Knowledge Transfer and Rumour – Have We Missed Something?

Knowledge Management places informal social networks in a positive light. Established ties between people enable communication and knowledge transfer to take place. Key Knowledge Management concepts such as Communities of Practice and Social Network Analysis reinforce further the value placed in the social networks. Yet disciplines such as psychology and sociology have been examining rumour and gossip within the ‘grapevine’ since World War Two. This work has often stressed the negative consequences of rumour and gossip. Contrasting knowledge transfer and rumour provides the basis for a healthy dialogue between the two areas of study.