Rumour is one of the informal communication networks through which information flows among people. It is usually seen as cancer that should be avoided in any society. It is a social phenomenon that any society cannot survive without, yet it receives little attention from academic scholars. Literature has established that rumours are exaggerated and false accounts of events capable of causing riots, strikes, unrest, and even deaths in some cases; they have also been said to be among the likely causes of disunity, unnecessary panic/anxiety, and unproductivity among people. These scholars tend to build on the disadvantages and negative effects it has had on society, especially in organisations. This work, therefore, narrows its scope to organisational contexts and argues that, despite the pitfalls and negative perceptions of rumours, their benefits and significance in the organisational flow of information are enormous and vital for achieving organisational goals. Organisational rumours in this context cover rumours within (among employees) and/or outside (external publics) an organisation, which can affect its business activities and goals. This article critically reflects on rumours in organisations via extant literature, observation, and the Organisational Information Theory (OIT). It was discovered that rumours can be used to enhance the flow of information within and outside organisations as well as help in achieving set organisational goals. Hence, this article suggests that rumours can play a positive role in organisations.
Keywords: Rumours, Organisation, Organisational Communication, Information, Employees.
Umoren Olorunnisomo, C. (2019). Organisational Rumour: Can Anything Good Come Out Of It?. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/organisational-rumours-can-anything-good-come-out-of-it
Umoren Olorunnisomo, Comfort "Organisational Rumour: Can Anything Good Come Out Of It?" Afribary. Afribary, 08 Jul. 2019, https://track.afribary.com/works/organisational-rumours-can-anything-good-come-out-of-it. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Umoren Olorunnisomo, Comfort . "Organisational Rumour: Can Anything Good Come Out Of It?". Afribary, Afribary, 08 Jul. 2019. Web. 12 Mar. 2026. < https://track.afribary.com/works/organisational-rumours-can-anything-good-come-out-of-it >.
Umoren Olorunnisomo, Comfort . "Organisational Rumour: Can Anything Good Come Out Of It?" Afribary (2019). Accessed March 12, 2026. https://track.afribary.com/works/organisational-rumours-can-anything-good-come-out-of-it