Effective communication at the workplace can never be overemphasized. This is because it encompasses ensuring that information communicated is clear and understandable and decoded in its intended state by an individual completing the process. The general expectation in organizations is that all communication should happen through the official channels, however this is not always so. Research has concluded that un-official communication channels are common in most organizations. Un-official communication is known as grapevine. This article is going to discuss grape-vine and how it can be handled in organizations.
At the workplace they are a lot of employees coming from different backgrounds. As these employees interact during breaks and as they work at their work stations, they “talk”. It is in this talking that they discuss personal issues, social issues and work related issues. Normally when they discuss work related issues it will be based on their personal opinions and their intention may be to interact as people commonly termed “ Nhau Muchishanda.”(conversations whilst working) . However, some opinions and stories become so strong that regardless of whether they are facts or fiction, official or u-official they just find their way being discussed at all levels within the organization, and affecting the official communication processes. Whilst official communication channels serve to communicate instructions and information in the best interest of an organization, it is imperative to note that in un-official communication channels communication is equally vital as it satisfies the urge for employees to interact.
Grapevine can be defined as any information that flows through un-official communication channels within an organization. It is a communication channel not sanctioned by the organization and involves employees at all levels, and both past and current employees. The employees may discuss anything to do with the organization, its management and about fellow employees. According to research grapevine constitutes almost 50% of an organization’s communication. It is this prevalence of grapevine in organizations that has prompted this writer to share views about it at an organizational level.
Causes of Grapevine in Organizations.
One model that explains the causes of grapevine is the arrow model by Clampit. According to Clampit (2001) they are various models of communication, the individuals who use the arrow approach, assume that communication is a one way processes which can be likened to firing an arrow. The argument here is that where an individual takes a good aim they will surely hit the target. In this approach receivers of information or the listeners are taken as passive processors of information, with no input if at all. It is this misconception about communication which brings about ambiguities and thus give rise to informal communication or grapevine. This is because the individuals are not expected to give feedback, and as such they discuss among themselves in an effort to make sense out of the information shared. In some instances, the employees can end up coming up with their own stories based on their interpretation of information available. Further to the above model, the following can be argued to be the causes of grapevine at the workplace,
1. Unclear information or instructions- this occurs where management fails to fully avail information to subordinates as they give them instructions and share organizational related information. The information and instructions would be unclear and would leave gaps which employees try to fill as they discuss with their workmates.
2. Lack of follow on information shared- where the communicator does not follow up on information shared and does not solicit for feedback, information may not be decoded as it was intended. Employees end up interpreting the information as they think and want.
3. Excitement and Insecurity- When employees are anxious regarding their future, they tend to feel insecure and may become excited. Uncertainty pulls them to take part in grapevine.
4. Involvement of Friends and Associates-The grapevines are active when friends and associates are involved in the system. As such any information discussed between friends involved in the system and general employees end up finding its way into the grapevines.
Disadvantages of grapevine in organizations
Un-official communication tends to create panic amongst employees at the workplace. This is because where grapevine happens, individuals share information which may not be true and may create fear and panic amongst other employees. The information may not be complete and thus create confusion at the workplace. According to research, grapevine in organizations mostly carry information about how bad things are and how they may turn out for the worst. This tends to unsettle employees and affect their interaction and productivity.
Grapevine also creates uncertainty in organizations, this is because information that travels through grapevine tends to be distorted. The distortion happens as the information moves from person to person across the organization. The employees will end up with a lot of distorted information and uncertain on what the future might hold. This adds to their stress and thus affecting their working patterns.
Research has illustrated that grapevine tends to create tension between managerial employees and general workers in an organization. This is because when employees feel that they are not being given enough information pertaining to happenings in the organization, they will assume that management maybe hiding something. The rift that would be created by this may affect the management employee relations.
Benefits of grapevine in organizations.
