The Pros and Cons of Gossiping About a Workplace Leader

Gossip can be especially prevalent in organizations. While some people may view gossip as a way to vent or express frustration, others may use it as a rallying point against a common adversary. When employees gossip negatively about their supervisor or leader, it may provide them with a way to symbolically close the power distance and bring the leader down to their level. As common as workplace gossip is, few studies have examined potential outcomes. In this study, researchers (Zhong et al., 2024) investigated the effects that negative gossip had on employee work engagement and sense of control or power.

THE RESEARCH STUDY

The researchers collected data from over 300 participants in different organizations around the world. Each study used daily surveys collected for 10 consecutive days.

Across all three of their studies, the researchers found that when employees negatively gossiped about their leaders, they tended to be more concerned about their image, which reduced their work engagement. However, the gossip also led to a sense of power for those same employees. Only one study showed that the power could increase work engagement.

Additionally, as employees reported higher levels of organizational politics, the more their negative gossip led to concerns about their own image. As a result, they experienced decreasing levels of work engagement.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

If organizations want to mitigate the effects of negative gossip they should consider doing the following:

  • Create alternate ways for employees to gain a sense of control and power, for example, by providing autonomy or involving employees in decision-making processes. This may alleviate the need to gossip as a means of gaining power.
  • Seek to understand why employees are engaging in negative gossip – for example, due to underlying frustrations with leadership or policies. Organizations can then take steps to address grievances.
  • Work to decrease organizational politics, which can exacerbate the effects of gossip. For example, by rewarding employees based on merit rather than favoritism, organizations may be able to mitigate the negative effects of gossip.

 

Zhong, R., Tang, P. M., & Lee, S. H. (2024). The gossiper’s high and low: Investigating the impact of negative gossip about the supervisor on work engagement. Personnel Psychology, 77, 621-649.

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