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and the people who control it. They should not, however, use it as a formal communication
channel. Inaccurate messages must be countered with the truth as soon as possible.
There are four common grapevine configurations. The most common is the cluster chain.
Through it, an initiator—A, in this case—sends a message to a cluster, or group, that consists
of B, E, and L. Through their own connections these three send the message to others. Each
party involved usually distorts the message. Not all recipients carry the message to others. If a
recipient has no interest in a grapevine communication or disagrees with it, he or she probably
does not repeat it.

A B C D

Single Chain

Gossip Random

Cluster

Figure 3 – Four common grapevine configurations

Types of Message Change
Rumors undergo three types of message change:
1. leveling – the process whereby some details are omitted,
2. sharpening – the exaggerating of certain parts of rumor,
3. assimilation – the way people distort messages to accord with their own view of things.