GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION

BY: DR. RENU JAIN

Contents Meaning Organizational grapevine Characteristics Definition Examples Types References Advantages Disadvantages Prevention Conclusion

What’s Grapevine ???To hear something through the

grapevine is to learn of something informally and unofficially by mean of Gossip and Rumor.

Informal vehicle through which message flow throughout the organization.

Organisational grapevine

Early research findings Transmits information

rapidly in all direction.

More active in homogeneous groups.

Transmits some degree of truth.

Grapevine Characteristics Oral -> mostly documented Fast (hours instead of day) Crossing organizational

boundaries inaccuracy:-deletion of crucial

details Not controlled by management

Defination Grapevine-> unstructured and informal

network founded on social relationship rather then organizational.

(By Nancy Borkowksi)

An informal chat between people , seen as a network through which the information is reliably spread.

(By Mc Shane)

Examples of grapevine network of communication

Suppose the profit amount of company is known. Rumor is spread that this profit is there on that basis bonus is declared.

CEO may be relation to the production manager. They may have friendly relations with each other

Four types of grapevine chains Single strand

chain

Gossip chain

Probability chain

Cluster chain

Single Strand ChainIt flows like a chain i.e. A tells to B , who tells it to C and so on.

The larger the strand the more distortion & filtering effects.

Most inaccuracies occur in the chain.

Gossip Chain:-One person tells to other people.This chain passes a message regarding a

`not-on-job’ nature.Generally consider to be slowly passing

the information.

Probability chain Information may move from anybody to

anybody.

This chain is found the information is somewhat interesting but not really significant.

Only some people in the organization will get to know the information.

Cluster Chain Individual communicates with only those

individual he/she trust. Cluster chain is the dominant grapevine pattern

in an organization. Most informal communication flows through this

chain, ‘A’ tells something to a few selected individuals

and then some of the individuals inform a few other selected individuals.

Advantages:- Spreads rapidly

Feedback is quick

Group cohesiveness

Good news that exist

Substitute for formal channel of communication

Disadvantages:-The grapevine is not trust worthy always as it doesn’t

follow official path of communication & is spread

more by gossips and unconfirmed report

Untruth information most of the time

Partial information only spreads(rumors)

Hampers the goodwill of the organization or the people.

Preventing Rumors Provide information

through the formal system of communication on the issues important to the employees.

Supply employees with a steady flow of clear , accurate and timely information.

Present full facts. Keep formal

communication lines open and the process as short as possible.

Conclusion “The grapevine cannot be

abolished, rubbed out, hidden under a basket, chopped down, tied up, or stopped”

THANK YOU

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