Rumors in organizational communication: a nightmare for HR managers

TLDR: In this article, the authors highlight the menace posed by rumors, the motivations for employees to engage in rumormongering, and possible ways to manage the spread of these rumors.

Abstract: Purpose Employees often engage in informal interpersonal communication within organizations. Such communication is essential for creating a better work environment. While there are documented advantages of such communication, often, such communication is plagued by rumors. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the menace posed by rumors, the motivations for employees to engage in rumormongering, and possible ways to manage the spread of these rumors. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws from published literature on rumor research to illustrate the menace of rumors within organizational contexts, motivation to engage in rumormongering, and possible management strategies. Findings The paper identifies the menace of rumors in organizations, illustrates the reasons why employees share rumors, and discusses the possible methods to manage the spread of rumors. Originality/value Rumor propagation in organizations is an extremely dynamic process. The key element in rumor management is the swiftness and agility in intervention and management of rumors using strategies described in this paper. HR managers can monitor conversations to identify potentially harmful rumors and tackle this menace.