal'. +his gossip or small tal' may, and very
often, does, carry some important information. It may even =manufacture% some
piece of information and get the rumor mill wor'ing. /very organi<ation has a
rumor mill. /very wor'er, every officegoer and above all every manager have to
get used to it.
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Grapevine Communication
#n the other hand, grapevine communication can be an effective tool to foster
individual learning and growth in the organisation. 1iscussions on new technology
or processes, introduction of new employees, upcoming firm activities are all on
the positive list of communication. :ome firms are 'nown to encourage grapevine
communication to form committees that ta'e up social or cultural activities. :mall
groups are formed that share a similar area of interest or passion for a certain
social cause. 2lso, the lac' of formal rules of communication helps easier transfer
of ideas and thoughts and speedy discussion ma'ing.
+his form of communication could be an important tool for the management too.
#n several occasions, the management might want to introduce new processes or
wor'flow methods.
+o test the waters first, they might initiate a debate among the employees and
gather informal reviews.
+his helps in clearing out the potential glitches in implementing a new system or
wor'flow.
2nother important use of this form of communication is employee performance.
5anagements are 'nown to use this form of communication to ascertain an
individual%s performance, attitude towards wor' and his or her communication and
behavior with peers.
+herefore, grapevine communication should be used in a positive sense with intent
to benefit the individual employee as well as his peers.
It helps li'eminded groups to achieve a common goal for a social or cultural
cause. 8hile it benefits the employee, it also helps the management to showcase
the talent in the firm.
0egative usage such as spread of rumors and spea'ing ill of fellow employees is a
strict nono. It has the ability to cause harm to the individual spreading rumors and
also to the firm as a whole. :ome employees who are close to the managers and
decisionma'ers tend to go overboard with the =new% information they have. :uch
employees might find grapevine communication an easy tool to spread the =word%,
but forget that some information is best left to come from formal channels.
6rapevine communication is "ust another form for communication and it is up to
the employee to ma'e positive use of such a form of communication.
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Grapevine Communication
)EATURE* O) GRAPEVINE
2s we 'now that the most informal communication system of an organi<ation is
grapevine communication system. 6rapevine networ' is commonly critici<ed for
it%s widely features. +he features of grapevine communication can be discussed
both in positive and negative manners. 8e will go for that after a few moments.
2ccording to Prof. ?. 8. 0ewstrom and others,
$6rapevine has three main characteristics,
@. It is not controlled by management.
A. It is perceived by the most employees as being more believable and
reliable.
B. It is largely used to serve the self interest of those people within it.(
0ow features of 6rapevine can be discussed as follows,
.lexibility, +here is no formal control on grapevine. .or this reason, it is
more flexible communication than any other ways of communication.
Lac' of !ontrol, 2ctually, there is no managerial control over the grapevine
communication system. It is grown by itself.
3apid !ommunication, 6rapevine !ommunication system is faster than
other formal or informal channels of communication.
0o 3ecord, 8e can%t 'eep any documentary record or evidence of
grapevine communication system that can be shown or produced as future
reference.
Csed for :elfinterest, 2s grapevine communication system is produced by
gossip and rumor, it is basically used for selfinterest of the employees of an
organi<ation.
Popular amongst /mployees, +his communication system is much popular
among the employees than other formal or informal channels.
1istortion, 1istortion of real message is one of the ma"or features of
grapevine communication system. In this process, information passes
rapidly man to man. +hat%s why the information losses its originality.
:pontaneous, 6rapevine is basically spontaneous. It passes rapidly and
spontaneously from top to bottom of the organi<ation. 7ere is no need to
ma'e any efforts to ma'e it successful.
