Exploring workplace gossip from the perspectives of Taiwanese women who engage in business socialization (Yingchou).

Abstract

Despite the wealth of research available on gossip, its application into understanding organizational behaviours has been limited. This study addresses the gap in literature through a qualitative exploration of the interaction between workplace gossip and business socialization. Nine Taiwanese women (mean age = 35) with business socializing experience were interviewed. Content analysis was conducted using the Spradley (1979) method. Findings indicated that socializing for business is perceived to be a masculine activity, so women run a higher risk of being gossiped about when they engage in it. In addition, the majority of gossip tended to be negative, and focused on social blunders committed. Supporting the view that women are disadvantaged when working in male-dominated environments, it was also found that gossip contained references to the negative stereotype that women exploit their femininity during socializing. To avoid gossip, women exhibited counter-stereotypic behaviours through the adoption of various impression management strategies. Practical implications of these results are discussed from the perspective of the functions that gossip can serve in maintaining the status quo of the organization.