Rumor v. Gossip

I have often called gossip the dark side of informal communication. The term informal communication is usually associated with an organization where communication has both formal and informal dimensions. Informal communication has a lot to do with the social networks within an organization and the word grapevine used as a synonym. Informal communication can be very important to the success of an organization because it is almost always faster than formal communication. Additionally informal communication has the advantage of candor but also the potential problem of inaccuracy.

Rumor is another form of informal communication. Rumor can be defined as spreading and collecting information through the grapevine. Gossip, as I am defining it in this blog, can be spread by way of rumor. However, while it is easy and often common place to use the words rumor and gossip interchangeably, they can be distinctly separate activities. Gossip is defined as malicious communication about a person or persons. Rumors do not have to be personal in nature as they often involve organizational activities, technical information, changes in organizational strategy and other matters of importance to individuals within the organization.