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Grapevine Communication
T+PE* O) GRAPEVINE
6rapevine spreads li'e fire in an organi<ation and most of the time it is difficult to
trace the cause. Profeor Keith Davi ha %one a "ot of reearch on
$rapevine communication an% ha c"aifie% or i%entifie% four t'pe of
chain a"on$ &ith the tranmiion of information ta#e p"ace(
:inglestranded chain, In this 'ind of transmission =2% tells something to =4%
who in turn tells to =!% and so on the news travels to all in the strand. +his
chain is not supposed to be very accurate in passing information, something
li'e the game of =!hinese 8hisper% happens.
6ossip chain, In this case =2% tells to =4, !, 1, /, ., etc.% the point of source
of information is one but to determine the same is not easy of course. +his
chain is often used when information or a message regarding an interesting
but =non"obrelated% nature is being conveyed.
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Grapevine Communication
Probability chain, 7ere =2% randomly passes on information to some
persons, who in turn pass on to some more again randomly. +his 'ind of
transmission is based on the probability theory where some people get the
information and some do not.
!luster chain, In this 'ind of grapevine transmission, the information is
passed on to a selected few and these selected few pass it on to some
more selected few. +he transmission in this case depends on the trust factor
that the sender has on the receiver.
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Grapevine Communication
MERIT* O) GRAPEVINE
:peed .actor, Information in the grapevine spreads li'e forest fire.
6rapevine !ommunication is probably the fastest channel of spreading a
piece of information. /veryone 'nows that a rumor travels, or spreads li'e
wild fire. +he moment a wor'er comes to 'now that something is labeled as
=top secret% or =confidential% he becomes curious to loo' into it or have a sniff
of it and passes it on to his very first close bosom friend. 5anagers have
been 'nown to give out information through planned $lea's( or carefully
used $"ustbetweenyouandme( remar's.
.eedbac' Dalue, /ven the top management wishes to get the feedbac' of
their subordinates about various issues, regarding their policies, decisions,
memos, etc. and the informal means to get the feedbac' is the grapevine.
+he feedbac' reaches them much faster through the informal channel than
through the formal channel. +hrough the grapevine the managers come to
'now the pulse of the organi<ation.
:upplementary .actor, +his is ma"or advantage of grapevine
communication, as it supplements the other formal channel of
communication in an organi<ation. 2nd it also wor's when the other channel
fails to deliver. +he officially recogni<ed or sacred or formal channel ta'es
not only more time in carrying information, but also imposes certain
constraints on the process of communication. :o, whatever is deemed to be
unsuitable for official channel can be very successfully transmitted through
the grapevineE
/motional supportive value, 2t times, thin'ing about retrenchments,
promotions, etc. can have disastrous effects on the employees. 7ence
tal'ing to others at an informal level can help them release their pentup
fears. 2lso, sometimes it is )uite necessary to let go the air of being formally
straight and upright at all times in the organi<ation. +hus, grapevine helps to
ease the mind and helps in wor'ing properly.
:olidarity .actor, +his 'ind of communication helps to build the morale of
the employees as well as they feel as if they have someone of their own in
the organi<ation with whom they can share anything and everything. 7ence,
it helps to build cohesion amongst employees. +he grapevine gives
immense psychological satisfaction and strengthens the solidarity of the
wor'ers. 8hile the purely formal channel will put them off, the grapevine
draws them near to each other, thus 'eeping the organi<ation intact as a
social entity.
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Grapevine Communication
DEMERIT* O) GRAPEVINE
!redibility .actor, 6rapevine communication or rumormill as it is called has
very less credibility to it. +his happens because people can go bac' on their
words anytime and hence the information is not very dependable. +here is
something inbuilt in the nature of grapevine which ma'es it less credible
than formal channels of communication. :ince it spreads or transits
information by word of mouth it cannot always be ta'en seriously. #n the
other hand it is also very li'ely to be contradicted.
1istortion .actor, +he information in the grapevine often gets distorted as a
lot of spice is added to ma'e the information very interesting. 2ddition to
subtraction of facts is done as the communication is unofficial. 2s its origin
lies in the rumormill may spread any 'ind of stories about highly
responsible people, even at the ris' of spoiling the image of the
organi<ation. It may cast aspersion on anybody or impute motives to the
most wellmeaning of the people.
