He said, She said

     The grapevine plays a huge part in informal communication.  In this blog post, we will look at how the grapevine is essential and is ever present in almost every organization.  To start off lets define the term, "grapevine."  It's basically what you think, it is "the informal transmission of information, gossip or rumor from person to person," (Mishra, 1990).  This line of communication is the information network that is constant in organizations.  It can not be stopped or cut off.  The grapevine may appear in carpools, coffee breaks, mail room, and even after work is over.
     What is so surprising about this line of communication is how accurate most of the information passed is.  Between 75 and 95 percent of grapevine information is correct.  The 25 to 5 percent that is wrong can corrupt an entire organization.  This is why managers must be aware of the grapevine.  Managers have three ways of responding, they can 1) ignore it completely, 2) use it only when they need to, 3) be active participants.  (Personally I would fall in category #2.)
     How is this vicious form of communicating a good thing?  It is an outlet for stress.  Bottled up feelings will eventually burst; by using the grapevine, they relieve this emotion.  Another good quality of this is that management can see how their organization will react to certain issues (kind of like a test).  "The grapevine enables individuals to prepare for and think through management's goal changes and goal adjustment in advance of any formal statements," (Mishra, 1990).  (A formal statement would be a mass email from your boss, press releases, or a company meeting.)
     Only 10 percent of people carry on a rumor (which I find hard to believe).  This number comes from forwarding emails and carrying on a message.  There are three types of people: bridgers, dead enders, and isolates.  

1. Bridgers are people who receive or initiate the message.  These people thrive on telling others information.
2. Dead Enders are people who hear the rumors but do not pass them along.  If they do pass it along, it is to other dead enders.
3. Isolates are people who do not hear the rumor so they can not pass it along.  These people are out of the loop (either they work out of office or are social isolates).

There are all types of communication circles and ways of spreading information.
For more information:
Crampton, S., Hodge, J., Mishra, J. The informal communication network: Factors influencing grapevine activity. Public Personal Management
Mishra, J. (1990).  Managing the grapevine. Public Personal Management, 19

Intro 2 blogging

Hi, my name is Lori.  I am a graduate student with a focus in Communication.  I thought I would share information that I find intriguing and analyze theories that stem from this area of research.  Many times I might not agree with a theory but I will clarify when it's my opinion versus the actual researchers work.  I hope you enjoy reading the things I have researched!