Leaders Find Hearsay More Credible Than Firsthand Reports.

The article describes new research that shows how in workplace misconduct investigations, managers often treat secondhand reports as more credible than firsthand accounts, despite claiming the opposite. Analyzing 2 million employee reports from 2004 to 2017, the study found that secondhand reports were nearly twice as likely to be substantiated, as managers perceived these reporters as motivated by helpfulness and having vetted the information. The findings suggest organizations should adjust policies to recognize the value of secondhand information and encourage employees to report useful insights, even if they were not directly involved.