1amage .actor, 2ny information that is unauthenticated or has no
credibility may harm the reputation of an organi<ation. .or any organi<ation
image is very important and such stories may damage the image. +he
speed with which the grapevine spreads may also at times prove
counterproductive. Ideally, any message or information or policy decision
should ta'e its own course and time. 4ut once it lea's it may damage the
reputation of the organi<ation or upset the plans of the managers.
3esponsibility .actor, 0o one ever owns the responsibility of the origin of a
rumor. 2lso it is very difficult to identify the origin hence the stories in the
grapevine have no end. 2s it is very often based on guesswor' or
=whispers% in the corridors it may give the receiver the complete picture of
the situation or the whole message. +hus ta'ing responsibility of the rumor
can ma'e people against you and is thus avoided.
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Grapevine Communication
E))ECTIVE U*E O) GRAPEVINE
8e have seen that this channel has a lot many advantages as well as
disadvantages. 7owever, the grapevine cannot be eliminated from any
organi<ation. 7ence it becomes important to be able to manage the channel
effectively so that the disadvantages can be minimi<ed. 2t the same time, some
measures can be ta'en up to be able to use this informal channel for the benefit of
the organi<ation. Let us loo' at some measures that may be ta'en up,
.irst of all the employees should be well informed about various policies of
the organi<ation so as to minimi<e any room for rumors
/mployees should be involved in ma"or decision ma'ing processes so that
they develop a sense of loyalty.
2n open door policy should be in place so that the employees have an
access to senior people for any problems or grievances that they may have.
+his would automatically 'eep employees away from the rumor mill.
2 happy and healthy environment should be created so that the employees
get "ob satisfaction.
2nother very important measure would be to identify a leader who could be
used to spread positive rumors about the organi<ation or as we say =to plan
a lea'%. +his person could be anyone whom the management feels has a
command over the rumor mill.
2s far as possible no favoritism should be shown towards a particular
employee or a group of employees so that others feel alienated.
+he senior level managers need not be sympathetic but definitely need to
be empathetic towards their subordinates.
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Grapevine Communication
)EAUTURE* O) IN)ORMA, ORGANI-ATION
Ori$in:
o Informal groups are formed out of personal and social needs,
wor'ing at the same place, with li'ing and disli'ing. +here are no
rules and regulations governing their relationship and there is no
official support or bac'ing.
Purpoe,
o Informal groups are growing out of the formal organi<ation structure.
4ecause, formal groups are not satisfying them in respect of certain
social, psychological and personal needs, and informal groups are
formed.
*i.e:
o Informal groups may be small in si<es which only enable group
cohesiveness. 2nother reason for these small si<es is that, they are
created from organi<ation
Nature of $roup:
o Informal groups by virtue of there are not stable* changes in the "ob,
leaving organi<ation are the causes for this instability. +he value
systems and li'es and disli'es may change with the change in the
membership.
Converion:
o 2n informal group can be converted into formal by structuring the
relationship and establishing interpersonal relations by formal rules
and procedures
Num/er of Group:
o Li'e formal groups there may be a number of informal groups. 2
member of one informal group may be a member in other informal
groups.
Authorit':
o +here is no authority exercised in informal groups and all members
are e)ual. People interact not formally according to rules and
procedures but interact for their social, personal and psychological
needs.
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Grapevine Communication
Ru"e an% proce%ure:
o +he behavior of the members of the informal group is not governed
by rigid rules and procedures. 4ut their behavior is governed largely
by the value systems, norms, beliefs, li'es and disli'es.
Channe" an% Me%ia of Communication:
o +he informal channel is multiple in natures it includes intangible facts,
suggestions, rumors that cannot pass through the formal channel.
