How Gossip Leads to a Dysfuctional Work Environment
How Gossip Leads to a Dysfunctional Workplace
Ronnetta Marchand-Collins
University of Redlands
How Gossip Leads to a Dysfunctional Workplace When starting a new job, new hires expect to be greeted with happy faces and cheerfully welcomed to the company. While working in a small company, the Trainer or Office Manager usually takes the new employee around the office and introduces that person to everyone and explains what their primary duties consists of, where to find supplies, and who to go to in need of help, etc. Usually, the first day is very laid back and one can say it was an awesome day and they look forward to what tomorrow brings. However, what if that day started off as the complete opposite? What if that day began with the Trainer or Office Manager taking the new hire around and telling them who all of their new co-workers are, the positive and negative aspects about each person, discussed personal information including that of family relationships and leaves this day being exhausting; It causes the new employee to second guess if this is an awesome place to work after all (Orzoco, 1994). Gossip often leads to a dysfunctional workplace. Ultimately, gossip focuses on the negative views of one person or one group of people and can cause a viral effect of employee tensions, communication deficiencies, and the two together are bad for morale. According to Baker (1996), Janet Woititz once wrote in a book titled Home away from Home, “In many ways, the workplace is home away from home. Co-workers become siblings and the people in authority take on the role of parent” (Baker, 1996). This is often the case when working in a small company and because of this, friendships and/or groups are formed and it is understood that communication lines are open and people are free to express themselves to their peers, rather it be positive or negative. Trust should never be an issue, right? Wrong! Because the workplace is now looked at like a “Home
Ronnetta Marchand-Collins
University of Redlands
How Gossip Leads to a Dysfunctional Workplace When starting a new job, new hires expect to be greeted with happy faces and cheerfully welcomed to the company. While working in a small company, the Trainer or Office Manager usually takes the new employee around the office and introduces that person to everyone and explains what their primary duties consists of, where to find supplies, and who to go to in need of help, etc. Usually, the first day is very laid back and one can say it was an awesome day and they look forward to what tomorrow brings. However, what if that day started off as the complete opposite? What if that day began with the Trainer or Office Manager taking the new hire around and telling them who all of their new co-workers are, the positive and negative aspects about each person, discussed personal information including that of family relationships and leaves this day being exhausting; It causes the new employee to second guess if this is an awesome place to work after all (Orzoco, 1994). Gossip often leads to a dysfunctional workplace. Ultimately, gossip focuses on the negative views of one person or one group of people and can cause a viral effect of employee tensions, communication deficiencies, and the two together are bad for morale. According to Baker (1996), Janet Woititz once wrote in a book titled Home away from Home, “In many ways, the workplace is home away from home. Co-workers become siblings and the people in authority take on the role of parent” (Baker, 1996). This is often the case when working in a small company and because of this, friendships and/or groups are formed and it is understood that communication lines are open and people are free to express themselves to their peers, rather it be positive or negative. Trust should never be an issue, right? Wrong! Because the workplace is now looked at like a “Home
References: Baker, J. S. (1996). The poison grapevine: how destructive are gossip and rumor in the workplace? Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gossip Orzoco, D. (1994). Orientation. Retrieved from http://nomrad.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/orientation.pdf 1507