Whilst grapevine at the workplace might have quite a number of negative effects as discussed in the foregoing paragraphs, it can also be a key element in aiding organizational communication. Grapevine can be used to make information available in organizations. According to research the best way to get information around the organization is through grapevine. This way information travels faster than the official channels. A research done by Aschale concluded that grapevine is an important source of information in organizations for both employees and management. However, this should be managed in order to avoid distortions as the information travels with the organization.
Grapevine can also be used to get instant feedback from the general employees about future decisions that the organization may want to make. This way management can filter the information through grapevine, just to get responses or views from employees before the decision is made.
Grapevine can also be an effective tool for gauging the industrial relations temperature in an organization. The argument here is that all issues that affect employees as they work and interact at the workplace are discussed through grapevine. So for management to stay two steps ahead, they can regularly tape in the channel and find out issues affecting the employees and work to resolve them. This argument is supported by Gibsonet and others in their 1991 research where they concluded that grapevine serves as a barometer providing vital feedback to management regarding the organization and its employees. They also highlighted that some managers try to stomp out the grapevine, but most theorists feel the grapevine indicates the deep psychological need people have to talk about their company and their jobs. (Davis, 1973). Thus an active grapevine is indicative of the company’s health and spirit and management can learn a great deal by listening to it.
Another benefit of grapevine in organizations is that it helps employees present Grievances. In many instances employees can’t make any complaints to superiors through formal communication. But informal communication gives the employees a better opportunity to raise their complaints, grievances or claim. The grievances will make rounds at the workplace until they reach the responsible offices where they can be investigated and resolved.
Through grapevine employee efficiency can be improved. This is because employees can freely exchange their opinions in terms of informal communication. They can ask any question without any hesitation. Thus a cordial environment is created to increase the efficiency of employees.
Managing grapevine at the workplace
Since grapevine is inherent in the workplace, it important for management to ensure that they keep close tabs on it such that it does not disrupt operational processes, and they manage it to get desired results. The following are the ways in which grapevine can be managed at the workplace.
1. Regularly share information with employees
This can be done through general meetings at least once a month where management share workplace information with all the employees so that they understand what the business intends to achieve and the part that they should play for the success of the organization. General meetings with almost every employee in attendance are an ideal setting for direct information flow between management and employees in an organization. These normally take the approach of management doing a business review of a company’s operations and then giving the employees an opportunity to suggest ideas, and ask questions for clarification. This way employees always have sufficient information on what would be happening in the organization.
2. Solicit for feedback whenever communication happens
It is important that management at all levels should ensure that whenever they communicate information and instructions, they should always make sure they solicit for feedback. This is meant to establish understanding of the information shared, so as to close any gaps and limit information distortion and lack of clarity
3. Clarity in communication
According to research for communication to be fully understood, it has to be as clear as possible. Clarity encompasses considering the receiver and making sure the information would be understood by them. This may encompass the use of simple language which is easy to make sense out of. This can be best illustrated by the 7Cs to communication, and these are explained as follows
- CLARITY — Be clear with your message, keep it simple.
- CONCISE — Least possible words to save time for sender and receiver.
- CORRECT — Accurate facts and figures, proper use of grammar, spelling & language.
- COMPLETE — Must convey all the facts required by the receiver.
- CONSIDERATION — Consider the audience and their requirements.
- CONCRETE — Be definite and specific, not vague.
- COURTESY — Think about the receiver, their viewpoints and be respectful.
4. Clarify false/distorted information
One of the best ways to handle grapevine in organisations, is for management to continuously pay attention to issues discussed through grapevine and once in a while clarify information which may be distorted and false in order to cut its spread and effects in the organisation.
5. Not paying attention to unnecessary information
Management should not pay attention to all the information making rounds through grapevine. It is important for management in organizations to note that not all information that circulates through grapevine is worthy paying attention to. As such some information that may not be detrimental to workflow processes can be ignored.
In conclusion, it is important for management to understand that grapevine is inherent in organizational communication. As such they should understand its causes, effects and disadvantages in order to be equipped when handling it. More so they should also understand that proper management of grapevine at the workplace can be beneficial to the organization.