+he informal group does not re)uire any formal channel and under
this system, the channel of communication is very wide. It does not
follow a fixed route or through proper channel. +here is no
deliberately created and officially prescribed path for the flow of
communication between the members of informal group in a formal
organi<ation(
A/o"ition:
In fact, many of the informal groups are constituted not for any
specific purpose but they are formed spontaneously and voluntarily.
2s such, informal groups cannot be abolished. 2ny attempt to abolish
informal groups may lead to formation of other groups.
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Grapevine Communication
CAU*E* O) GRAPEVINE
6rapevine coexists with the formal structure. In every formal organi<ations, there
exists in informal channel cannot be predicted and design and as a result it cannot
be deliberately planned and structured along with the formal organisation. It is
because of the fact that grapevine is more a product of the situation that it is of the
person. +his means that given the proper situation and motivation, any of us tends
to become active on grapevine. +he informal group is created because the formal
structure is not complete and cannot meet their re)uirements of personal, social
and psychological meets. 7owever, the following are the factors responsible for the
creation of informal organisation.
:ocial needs,Informal organisation is created because the employs want to
satisfy their social, personal and psychological needs. 2fter continuous
wor'ing in a formal structure, they form into informal groups to overcome
strain, boredom, fatigue, psychological fatigue and to get relief.F.1avis
observed $along with the man%s technical imperative, there is also a social
imperative to wor' together. 5an is social being. 7e wants to belong, to
associate with others rather than to wor' in isolated loneliness. #ut of this
basic drive of man, the informal organisation arises(
:peciali<ation, /very field of 'nowledge has expanded and speciali<ation
has become the order of the day. In an organisation, the entire wor' is
divided into various parts and assigned to different departments and people
to accomplish. 4y this, each employ is expected to do a specific "ob in a
routine manner. 5ore speciali<ation means more routine and concentrates
wor' which would result in boredom and fatigue. +his leads to the
reali<ation of importance of informal organisation to get relieved from
boredom and fatigue.
/scaping from wor', 8hen the tas's assigned to the employs are more
than that handling capacity, it is natural that employs try to escape from
wor'. +his tendency develops because there would be no time for them.
Informal organi<ations have to encourage for informal interaction between
the members of informal groups.
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Grapevine Communication
7ierarchal structure, +he formal organisation structure which is so rigid on
a durable, ob"ectively structure, imposes defined route of interpersonal
relation and chain of command. It establishes designed superior
subordinate relationship, control, span of control, conflict etc. 8hich are
factors associated with the day to day activities if the downward channel is
not meeting the re)uirements, the employs may resort to see' information
from the informal channel. #n the other hand, there are certain matters
which can be received through informal channel only.
/xcitement and insecurity, 1uring the time of excitement and insecurity, the
members of group are over active in the informal group, for instance layoff,
retrenchment, installing automatic machines and other laboursaving
technology, or installation of computer in the office. 1avis writes that $at the
times li'e this the grapevine is humming with activity, which means that
managers need to watch it with extra care and $feed it with true information
to 'eep from getting out of hand(
Involvement of .riends and 2ssociates: one of the creations of grapevine is
involvement of friends and associates. +he members of the group are active
on the grapevine when their friends and wor' associates are involved ..or
instance, if ; is to be promoted or demoted, the information in detail must
pass to all the employees. +hey expect to 'now about daytoday
developments in the organi<ation.
3ecent information: 8hen there is some information or news, members are
more active to 'now full details about these .If the information is stale,
people are not that serious on the grapevine .1avis writes that the greatest
spread of information occurs immediately after it is 'nown.
Procedure : +he procedure in practice would bring people into contact
.+hese procedures that regularly bring people into contact with one another
will encourage them to be active on the grapevine.
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Grapevine Communication
8or', +he wor'place where the people are wor'ing, if nearer, would allow
conversation. 2ll employees who are near to one another are li'ely to
communicate more than those who are wor'ing in distant places or
separate buildings.
