Importance and Merits of Grapevine
Grapevine circulates those information, messages, opinions, and feelings that formal communication channel cannot carry. Because those messages are regarded either confidential, or the formal lines of communication are inadequate to spread those, or those are gossips in nature. Where informal communication channels are essential to fulfill the human communication needs, the grapevine is inevitable and valuable there. Indeed, an intelligent top manager would probably be wise to feed it accurate information, since it is very effective in achieving organizational goals. The following points will highlight the importance or merits of grapevine:
- Supplement to formal channels:
Grapevine plays important rule as a supplement to formal channels of communication. Grapevine channel can conveniently transmit those messages that cannot be transmitted through formal channels. Whenever a message is to be used quickly managers might get it processed on grapevine which may increase it like a jungle fire.
- Quick transmission of the message:
Grapevine can transmit and spread any message rapidly to the people involved in it. Since it is effective for quick communication, managers should encourage the transmission of information through grapevine. The information is given by top-level management under the formal system. It is simple for the employees to take the clarification by an informal system.
- Getting feedback:
Grapevine enables the executives to know what the subordinates think about the organization and its various activities by seeking feedback from them. It provides valuable feedback to the management if it is used intelligently. They can plan their actions to take decisions supportive to the employees.
Bringing organizational solidarity and cohesion: Existence of grapevine in organization proves that the employees are interested and happy with their associates. It imparts to the members of an organization a sense of belonging, status, self-respect and satisfaction that helps in bonging solidarity and cohesion in the organization. By understanding this fact, many managers consciously encourage grapevine and molds the morale of their employees.
- Relieving dissatisfaction of employees:
Sometimes decisions regarding promotion, retrenchments, retirement, salary, etc. may create dissatisfaction in the mind of the employees. Communication with aggrieved employees through grapevine relieves their dissatisfaction and provides mental satisfaction. It particularly helps translate management’s formal orders into employees’ language and in this. Way making up for the failure of the management in communication.
- Warning signal:
The Grapevine may also serve as precede warning signals for management of an emerging crisis or depressed action by workmen. Thus they increase by the information they received from the formal groups. They can consider the difficulty and its ways out well in advance in order tackling the problem competently.
- Morale Booster
Grapevine communication can proceed as a morale booster because it can be used efficiently by the management for transmitting good and optimistic ideas.
- Useful for Trade Unions:
It is helpful for trade unions. They use grapevine as a vital guide of communication for diffusion exciting news and irritating members for aggressive activities.
At last, we can conclude that the existence of grapevine as the informal channel of communication is essential to promote the efficient functioning of an organization. By realizing its importance and merits, intelligently manages consciously feed, water and cultivate the grapevine, rather than try to curb its growth.
