by Ry Moore

Created on: January 25, 2009

Gossip in the workplace is a common phenomenon whose significance varies with the atmosphere and culture of the workplace itself.

Gossip can be both passive and aggressive: it is passive when its occurrence is due to the transmission of "secret" tit-bits of information which the sender believes may be useful to the receiver. It is aggressive when the sender of the information is doing so to deliberately isolate or harm the receiver or a third party. Nevertheless an integral part of the informal communication network in the workplace is gossip and gossiping. Sometimes we refer to that particular network as the grapevine or more saucily as a birdie (or a fly) on the wall'.

Even though gossip is generally portrayed as a sinister character in the movie of social life and interaction; one ought not to conceive that all gossip is damaging and in itself unethical. Indeed gossip has served as an eye-opener to the goings on in the workplace, which for some strange reason people were afraid to discuss in the "open". Gossip has also been the fuel for initiating social responsibility and reinforcement of moral duty.

Whether we like it or not women has used the gossip tool to their advantage and to take an advantage over men. It is a major part of their social network as it is used to compare notes and trade stories about their men's strengths, weaknesses and inabilities. They have also used it disseminate the unprintable and unrepeatable episodes of failed medical and esoteric treatments and experiments on their bodies.

Men on the other hand have always viewed gossip negatively (since more often than not they are the targets of its aggressive intent). In fact the common trend is than men who invest heavily in the gossip network are referred to in less than manly' terms. This is not to say that when come together in their own little social groups, such as at the bar, the racetrack, the sports locker, and wherever else, that they don't gossip. Men do gossip! Men do their gossiping in very tight circles using very complex codes... if you are not a part of that group then you just wouldn't get the hot gossip of the day.

By simple analysis we make conclude that workplaces with a large percentage of women is more likely to be plagued with gossip, gossiping and rumor than one which has a more favourable balance. Indeed where there is a breeding ground for mischief, malcontent, jealousy and cut-throat ambition... one should expect the larvae of gossip to spawn rapidly.

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