0ature of ?ob, +he type of "ob that provides information desired by others is
the most powerful cause for the people to be active on the grapevine. +he
type of "ob possessed by an employee plays an important role influencing
other person%s role in the grapevine .1avis writes that some "obs give
employees with more news that might be worth communicating .+he result
is that certain employees are more active on the grapevine, not because of
personality but because of their "obs in the organi<ation .
Personality of !ommunication: Personality of the communicator is also
important in ma'ing people more active on the grapevine. :ome employees
are more active for personality reasons, hence an important grapevine
influence .2ccording to 1avis, $Perhaps they li'e to tal' about people having
a strong interest in what is happening in their organi<ations or have special
communication abilities.(
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Grapevine Communication
IN)ORMA, RO,E O) EMP,O+EE*
+as'#riented, those who have the role of $getting the "ob done( and 'nown
as those who $deliver the goods(.
+echni)ueoriented, the master of producer and method.
Peopleoriented, those who have the role of patron saint and 6ood
:amaritan to people in need.
0ay:ayers, those who contribute the $yes( persons, who have thic' s'ins
and can find fault with anything.
Ges:ayers, those who counterbalance the nay:ayers, the $yes( persons
who circumvent oppositions.
3ule/nforces, the $people of the loo'( who are stereotype bureaucrats.
3ule/vaders, the $operators(, those who 'now how to get "ob
$irrespective(.
3ule4lin'ers, the people who are not against the rule but don%t ta'e them
seriously.
Involved, those who are fully immersed in their wor' and the activities of the
organi<ation.
1etached, slac'ers who either $go along for the ride( or $call it )uits( at the
end of regular hours.
3egulars, those who are $in%%, who accept the values of the groups and
whose values are accepted by the groups.
1eviants, those who depart from the values of the group the $maveric's(.
Isolates, the rule $lone wolves(, they are further from the group than
deviants.
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Grapevine Communication
0ewcomers, they 'now little and must be ta'en care of by others* they are
$seen but not heard(.
#ld+imers, those who have been $around( a long time and $'nown the
ropes(.
!limbers, those who are expected to $get ahead( not necessarily on the
basis of ability but on the basis of potential.
:tic'ers, those who are expected to stay put, who are satisfied with life and
their position in it.
!osmopolitans, those who see themselves as members of a broader
professional, cultural or political community.
Locals, those who are rotted to the organi<ation and local community.
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Grapevine Communication
)UNCTION* O) IN)ORMA, GROUP*
Informal groups exist and continue because they render some services or perform
certain desired functions of the members.
+he following are the functions of the formal organisation.
:ocial satisfaction, +his function helps to promote group integrity and social
values. +he members are cooperative to the formal group and
conse)uently are in the constant association and sociali<ing process. In
addition to the formal "ob satisfaction, the members need social satisfaction
also. Informal groups give a member recognition status and further
opportunities to relate to others. +his is an important function.
6roup values and lifestyle, Informal organisation provides group values and
lifestyles. Its function is definitely is service to the members to maintain
group values and lifestyles. $#ne function is to maintain and continue the
cultural values and lifestyle of the group. In this way, the standards and
unity of the group can be continued over a long period of time." ( F. 1avis)
:tatus recognition, Informal organi<ations have evolved from different
status, positions of the participants. +he formal organisation provides
satisfaction by providing status, norms, roles, recognition and future
opportunity in the group. +here is a relationship of status positions in
informal organi<ations closely related to status.
:haring wor' problems, 2nother service that informal group renders is
solving wor' problems of the members. +he members will come to a rescue
of other employees. +hey collectively ta'e decisions and share "ob
'nowledge.
#perate communication system, F. 1avis has identified another important
function or services of informal group to the members, which is the function
of communication. In order to meet the wants and to 'eep its members
influenced about what affects them, the group develops systems and
channels of communications.
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Grapevine Communication
0orms of behavior, #ral values and ethical standards should be maintained.
