1. Grapevine Communication
Presented By
Masum Chowdhury
Manager, SBMD
Asiatic Laboratories Ltd.

2. What is Grapevine Communication ?
• A grapevine communication is a form of
informal communication by which people
communicates each other without any
formal line of communication.

3. Three may keep a secret,
if two of them are dead.
--Benjamin Franklin

4. What it is called Grapevine?
• Its called Grapevine because like that of
a grape vine. It is impossible to find the
origin of information which results in
spread of rumours.

5. Some statistics about grapevines
• 40% of information about the company is
received via the grapevine.
• Around 45% of this appears before the official
communication.
• 33% of job information arrives via the grapevine.

6. Grapevine has 3 main
characteristics • It is not controlled by management
• It is perceived by the most employees
as being more believable and reliable
• It is largely used to serve the selfinterest of those people within it.

7. The most powerful force in the
universe is gossip.

8. • Flexibility: There is no formal control on
grapevine.
For this reason, It is more flexible communication
system than any other ways of communication.

9. • Lack of control: Actually, there is no
managerial control over the grapevine
communication system. It is grown by itself.

10. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average
minds discuss events, weak minds
discuss people.”
― Socrates

11. • Rapid Communication: Grapevine
communication system is more faster than other
formal or informal channels of communication.

12. • No record: We can't keep any documentary
record or evidence of grapevine communication
system that can be shown or produced as future
reference.

13. • Used for self-interest : As grapevine
communication system is produced by gossip
and rumor, It is basically used for self-interest
of the employees of an organization.

14. “ Be less curious about people
and more curious about ideas.”
― Marie Curie

15. • Popular among employees: This
communication system is much popular among
the employees than other formal or informal
channels.

16. • Distortion: Distorting of real massage is one of
the major features of grapevine communication
system.
• In this communication process, information
passes rapidly man to man. That's why the
information losses its originality.

17. • Spontaneous:
Grapevine
is
basically
spontaneous.
It
passes
rapidly
and
spontaneously from top to bottom of the
organization. Here is no need to make any
effort to make it successful.

18. Advantages of grapevine
communication

19. • The first advantage of a grapevine
communication is the fact that information
through this channel is extremely fast.
• It spreads faster than wild fire.

20. • Another advantage of grapevine communication
is that it tends to bring a sense of unity among
employees of an organization when they meet to
share and discuss certain issues.

21. • In organizations, where formal communications
do
not
function
properly,
grapevine
communication comes to the rescue.

22. Disadvantages of Grapevine
communication

23. Proper words in proper places
make the true definition of a style.
Jonathan Swift

24. • Information received through grapevine
might not be true.

25. • Another great disadvantage of grapevine
communication is the fact that it can
damage an organization’s goodwill.

26. • Grapevine
communication
can
make
organizations lose a lot of money because
grapevine employees spend work hours talking
about the latest rumor circulating around them.

27. • Grapevine communication cannot be relied
on because it is not trustworthy. If not
managed properly, it can have serious
implications.

28. • “Great minds discuss ideas. Average
minds discuss events. Small minds
discuss people.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

29. Prepared By
Masum Chowdhury
Manager,
Strategic Brand Management Department
Asiatic Laboratories Ltd.
masum.pha@gmail.com,
+880-0171-7642874, +880-0193 7990014