How Workplace Gossip Shapes Interpersonal Relationships: A Qualitative Study from the Gossip Recipient’s Perspective

Although preliminary research implies a tantalizing association between workplace gossip and interpersonal relationships, little is known about how shapes relationships at work. Given that are integral to employee wellbeing the development of social capital, it appears vital develop more comprehensive understanding psychological processes linking relationships. To this end, we induce theory from qualitative evidence regarding whereby in workplace. Taking under-researched perspective recipient, our study draws on multi-source data explore recipients’ experiences incidents affect their dyadic with gossipers targets. We find interpretations gossipers’ intentions—prosocial, self-serving, or genuine—initiate three distinct engender range relational outcomes, decreased trust close connections. In describing these nuanced associated provide insights extend enrich challenge conventional assumptions gossip.