Lea Ellwardt (2011) : Gossip in Organizations. A Social Network Study

gossipWho are the objects of positive and negative gossip at work? How does (dis)trust of employees in managers influence gossip about managers? Is gossip used as a means of covert resistance against managers? How does the combination of social relationships in the employee network affect positive and negative gossip? Does gossip facilitate strong informal relationships, such as friendships, between employees? This book tackles these and similar questions.

Supervisors: Rafael Wittek, Christian SteglichRudi Wielers

Thesis defended: June 30, 2011

Journal publications from this project:

  1. Ellwardt, L., C. Steglich and R. Wittek (2012). The Co-evolution of Gossip and Friendship in Workplace Social Networks. Social Networks 34 (4): 632-.
  2. Ellwardt, L., R. Wittek, R. Wielers (2012). Talking About the Boss: Effects of Generalized and Interpersonal Trust on Workplace GossipGroup and Organization Management 37 (4): 519-547.
  3. Ellwardt, L., J. Labianca, R. Wittek (2012). Who Are the Objects of Positive and Negative Gossip at Work? A Social Network Perspective on Workplace Gossip. Social Networks 34 (2), 193-205.