Purposeful Rumor-Mongering and Personal Reputation: Analyzing the Mediating Role of Political Networking and the Moderating effect of Negative Ambition

The present study aims to investigate the effect of purposeful rumor-mongering on personal reputation with respect to the mediating role of political networking and the moderating effect of negative ambition. This research is a field-causal description in terms of applied purpose and in terms of data collection and analysis methods. The statistical population consists of employees working in the Ilam governorate and affiliated units. Using a random sampling method based on organizational level, 420 people were selected as a research sample. Finally, 318 questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling based on the partial least squares approach. The results showed that purposeful rumor-mongering has a significant and positive effect on personal reputation and political networking. Furthermore, political networking has a significant and positive effect on personal reputation, and purposeful rumor-mongering through political networking has an indirect and positive effect on personal reputation. Finally, negative ambition was found to increase the effect of purposeful rumor-mongering on personal reputation. This research, while introducing a Purposeful rumoring strategy in the knowledge base of organizational behavior management, warns the managers of the Ministry of Interior against this political trick to build the personal reputation of the leader and develop the surrounding political networks.