Using diaries to explore the characteristics of work‐related gossip: Methodological considerations from exploratory multimethod research

Abstract

This paper examines the methodological considerations of diary methods, as used in exploratory multimethod research into the characteristics and function of gossip in nursing and health care organizations. There has, in the past, been a dearth of empirical research into the nature and role of gossip in organizations. Gossip is a disparate phenomenon, difficult to define, conceptually complex and resistant to paradigmatic summing up. However, research agendas are emerging in relation to gossip as both a social phenomenon, and also as an important aspect of organizational communication. This paper contributes to this emerging literature, arguing that diary methods offer a solution to the problems of researching the often private, unseen and unheard worlds of gossip in organizations. It is also argued that diary methodsaloneare insufficient, and that eclectic, multimethod research designs are necessary in order to manage the challenges associated with capturing and preserving the elusive nature of gossip.