Question

What does the textbook recommend that corporate leaders should do with the organizational grapevine?

A. Eliminate it entirely
B. Ignore it
C. Embrace and manage it
D. Outlaw informal communication

Answer 1

Corporate leaders should embrace and manage the organizational grapevine, understanding its role within the organization, and use it as a tool for official communication to address concerns and rumors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The textbook recommends that corporate leaders should embrace and manage the organizational grapevine, rather than trying to eliminate or ignore it.

Given the informal nature of the grapevine, it is recognized that trying to outlaw informal communication within an organization is impractical and potentially harmful to morale and trust within the company.

Instead, leaders should focus on understanding the grapevine and using it to their advantage by listening to the concerns and rumors that spread informally and responding with official communication to address any misinformation or to reinforce positive messages.