Gossiping At Administrative Level: A Qualitative Study In The Scope Of A Local Government

Given the limited literature on the intentional utilize of gossip by managers in local government organizations, this study explores whether gossip functions as a managerial instrument in these settings. Using an exploratory phenomenological research design, interviews were conducted with 20 managers from Kartepe Municipality (in Kocaeli, Turkey) to gather data for analysis. MAXQDA was employed to assist in the thematic analysis of interview transcripts. The analysis of the collected data reveals that managers do, in fact, utilize gossip for organizational and managerial purposes. Rather than solely attempting to suppress gossip, certain managers appear to engage with it intentionally, employing it as a strategic instrument to further their organizational or personal objectives. However, in some cases, even if administrators do not intentionally create or spread gossip, they may still benefit from it in one way or another. These results underscore the complex ole of informal communication in organizational management and suggest that gossip may be strategically employed to shape managerial decisions and relationships.