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Grapevine Communication

Grapevine communication is an informal channel through which information flows throughout an organization regardless of authority levels, though it exists more at lower levels. Employees socialize during breaks and discuss organizational changes and manager attitudes. Grapevine has advantages like being inexpensive, rapid, and multidirectional, promoting two-way feedback and teamwork. However, it also has disadvantages like incomplete or distorted information spreading through hearsay, potentially lowering productivity or spreading negative information that is difficult for management to control.

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Halima Sadia
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59 views2 pages

Grapevine Communication

Grapevine communication is an informal channel through which information flows throughout an organization regardless of authority levels, though it exists more at lower levels. Employees socialize during breaks and discuss organizational changes and manager attitudes. Grapevine has advantages like being inexpensive, rapid, and multidirectional, promoting two-way feedback and teamwork. However, it also has disadvantages like incomplete or distorted information spreading through hearsay, potentially lowering productivity or spreading negative information that is difficult for management to control.

Uploaded by

Halima Sadia
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grapevine Communication

Grapevine is informal channel of business communication. It is so called because information

flows all the way through the organization irrespective of authority levels. However it exist

more at lower levels. Members of staff socialize with each other during breaks in cafeteria; they

talk about changes taking place in the organization and the attitude of managers of the

organization. This form of communication has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

 Inexpensive: This type of information flow is inexpensive since it does not require a

formal channel, which makes it less time consuming as well and it spreads like a forest

fire in no time.

 Rapid: Information spreads quickly through grapevine in all direction. Since it is not

done through a formal channel therefore several steps required to drive the information

throughout the organization can be omitted.

 Multidirectional: Information flows in all directions horizontally, upward and downward

 Two-way communication: Grapevine helps in getting feedback faster; it also ensures

that the feedback is provided sincerely since it involves frank interaction.

 Promotes teamwork and unity: It develops social bound among employees as they

interact openly, and hence promotes team work and unity.


Disadvantages:

 Incomplete Communication: Grapevine is based on hearsay; therefore there is no

surety of information being conveyed completely.

 Distorted Information: Information travels through numerous people. Therefore,

throughout its propagating process, information may vary from person to person

resulting in incomplete or exaggerated information.

 Grapevine may have a negative impact on the productivity of employees as they may

spend more of their time in talking.

 Propagation of Negative Information: The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the

organization as it may carry false negative information about the high level people of

the organization

 Difficult to Control: Confidential information of an organization might get revealed

through grapevine, and then it becomes difficult for the management to stop it from

spreading throughout and outside the organization.

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