A Case Study on the Grapevine and Its Effectiveness in Supplementing the Formal Channels of Communication in North Davao Mining Corporation

Abstract

The grapevine is an informal channel of communication in an organization. It is the transmission of messages from one person to another, existing largely by work of mouth. Every organization has its grapevine, for no other reason than that not all messages are suitable for dissemination through the official and formal channel of communication. According to Keith Davis, “no administrator in his right mind would ever try to abolish the grapevine. It is as permanent as humanity is. It should be recognized, analyzed and consciously used for better communication. And since it is here to stay, people should learn to live with it.” However, people have strong and conflicting views regarding the effectiveness of the grapevine. Some people regard the grapevine as an evil – a thorn in the side which regularly spreads rumor, destroys morale and reputations, leads to irresponsible actions and challenges authority. Others regard it as a good thing because it acts as a safety valve and carries news fast. Others regard it as a very mixed blessing. Whether the grapevine is considered an asset or a liability, it is important for executives and subordinates to try to understand it. In this study, the researcher sought to find how the grapevine operates in North Davao Mining Corporation and how effective it is in supplementing the existing formal channels of communication and in achieving communication efficiency in the organization. The researcher handed out survey questionnaires, the first questionnaire to the five executives and the second questionnaire to the forty randomly selected subordinates (from the senior staff down to the rank-and-file). Questionnaire #1 contained four multiple-choice questions, all directed towards the management’s views and perceptions of the use of grapevine in NDMC and the effectiveness and accuracy of the grapevine as a transmitter of official information. Questionnaire #2 centered on three most recent and timely pieces of information namely 1) privatization of NDMC, 2) power outage due to NPAs and 3) changing of NDMC’s old office uniform. The basic approach was to find out from each respondent how and from whom he first learned (or did not learn) about the three pieces of information. All chains or sequences were plotted to find out any discernible pattern of communication for every piece of information. The purpose for tracing the flow of communication was to identify who among the forty respondents were constantly active in the grapevine and what common traits they have, if any. Those active in the grapevine were asked to quote the exact messages they had related to others. After gathering all the responses, the researcher verified and checked the accuracy of these responses by asking one of NDMC’s top executives to judge whether or not these responses were indeed true and accurate. From the results and responses of the respondents, the researcher has proven that the grapevine is indeed widely accepted and practiced in NDMC. It is relatively accurate, therefore, it affects communication efficiency in NDMC positively and favorably. It is effective because it is a fairly accurate source and transmitter of information and thus, can supplement the formal channels of communication in NDMC. As far as NDMC is concerned, the researcher’s hypothesis that the grapevine is effective in supplementing the formal channels of communication has been proven.