A paradox‐constitutive perspective of organizational gossip

We review cross-disciplinary research on gossip and integrate it with two streams of theoretical scholarship: paradox theory the communicative constitution organization (CCO) perspective. In doing so, we develop what label a paradox-constitutive perspective organizational gossip. Our holds that does not merely reflect or reveal paradoxes but contributes to constituting them. Drawing an extensive narrative literature (N = 184), conceptualize as socially constructed category interpersonal communication that, paradoxically, is regarded both exceptionally reliable unreliable source social information. turn, illustrate how this contradictory view engenders paradoxical tensions when surfaces in life, illuminate specific which contributes: resistance-authority inclusion-exclusion tensions. work has important implications for gossip, paradox, suggests intriguing directions future investigations.