Rumours during change: what research says
Why do rumours multiply during reorganisation? The psychology of workplace rumour offers answers.
The framework
Nicholas DiFonzo and Prashant Bordia (1998, Human Resource Management) describe rumour as collective sense-making in uncertain, threatening situations, and review response strategies.
What feeds it
Uncertainty, anxiety and low trust in official sources drive transmission; denying without explaining is often ineffective.
The nuance
Recommendations rest on interviews and case studies more than workplace experiments. (our executive and employee training programmes)
The limit of common practice
Waiting until 'everything is decided' to communicate, leaving an information vacuum.
A practical check in Basel
During change, publish weekly what is decided, what is not yet and when it will be; track repeated questions to managers. To go further: explore the Communication training in Basel, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.
In pictures: Communication in Basel
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