+owards this end, informal organisation establish and maintain norms for
behavior of good, bad , moral, immoral, honesty, etc.
:ocial control, 3esearch studies revealed that informal organi<ations $it%s
particularly decisive in achieving social control." It is a service for the
members by which the behavior of others is influenced and regulated. It
may operate both internally and externally.
Protection from pressures, Informal group arise and persist because they
perform a very useful service for their members. #ne of the important
functions is to protect the members from outside pressures or problems.
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Grapevine Communication
RUMOR*
5eaning and nature, 2 rumor is but oral information circulating something. It
passes from person to person, sometimes unfounded news. In a rumor
communication, a piece of news or story is passed from one person to another
which may not be true. +his is a verbal general tal' or gossip. It is a tal' or report
of a person or a thing in some way noted or distinguished. +he fact of being
generally tal'ed about reputation and renown. 2 rumor is a verbal statement or
report circulating in a group the truth of which is no clear evidence. 2 rumor once
spread is not soon removed. 2 rumor spreads li'e wild fire and may create
wonders and miracles as a channel of informal communication.
+he two persons involve in a rumor are,
@. 3C5#C3 :P3/21/3
A. 3C5#C3 4/23/3
+he originator of a rumor is also called rumor monger. In grape wine the leader of
the group tells the message to each person in that group. 2 communication leader
recogni<es rumors. +he leader must be trustworthy and hence it gets credibility.
+he management can ma'e use of them for effective communication.
6ood or bad words, :ometimes, in general context of the operations of an
organisation, an executive&s ill considered remar's may appear a somewhat trivial
affair. 4ut it is, on comparison, an intangible thing called & confidence&. 7e is not
involved every day to brea' the big news or to clear up serious misunderstanding.
7e may even shape and give color to the contents to suit the opinion of the
employees and of the company as a whole.
Business Communication
21
Grapevine Communication
)ORMA, AND IN)ORMA, COMMUNICATION
2n organi<ation has been conveniently classified into two broad
categories as formal and informal. +he label of formal or informal organi<ation
depends much upon the degree and the nature in which they are structured.
)orma" Informa"
.ormal organi<ations grow
purposely to achieve the
organi<ational ob"ectives
Informal organi<ations develop
spontaneously and voluntarily to
achieve members own personal
ob"ectives
.ormal structure is well defined
and controlled
+here is no informal structure as
such not welldefined and
controlled
It clearly describes authority,
power, responsibility and
accountability relationships
5embers of informal organi<ations
do not en"oy any described or
explicitly specified powers
It is 'nown in delay in transmitting
various information as it to pass
through various levels
Informal channel is most effective
one and transmits information with
considerable speed and
)uic'ness. +he networ' is formed
to transmit message )uic'ly
#nly official and correct pieces of
information are passed
It can spread both correct
information as well as rumors. It is
'nown for spreading message
without substantial evidence
It assigns specific "obs to the
members to be accomplished
It does not prescribe any "obs to
the members. It is formed based
on personal and social needs
Business Communication
22
Grapevine Communication
In the formal structures, hierarchy
of relationships are clearly defined
+here is no rigidly defined
hierarchical relationships between
the members
3elationships are governed by
rules, regulations, procedures,
instruction
3elationships are governed by
personal, social and psychological
needs of the members
Positions defined and rewarded by
prestige, ran', status, pay and
other per)uisites
+here is no position, recognition,
award or reward
It is rigid, inflexible and controlled It is flexible, loose, uncontrolled
/xample, universities, multi
national corporations.
/xample, clubs, dinner party.
Business Communication
23
Grapevine Communication
CONC,U*ION
+hus, 6rapevine is a very important form of !ommunication. It can be
both good as well as bad for the organi<ation.
8e should always avoid using informal communication if not needed.
4ut still it remains as the ma"or means of communication everywhere
including organi<ations.
Business Communication