Dealing With Negative Workplace Gossip: From the Perspective of Face

Zong, Boqiang; Xu, Shuo; Zhang, Lihua; Qu, Jinzhao

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.629376

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 88 publications

(152 reference statements)

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“…Indeed, a follow-up question could be whether this more considerable amount of negative gossip detected may be caused by brokers sending more negative gossip in the first place (or the other way around). There is evidence that individuals who are targets of negative gossip respond to it by engaging in negative gossip ( Zong et al, 2021 ). Consequently, we cannot discard the possibility of self-reinforcing dynamics: one part starts spreading negative gossip about the other, the latter learns about it and follows suit, etc.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the last few years, organization researchers have shown an increasing interest in workplace gossip ( Kniffin and Wilson, 2005 ; Michelson et al, 2010 ; Mills, 2010 ; Kong, 2018 ; Kuo et al, 2018 ; Wu et al, 2018 ; Beersma et al, 2019 ; Dores Cruz et al, 2019b ; Fan and Grey, 2020 ; Lee and Barnes, 2021 ; Spoelma and Hetrick, 2021 ; Tan et al, 2021 ; Zong et al, 2021 ). One reason for this attention lies in the acknowledgment that gossip is a behavior that can have both “bright” and “dark” effects on a firm’s dynamics ( Brady et al, 2017 ; Dores Cruz et al, 2019b ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brokering or Sitting Between Two Chairs? A Group Perspective on Workplace Gossip

Estévez

Takács

2022

Front. Psychol.

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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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brokering or Sitting Between Two Chairs? A Group Perspective on Workplace Gossip

Estévez

Takács

2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…Similar previous findings reported that perceived negative events from work environments intensify feelings of sadness, anger, distress, desire for revenge, unethical behavior, which subsequently stimulates deviant behaviors with others (Arain et al , 2021; Cheng et al , 2020; Guo et al , 2021; Murtaza et al , 2021; Pereira and Mohiya, 2021; Yao et al , 2020; Zhu et al , 2021). Although numerous extant studies have explored targets’ cognitive and affective reactions-related behaviors due to negative gossip (Arain et al , 2021; Babalola et al , 2019; Liu et al , 2020; Zong et al , 2021). One study (Cheng et al , 2020) used ego depletion as a cognitive reaction in the process above, which is still limited for preventing existing resources due to the devastating effects of negative gossip on this reaction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Targets’ hostile and negative consequences are activated after learning gossipers’ norm violation and negative talk because it is highly detrimental for reputations and impedes career advancement and development (Brady et al , 2017; Liu et al , 2020). Several recent studies argued that targets’ negative gossip detrimentally increases emotional exhaustion (Wu et al , 2018b), negative mood (Babalola et al , 2019) and anxiety (Zong et al , 2021), which, in turn, consume emotional resources. When these resources are depleted but cannot be replenished, targets may experience ego depletion (Baumeister et al , 2007; Hagger and Chatzisarantis, 2016).…”

Section: Theoretical Underpinning and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why and how targets’ negative workplace gossip exhort knowledge hiding? Shedding light on organizational justice

Khan

Akram

et al. 2022

JKM

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Purpose Extant scholars identified negative workplace gossip as a social stressor that negatively influences employees’ behavior and attitude. Despite the burgeoning interest in workplace stressors, limited studies have explored how the detrimental consequences of targets’ perceived negative workplace gossip spur their emotions and behaviors. Grounding on conservation of resources and ego depletion theories, this study aims to investigate why and how targets’ negative workplace gossip may contribute to trigger knowledge hiding. Specifically, the authors explore the underlying mechanism of personal ego depletion and boundary conditions of organizational justice to shed new light on the above process. Design/methodology/approach Using two time-wave survey, the authors collected 340 sample data from employees working in high-tech companies of China. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine hypothesized relationships of moderated mediation model. Findings The empirical results revealed that negative workplace gossip exacerbates knowledge hiding by increasing personal ego depletion. Furthermore, through testing moderated mediation model, the results showed that organizational justice (i.e. distributive and procedural justice) with the low presence moderates the stronger strength of the linkage between negative workplace gossip and personal ego depletion, and likewise, it also moderates the stronger effect of negative workplace gossip on knowledge hiding via personal ego depletion. Practical implications This study recommends several guidelines for managers and practitioners to mitigate negative gossip by strengthening organizational justice. Originality/value This study first enriches novel understanding in the literature between negative workplace gossip and knowledge hiding by using a new emotional mechanism (i.e. personal ego depletion). This research also contributes new insights by incorporating contextual boundary conditions (i.e. organizational justice) that have not been yet researched on negative gossip and knowledge hiding linkage.

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“…Given the abovediscussed characteristics, negative workplace gossip may trigger more detrimental consequences. Previous studies have shown that negative workplace gossip can cause great distress to the targets and have a negative impact on their work behaviors and attitudes (Ye et al, 2019;Cheng et al, 2020;Yao et al, 2020;Ullah et al, 2021;Zong et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative workplace gossip and turnover intention among Chinese rural preschool teachers: The mediation of ego depletion and the moderation of bianzhi

Wang

2022

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionIn China, the high turnover rates of teachers have become one of the biggest obstacles to the development of rural preschool education. Objective: Based on the social information processing theory and the strength model of selfcontrol, this study examined the relationship between negative workplace gossip and turnover intention and the role of ego depletion and bianzhi in this relationship.MethodsThe questionnaire method was applied, and 411 rural preschool teachers in Hubei Province, China, participated in the survey.ResultsThe correlation results showed that negative workplace gossip was positively correlated with ego depletion, and ego depletion was positively correlated with turnover intention. After controlling for age, negative workplace gossip positively predicted turnover intention. The mediation analysis indicated that ego depletion played a mediating role in the relationship between negative workplace gossip and turnover intention. Moreover, the mediation effect was moderated by bianzhi. Negative workplace gossip had a stronger effect on the ego depletion of teachers without bianzhi than on that of teachers with bianzhi.ConclusionThe current research is the first to clarify that ego depletion mediates the relationship between negative workplace gossip and turnover intention, and the mediation effect is moderated via bianzhi. These findings expand our understanding of the influential factors and formation mechanisms of turnover intention. In practice, this study provides a novel perspective for policymakers and administrators to reduce the turnover intention among rural preschool teachers in China.

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Dealing With Negative Workplace Gossip: From the Perspective of Face

Cited by 14 publications

References 88 publications

Brokering or Sitting Between Two Chairs? A Group Perspective on Workplace Gossip

Brokering or Sitting Between Two Chairs? A Group Perspective on Workplace Gossip

Why and how targets’ negative workplace gossip exhort knowledge hiding? Shedding light on organizational justice

Negative workplace gossip and turnover intention among Chinese rural preschool teachers: The mediation of ego depletion and the moderation of bianzhi

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