Do rumours contribute to knowledge management - and will we ever know?

Abstract

Organisational rumour mongering and informal knowledge transfer share common characteristics. They both rely on informal social groups for communication. Uncertainty caused from changing environments leads to increased activity in both. The process of rumour mongering involves discussing content. Implicit in the informal knowledge transfer process is the same. Although they share characteristics, rumour and informal knowledge transfer are treated differently. The former is seen as negative and destructive while the latter is a positive influence. This paper reports on an empirical pilot study carried out at a university to see if organisational rumour contributes toward informal knowledge transfer. The discussion focuses on the challenges encountered and limitations of researching a sensitive area such as rumour.