Interesting research out of Washington State University found that “gossip influences if people receive advantages whether they work in an office in the U.S. or in India — or even in a remote village in Africa.” For example, “positive gossip concerning job-related behavior, such as saying the person worked well under pressure, increased the participants’ willingness to give a work-related benefit compared to gossip about family relationships.” Some people believe that gossip “serves as social bonding between the gossipers.” This study, however, suggests that “gossip is used competitively because it shows a direct relationship between gossip and the likelihood of receiving more resources.”
How Gossiping Impacts Who Gets Ahead
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