Beersma Lab

Research focus

ERC Consolidator Grant · 2017

The unknown force: How gossip shapes the functioning and performance of organizational groups.

Aim: To radically change the field of gossip research, this project builds theory that connects divergent perspectives on the effects of gossip on work group outcomes. Background: Gossip, informal evaluative talk about absent third parties, is omnipresent in organizational groups. However, for scientists and practitioners alike, it is still an "unknown force" in organizations, because research findings about its effects on group functioning and performance are inconsistent. Whereas some studies point to the disruptive aspects of gossip, others claim it enhances group cooperation. Innovation: I present the Gossip Origins, Subsequent Social Information Processing, and Performance…

From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.