Management Techniques for Organizational Rumor and Gossip in Schools

Bünyamin Han

doi:10.21093/di.v21i1.3275

Abstract

This research aims to determine the techniques for effective management of organizational rumor and gossip in schools. Rumors are informal conversations circulating among the employees of the organization towards an event. Gossips are informal evaluative speech about people who are not present there. Rumors and gossips are common informal conversations, which should be managed by school administration. In this term, this research investigates the ways of managing them. The study is a phenomenological qualitative research carried out by conducting semi-structured interviews with 33 teachers in Diyarbakır, Turkey. The data were analyzed by using content analysis technique and some themes and categories were created. According to the research results, school administration should organize some informative seminars on awareness, communication and values in order to reduce the harmful aspects of rumor and gossip. The school administration should adopt a transparent management approach, establish a feedback mechanism, provide effective communication, operate formal communication channels and react to those who spread harmful rumor and gossip. The rumors and gossips can be used for organizational purposes such as; improving intimate relationships, recognizing the organization and employees, improving group cooperation and sincerity, understanding the hidden side of events, learning innovations and changes, learning how changes and practices are perceived, identifying deficiencies and problems in jobs, learning employee expectations.

Highlights

When people are staying and working in the same environment the interaction among them, becomes inevitable
It is possible to claim that when the rumor and gossip are effectively managed, they can be used in favor of the school management in a way that will contribute to the organizations
The research questions are following: 1) How do you think the harmful aspects of the rumors in schools can be reduced? 2) How do you think the positive aspects of the rumors in schools can be used in favor of the organization? 3) How do you think the harmful aspects of gossip in schools can be reduced? 4) How do you think the positive aspects of gossip in schools can be used in favor of the organization?

Summary

Socialization

Informative Seminars on Rumors The teachers who participated in the study stated that some seminars should be organized in order to reduce the harmful aspects of the rumors Under this theme, teachers expressed their opinions in the categories of “awareness trainings should be held, informative meetings should be held, communication and values seminars should be given”. Arrangement of the Organizational Environment The teachers in the research stated that the organizational environment of schools should be organized in order to reduce the harmful aspects of the rumors Under this theme, in order to reduce the harms of rumors, teachers expressed opinions in the categories of “effective communication should be ensured, transparent management should be adopted, formal communication channels should be activated and reaction should be given”. Providing Socialization The teachers who participated in the study stated that common social activities should be organized in order to reduce the harmful aspects of the rumors in schools.

Promotion of Spreading the good examples

Findings on Reducing the Harms of Gossip

Gossip source

Findings on Using the Positive Aspects of Gossip in Favor of the Organization

Socialization Ensuring group unity