Carl Smith overheard that Joe Dunn was blowing the whistle on managers at XYZ Company and that a full story would appear in Sunday's paper. Carl quickly alerted the managers, who were able to stop the newspaper from printing the article. This is an example of managers'
A) ignoring the grapevine.
B) involving the grapevine as a useless communication network.
C) trying to eliminate the grapevine.
D) using the grapevine as a managerial tool.
E) reducing the credibility of information from the grapevine.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario shows managers using the grapevine as a tool to obtain information and prevent negative consequences for the organization. Carl Smith was able to use the grapevine to alert managers of the impending story, allowing them to take action and prevent its publication. This demonstrates that the grapevine can be a useful tool for managers to gather information and respond to potential threats or opportunities.

Carl Smith Overheard That Joe Dunn Was Blowing the Whistle