Brokering or sitting between two chairs? A group perspective on workplace gossip

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F22%3A00135030" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/22:00135030 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815383/full" target="_blank" >https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815383/full</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815383" target="_blank" >10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815383</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Brokering or sitting between two chairs? A group perspective on workplace gossip

Original language description

Brokerage is a central concept in the organization literature. It has been argued that individuals in broker positions—i.e., connecting otherwise disconnected parts within a firm’s social network—can control the flow of information. It would imply their increased relevance in workplace gossip. This allegation, however, has not been addressed empirically yet. To fill this gap, we apply social network analysis techniques to relational data from six organizations in Hungary. First, we identify informal groups and individuals in broker positions. Then, we use this information to predict the likelihood with which positive or negative gossip is reported. We find more gossip when the sender and receiver are part of the same group and more positive gossip about in-group rather than out-group targets. Individuals in broker positions are more likely the senders and targets of negative gossip. Finally, even if both the brokers and the boss(es) are the targets of their colleagues’ negative gossip, the combination of the two categories (bosses in broker positions) does not predict more negative gossip anymore. Results are discussed in relation to the theoretical accounts on brokerage that emphasize its power for information control but fail to recognize the pitfalls of being in such positions.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50401 - Sociology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Frontiers in Psychology

ISSN

1664-1078

e-ISSN

1664-1078

Volume of the periodical

13

Issue of the periodical within the volume

08 July 2022

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

16

Pages from-to

1-16

UT code for WoS article

000832689700001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85134673850