Reassessment of Rumour, exemplified from the Group Relations Perspective

Rumour is usually deemed harmful to individuals as well as damaging to the community and therefore something to disapprove of. This article contains a reassessment of rumour: as truly creative - though not always conscious - political and social behaviour which improves the chances of survival for the community as a whole, if not for every one of its members.

To this end the author observes and reflects on a variety of examples of rumour-related incidents from a laboratory-like setting: some Group Relations conferences where this political and social behaviour was particularly persistent. The examples are presented in the order that a typical Group Relations conference forms, evolves and comes to an end.

The psychological significance of rumour is exemplified in the way it:

• helps people to orient themselves efficiently in an as yet undefined social space;

• informs people about ‘here-and-now’ where or when they have been absent;

• facilitates the modelling of behaviour; and

• diverts the hate of having to live within the boundaries of task, time and territory.

The political and social significance of rumour is exemplified in the way it:

• provides people with conversation topics;

• helps members to bridge the distance between their subgroups; and

• carries the individuals' modulation of social defences.

In the final conclusion it is suggested that attempts to effectively suppress rumour in an organisation will lead to a breakdown or explosion of the community within.