Grapevine communication is an informal horizontal communication where generally peer groups participate in; it is usually classified in chains - single strand, gossip, probability and cluster (Business Communication, n.d.). From its name, single-strand grapevine communication is a straightforward transmission of a message between two members of an organization on the same level of their responsibilities. Just like any environment where members of one group integrate as socially interdependent elements, there may arise such type of horizontal communication as a gossip chain. Such chain implies that a piece of information about a particular person, or group of people, or any other occur, is being transmitted among a certain social circle with no strong evidence of its validility. Probability and cluster chain has much aspects alike, as they both imply the transmission of information among a particular "cluster" of group members, which not always carries a message of significance.
The drawbacks of grapevine communication include the effects on the messages transmitted in an organization. It may potentially spread gossip about other employees or management, which spoils the right and respectful relationships among people. On the one hand, the spread of disinformation may unify those social circles that are like-minded, but on the other hand may be an impetus for future conflicts, disagreements, and disputes both on the corporational level and out of the scope of it. Nevertheless, it is essential to monitor such type of informal communication to prevent the negative consequences of its drawbacks.
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