What is grapevine How can management use it?

What is grapevine How can management use it?

Structured management uses verbal messages to communicate through the chain of command, while grapevine communication jumps from one department to another and from any level of management to another. It moves up, down, horizontally, vertically and diagonally all within a short span of time.

What should corporate leaders do with the grapevine?

Companies should not ignore the grapevine, be indifferent to it or try it kill it. Leaders should proactively communicate and inject as much authentic information into the system as they can. Company heads should directly communicate these to employees, as soon as possible.

What is the impact of grapevine in communication in the workplace?

Because this mode of communication is informal, all information that passes through is open to change and interpretation. The grapevine provides an outlet for imagination and truth seeking. Through asking around and sharing information with others, employees are working to piece together the larger picture.

How does grapevine operate in an organization?

It effectively operates horizontally, vertically and even diagonally. Grapevine is a natural outgrowth person-to-person informal communication channel through which information flows horizontally, vertically or diagonally without following any set rule or regulation among the people within or outside the organization.

Should grapevine be eliminated?

There is no way to eliminate or stop grapevine communication in the workplace. However, there are ways to better understand it, control it, and eliminate the negative sides grapevine can bring to your company by ensuring proper employee communications via formal communication channels.

Why can’t management do away with grapevine?

The main danger of grapevine communication in the workplace is that much of the information that gets spread through the grapevine is not verified. Lack of trust in the workplace: When communication via formal and informal channels is not consistent, employees may loose trust in their employers and leaders.

Is grapevine communication good or bad?

It is human nature to talk with others. There is no harm in it. However, in the confines of the workplace environment, leaders have to be sure that grapevine communication is not harmful to the environment or colleagues. If managed correctly, grapevine communication is a healthy supplement to formal discussions.

What are the advantages of grapevine?

Advantages of Grapevine Communication

• Grapevine channels carry information rapidly.
• The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies.
• The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their views with each other.

What are the disadvantages of grapevine?

Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication

• The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours.
• The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.

Why is grapevine bad?

Lack of Trust – Inconsistent communication via formal or informal channels may lead employees to lose trust in their employers. Non-cooperation among employees – Grapevine communication often leads to the adversary culture among employees leading to a lack of cooperation.

What are examples of grapevine?

When you hear from a friend-of-a-friend that your neighbor might be getting divorced, this is an example of a situation where you hear the news through the grapevine. A woody vine that bears grapes is an example of a grapevine.

How to manage Grapevine communication in an organization?

The managers have to learn to manage and control it. The management can open up all the channels of organizational communication to present the facts positively before the employees and thereby can fight the negative messages with the positive weapons of facts and figures.

Why do people use grapevine in the workplace?

Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is that when an organization is facing recession, the employees sense uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due to which they form unions.

How is secrecy maintained in a grapevine system?

Maintaining secrecy: In grapevine communication, communication is made by open discussions. Therefore, it is often impossible to maintain the secrecy of important information. Lack of control: Under informal communication systems, there are no established rules or policies, so it is very difficult to control the information flow and credibility.

When is the best time to start Grapevine?

The grapevine generally gets active starts early in the morning, in car pools, over meetings by the coffee machine or during lunch and smoking breaks, when people have a lot of time on hand. The best way to use the employees’ time is to delegate responsibility and power.