Module:
Business Communications
The Importance of ‘The Grapevine’ in Internal Business Communications.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents i
Terms of Reference iii
Introduction iv
1 Grapevine in Business 1 1.1 Internal Business Communications 1 1.1.1 Objectives 1 1.1.2 Formal versus Informal 1 1.2 Definition 1 1.3 History 2
2 Structure of a Grapevine 2 2.1 Elements 2 2.2 Informational Chains 2 2.2.1 The Single Strand Chain 2 2.2.2 The Gossip Chain 3 2.2.3 The Probability Chain 3 2.2.4 The Cluster Chain 3 2.3 The Transmission Forms of Rumours 3 2.3.1 Pipe Dreams or Wish Fulfilment 3 2.3.2 The Bogie Rumour 4 2.3.3 Wedge Drivers 4 2.3.4 Home-Stretchers 4 2.4 Types of
…show more content…
Introduction
For the purpose of this assignment we will be researching and evaluating the importance of the grapevine in internal business communications. In order to do this effectively we will first need to define the grapevine, discover how it originated, describe its structure, and discuss the advantages & disadvantages. We will also interpret the results of an experiment which has been performed to assess the accuracy of the grapevine. On completion of this information we will then be in a position to conclude whether or not the grapevine is in fact important in internal business communications in the present day, and also we will put forward our recommendations on how to manage it.
There are many conflicting opinions regarding whether the grapevine is a valuable tool for rapid transmission of information, or simply an annoyance causing untrue rumours to circulate.
Business-unit boundaries exist precisely because they create efficient structures for executing strategy. The solutions, we think, lies not in reorganisation but in informal communication through the social networks that exist throughout the company.
(Kleinbaum & Tushman 2008)
It’s concerning because the grapevine, although a rapid carrier of “news”, is generally unreliable as a source as information is passed on from person to
Psychologist Daniel Goleman explains in his article “Anatomy of a Rumor: It Flies on Fear” that anxiety is the driving factor for the spread of rumors, and that people who fall victim to them should use contrary evidence to disprove the rumor. There are too many examples of rumors to list, but Goleman selects a few to demonstrate the ample variety in which rumors come. Goleman explains that “rumors are a kind of opportunistic information virus” (487), which spread because of the anxiety they evoke in people. Rumors hold some level of emotional value and can help people feel more in control of an otherwise tumultuous situation. It is common to want an answer to something unknown, and rumors can offer a proposed explanation.
Rumors are something that we all know are constantly spreading everyday; however, most of us might not exactly know the specific effects that they can and do have on our social lives. In this article by Jesse Singal titled “How To Fight a Rumor” he writes to try and explain the effects that rumors have and different methods that some people have used to try and counter them. His thesis is that in order to combat rumors we must first learn about the inner workings of rumors themselves. He does this by using examples such as the 2008 presidential election, studies that have been conducted, and the research from those studies. These examples along with others combine to make his argument much more strong.
In, “One Man’s Rumer I Another Man’s Reality, Gregory Rodriguez, an author of the Los Angeles Times he argues about the power of broadcasting the truth and its effect on the people. As a result, “can false rumors and off-the-wall theories be corrected by broadcasting the truth” (Gregory Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, September 28, 2009)?
However, most of us know that the media is not the most reliable source of information.
Define and describe its key features and share a time when you used one of these methods of communication in a business setting.
“Users appear to be less capable of distinguishing true from false rumors… in fact, we show that the prevalent
2. Share this – “Sharing is emerging as a way of distributing the news”, as with Tweeters, Facebook, iPhone apps, and by text
Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one individual to another via the usage of the mouth. This can be through the telephone, fax mail, email, or the aspect of using the face-face entity at the workplace. Basically, this document will illustrate in detail on how to undertake the approach of involving better and improved communication ways that lead to better and positive outcome of the firm. In essence, this shows that the paper is intended to bring about a positive outcome that would be influenced by the presence of improved communication links within a workplace environment (Perkins, 2010).
In the blog post “Is Instant News Healthy” by Amy Burkman, Burkman explores the pros and cons of getting news in the heat of the moment. Burkman mentions that, getting news instantly can be beneficial to those locally affected, but for those who are not it can provide false information.
The media has been adversely affected by the explosion of information sources. It has become a tedious and cumbersome endeavor to accurately locate information sources that can stand to even the slightest bit of scrutinizing. For those who attempt to report the truth, they continue to find it
A rumor can be classified as a special case of informal social communications that include myth, legend, and current humor. Rumors have three basic characteristics to them. The first is mode transmission which is usually done through word of mouth. The second characteristic is that they provide information, ranging from a particular person, an event, or condition. Lastly, the third characteristic is that a rumor satisfies mythology, folklore, and humor. Rumors have the
In this report the research delivers the literature review and outline on the internal communication that affects the organisation behaviour, with particular emphasis on the how internal communication relates to the company P and G.
This study tries to evaluate the communication between verticals of the firm as well as practices within a vertical. Furthermore, this report pays attention to formal and informal communication practices within teams. Johnson et al. (1994) defined formal and informal communication, while the audit goes one step further and analyse the pros and cons of the two models within the limits of our study and provide suitable recommendations.
Business communication can be defined as the process of sharing information among business professionals, prospective customers, and affiliates who are associated with an organization. The essential skills of business communications are currently in demand and highly required for the workforce for the modern workforce. To be an effective communicator is to have the ability to respond with skill, confidence, and assertiveness and is pertinent to the quality and expertise business professionals considered for employment. Hence, knowing how to communicate properly in an organizational structure requires the skill of communication necessary to interact with different levels of management. In a world
The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.