Rumor is unsubstantiated information that circulates in a social network by word of mouth. It can be true or false and it can affect the behavior of groups for good or bad — and in many cases it is a mixture of both. Rumors thrive on the unknown and the unexplained, and they spread rapidly through a community for a variety of reasons. Sometimes rumors cause serious harm, such as by encouraging rioting in the aftermath of an earthquake or by causing panic in the face of an impending hurricane. In the workplace, rumor can be an especially dangerous and destructive force because it can undermine morale.
One of the chief causes of rumor is inefficient communication within organizations. When management fails to give employees full and complete information, or when it withholds the truth, it gives rise to wild speculation and unsubstantiated rumor that can spread quickly through the grapevine. The problem is compounded when there is an emotional element attached to the rumor. A rumor that centers on negative news, such as the firing of a key employee or the loss of a lucrative contract, can have disastrous effects.
In a study of four organizations, Knapp found that open, two-way communication between supervisors and lower-level employees significantly reduced the level of rumor that was passed down. However, the grapevine will still exist. This reflects human nature and the fact that there will always be a certain level of distortion in communication. The best approach to rumor control is to encourage open communication and to make sure that the management communicates bad news in a clear and straightforward manner.
Several studies have been conducted to explore how people discuss rumors in naturalistic settings using the Internet and other computer networks such as BITnet. These studies have been able to use sophisticated analytical tools and techniques to examine the nature of rumor discussions and the ways in which they are supported by the participants.
One recent study examined the use of social media in the process of investigating a rumor that had emerged in the aftermath of the 2011 Japan earthquake. This study involved analyzing a number of archived Twitter conversations about the rumor that the rain in the aftermath of the earthquake might contain harmful chemicals. The researchers used a sophisticated analysis tool to code tweets that referenced the rumor and to identify which ones were supported by other tweets. They also looked at retweet patterns to see how the rumor was being spread and confirmed.
The results of the study showed that there was a four-stage pattern to the discussion of the rumor. It was supported by some tweets, denied by others and eventually pushed out of the network by later corrections. This is typical of rumor discussion and underscores the importance of accurate information and the importance of keeping the channels of communication open in order to minimize the damage caused by a rumor. The study also demonstrated that it is possible to identify patterns in rumor diffusion and to develop methods for predicting how a rumor will develop and disseminate.