Capturing Workplace Gossip as Dynamic Conversational Events: First Insights From Care Team Meetings

Abstract

Even though gossip is a ubiquitous organizational behavior that fulfils important social functions (e.g., social bonding or emotion venting), little is known about how workplace gossip and its functions unfold in situ. To explore the dynamic nature and social embeddedness of workplace gossip, we develop a behavioral annotation system that captures the manifold characteristics of verbal gossip behavior, including its valence and underlying functions. We apply this system to eight elderly care team meetings audio- and videotaped in the field, yielding a sample of N = 4,804 annotated behaviors. On this empirical basis, we provide first insights into the different facets and functions of workplace gossip in real-life team interactions. By means of lag sequential analysis, we quantify gossip patterns that point to the temporal and structural embeddedness of different types of workplace gossip expressions. Though exploratory, these findings help establish workplace gossip as a dynamic conversational event. We discuss future interdisciplinary research collaborations that behavioral observation approaches offer.

Why Talking Is Not Cheap: Adverse Events and Informal Communication

“…This information overflow cannot only be managed via formal information-sharing channels due to this lack of trust. As informal communications are not likely to put healthcare professionals’ jobs at stake and limit liability, informal communication (e.g., gossip) becomes the most viable option as a dynamic conversational event [ 54 ].…”

“…Firstly, it is more economical in terms of time and resources to share information with a person who already understands the wider context—as opposed to gossiping with non-work friends. Secondly, gossiping generates reciprocal feelings of belonging and closeness when sharing information with colleagues [ 54 ], via its function as a bonding mechanism for social groups [ 13 ]. Thirdly, sharing sensitive information helps engender meaningful relationships beyond those dictated by the work role and fulfils the need for a “work confidant/work buddy” [ 70 ].…”

“…In healthcare, it is critical that the context is taken into account, as, for example, regular handover meetings between shifts where formal and informal information is shared between colleagues [ 92 ]. Studies of conversations between colleagues are rare, but the existing data suggest that almost 50% of gossip is neither positive nor negative, but neutral [ 54 , 93 ]. Using neutral gossip adds weight to the idea that gossip serves important social functions beyond just information sharing.…”

A paradox‐constitutive perspective of organizational gossip

“…Organizational gossip sources (N = 69) (Aghbolagh et al, 2021;Babalola et al, 2019;Bai et al, 2020;Baker & Jones, 1996;Banerjee et al, 2014;Begemann et al, 2021;Ben-Hador, 2019;Bennett & Robinson, 2000;Brady et al, 2017;Burt & Knez, 1993;Carrim, 2019;Chang & Kuo, 2021;Clegg & van Iterson, 2009;Daily, 2018;Decoster et al, 2013;Dores Cruz et al, 2021;Einarsen et al, 2009;Ellwardt et al, 2012a;Ellwardt et al, 2012b;Ellwardt et al, 2012c;Fan & Dawson, 2021;Fan & Grey, 2021;Farley, 2011;Farley et al, 2010;Grosser et al, 2010;Grosser et al, 2012;Guo et al, 2021;Hafen, 2004;Hallett et al, 2009;Houmanfar & Johnson, 2003;Kim et al, 2019;Kim et al, 2021;Kniffin & Wilson, 2005Kulik et al, 2008;Kuo et al, 2015;Kuo et al, 2018;Kurland & Pelled, 2000;Lee & Barnes, 2021;Martinescu et al, 2019a;Martinescu et al, 2019b;Michelson & Mouly, 2000;Michelson & Suchitra Mouly, 2004;Michelson et al, 2010;<...…”

Peeling Away the Layers of Workplace Gossip: A Framework, Review, and Future Research Agenda to Study Workplace Gossip as a Dynamic and Complex Behavior

“…In terms of the degrees of granularity of workplace gossip, studies that explored specific gossip behaviors remain scarce (see Table 1). Only two studies investigated specific gossip events emerging within a conversation [25,80], and only one study additionally investigated gossip episodes [25]. About one-quarter of the reviewed studies investigated specific gossip conversations (e.g., [17]).…”