Office Gossip: "Don't we have some work to do here?"

Link to November 2 New York Times article, "Office Gossip Strategies".

Excerpt: In a report published in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, [t]he lead author, Timothy Hallett, a sociologist at Indiana University, spent two years studying the institutional politics at an elementary school in a Midwestern city. During that time, Dr. Hallett videotaped formal meetings among a group of teachers (one representative of the teachers from each grade level) who convened regularly to discuss problems and policies.

The author, John Tierney, defines the two schools of thought:
1. Gossip is a useful tool for enforcing social rules and maintaining group solidarity.
2. Gossip is a hostile endeavor by individuals selfishly trying to advance their own interests.

Add this terminology to your vocabulary:
1. Praise the predecessor.
2. Pre-emptive positive evaluation.

Classic soul twin spin!

Great music. Caveman lyrics.