Grapevine Communication: Advantages and Disadvantages
March 21, 2013 by Facevalue · 1 Comment
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What is grapevine communication? By definition, grapevine is a form of informal communication that is usually based on rumors. In an organization setting, grapevine communication is prevalent at the lower levels of an establishment or organization. Many have asked why such type of communication is called grapevine.
The reason Grapevine communication is called ‘grapevine’ is because of its similarity to a grape vine. If you know grape vines then you’d know one interesting thing about them, which is the fact that it is extremely difficult to find its origin. Same can be said about grapevine communication because it is all based on rumors. The origin of the information might never be known.
A typical example of grapevine communication in an organization or establishment is conversations that go on between co-workers during lunch breaks, on their way home from work or even in company parking lots.
In this brief article on grapevine communication, we are going to take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of grapevine communication.
Advantages of grapevine communication
1. The first advantage of a grapevine communication is the fact that information through this channel is extremely fast. Many have said of grapevine communication to be one of the fastest forms of communication. It spreads faster than wild fire.
2. Another advantage of grapevine communication is that it tends to bring a sense of unity among employees of an organization when they meet to share and discuss certain issues. Experts say that because of the nature of grapevine communication, it enhances group cohesiveness in many organizations all over the world.
3. Grapevine communication is an informal mode of communication but it plays an instrumental role in aiding the formal methods of...