GOSSIP AND PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION DAMAGE AMONG UNIVERSITY TEACHERS: A SURVEY STUDY

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the spread of gossip and its impact on
professional reputation among university teachers, controlling for designation,
gender, and institution type.
Design of Study: Cross-sectional research design.
Place and duration of the study: from 1st September 2024 to 1st June 2025at
COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus.
Sample and Method: A sample of 210 participants, both males and females, with
ages ranging from 25 to 55, completed standardized self-report survey
questionnaires
Results and Conclusion: Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was
conducted to assess group differences. Considerable disparities in gossip effects
on reputation of faculty members were found based on the university type
(private or public), gender, and professional rank. Findings shows that gossip
had a significant impact on the perceived professional competence, career
progression, collaborative interaction, and social connectedness, and the effects
of gossip varied across demographic and organizational groups. The results are
especially focused on the idea that associate professors in a private institution,
particularly women, were the most affected by reputational and relational harm.
This allows concluding that gossip is more likely to be used as a means of
exclusion and control in a competitive academic environment, hence its critical
but overlooked role in educational workplaces and its unequal distribution along
the gender and institutional lines.