Who Is Telling the Truth? Deceptive Communications in Organizations and How to Prevent It

Abstract

Deceptive communication is ubiquitous within organizations with low detection accuracy. Deceptive communication might be harmless but some of them could cause malevolent consequences. Thus, detecting and preventing deceptive communication is an essential part of organizations. This paper first gives a definition of deceptive communication, then conducts a conceptual framework based on previous studies in related areas which offered practical methods that help to detect and prevent deceptive communication within organizations. The dispute between Tencent Holdings and Lao Gan Ma Chili Sauce company is then analyzed according to the framework. The dispute was a fraud that cost Tencent Holdings millions of dollars as a consequence of deceptive communication. The findings from the literature review and case studies will be presented in the conclusion, as well as the limitations of this paper.