Types of Communication

KIRTI SHIVAKUMAR
 Formal Communication
• Formal communication refers to interchange of information officially. The
flow of communication is controlled and is a deliberate effort. This makes it
possible for the information to reach the desired place without any
hindrance, at a little cost and in a proper way. This is also known as
‘Through Proper Channel Communication.’
 Chief Characteristics of the formal communication

Following are the chief characteristics of the formal communication:

• (1) Written and Oral: Formal communication can both be written and oral. Daily
works are handled through oral communication, while the policy matters require
written communication.
• (2) Formal Relations: This communication is adopted among those employees
where formal relations have been established by the organisation. The sender and
the receiver have some sort of organisational relations.
• (3) Prescribed Path:The communication has to pass through a definite channel while
moving from one person to another. For example, to convey the feelings of a worker
to the manager, the foreman’s help has to be sought.
• (4) Organisational Message:This channel is concerned with the authorised
organisational messages only and the personal messages are out of its jurisdiction.
• (5) Deliberate Effort: This channel of communication is not established automatically
but effort has to be made for its creation. It is decided keeping in view the objectives
of the organisation.
 Advantages

(1) Maintenance of Authority of the Officers

(2) Clear and Effective Communication
(3) Orderly Flow of Information
(4) Easy Knowledge of Source of
Information
 Disadvantages

• (1) Overload of Work

• (2) Distortion of Information
• (3) Indifferent Officers
Types of Formal Communication

Types of Formal Communication

Formal communication is of two types:

(1) Vertical Communication:

(i) Downward Communication
(ii) Upward Communication

(2) Horizontal Communication.

 Downward communication

• Downward communication is managers communicating to their

subordinates.
• Downward communication is the flow of information and messages
from a higher level inside an organization to a lower one.
• When leaders and managers share information with lower-level
employees, it is called downward, or top-down, communication.
• While downward communication may sometimes invite a response,
it is usually one-directional rather than reciprocal–the higher-level
communicator does not invite or expect a response from the lower-
level recipient.
 Examples of downward
communication
• Effective downward communication gives employees a clear
understanding of the message they have received. Whether
informative or persuasive, effective downward communication
results in the recipients taking action or otherwise behaving in
accord with the communicators’ expectation.

• In the workplace, directives from managers to employees are the

most basic form of downward communication.
– written manuals, handbooks, memos, and policies, or oral presentations.
– Another example of downward communication is a board of directors instructing
management to take a specific action.
– explaining an organization’s mission and strategy or explaining the organizational
vision.
 Benefits of effective downward
communication
• Business communication experts John Anderson and
Dale Level identified five benefits of effective downward
communication:
– Better coordination
– Improved individual performance through the development of
intelligent participation
– Improved morale
– Improved consumer relations
– Improved industrial relations
 EFFECTIVE DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

• Ensuring effective downward communication is not

necessarily an easy task.
• Differences in experience, knowledge, levels of authority,
and status can make it more likely that sender and
recipient do not share the same assumptions or
understanding of context, which can result in messages
being misunderstood or misinterpreted.
• Creating clearly worded and non-ambiguous
communications and maintaining a respectful tone can
overcome these issues and increase effectiveness.
 Upward Communication

• moves from lower to higher levels within an organization.

• the transmission of information from lower levels of an organization to
higher ones.
• the most common form is employees communicating with managers.
• Managers who are open to and encourage upward communication foster
cooperation, gains support, and reduces frustration among their employees.
• can include judgments, estimations, propositions, complaints, grievances,
appeals, reports, and any other information directed from subordinates to
superiors.
• often made in response to downward communication; for instance,
employees answering a question from their manager.
• In this way, upward communication indicates the effectiveness of a
company’s downward communication.
 Horizontal communication

• The term lateral communication can be used

interchangeably as horizontal communication.
• communication among people at the parallel or same
level, position, rank or statues people of the
organization.
• the communication that flows laterally within the
organization, involves persons at the same level of the
organization.
• normally involves coordinating information and allows
people with the same or similar rank in an organization
to cooperate or collaborate.
 Definition of horizontal
communication
• Ricky W. Griffin, “Horizontal communication involves colleagues and peers
at the same level of the organization.”
• Bartol and Martin, “Horizontal communication is lateral or diagonal message
exchange either within work –unit boundaries, involving peers who report to
the same supervisor or across-work unit boundaries, involving individuals
who report to different supervisors.”
• William A. Conboy, “Horizontal communication is the exchanges between
and among agencies and personnel on the same level of the organizational
chart.”
• Bovee and others, “Horizontal communication is the flow of information
across departmental boundaries, either laterally or diagonally.”
• Ivancevich and others, “Horizontal communication occurs when the
communicator and the receiver are at the same level in the organization.”
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
 Diagonal communication
• The sharing of information among different structural levels within a business.
For example, diagonal communication could involve higher level
management communicating to lower level management a shift in
organizational objectives, as well as the ensuing dialog about how best to
achieve the new goals.
• Diagonal communication refers to communication between managers and
workers located in different functional divisions (Wilson 1992).
• Although both vertical and horizontal communication continue to be
important, these terms no longer adequately capture communication needs
and flows in most modern organizations.
• The concept of diagonal communication was introduced to capture the new
communication challenges associated with new organizational forms, such as
matrix and project-based organizations.
•
 Diagonal Communication
• takes place between a manager and employees of other workgroups
is called diagonal communication. It generally does not appear on
organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a
training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire
about the way they perform their task.
 informal communication

• Informal communications methods share information casually within a social

group.
• The social group may be a family, a group of friends or colleagues or one or
more strangers.
• are not part of the formal structure of an organisation.
• include speaking to a person about the weather, writing an email about your
holiday, sending a birthday card or talking to someone at the grocery shop.
• can also be gestures (with no words). Informal communication in the workplace
is often called ‘the grapevine’.
• Informal communications are like relaxed conversations with friends. You do not
have to respond in writing.
• Usually, you do not have to respond at all. If you wish, you can just smile or nod,
and listen to the person talking.
 OBJECTIVES OF INFORMAL
COMMUNICATION
• to share information in a casual way.
• It may be to advise your family about your health, to tell a joke, or to share
the company of co-workers or friends.
• Informal communication is relaxing and reduces stress. There is often
laughter.
• Some managers use informal communications methods to find out what
staff honestly think about something, or to support formal communications
in the workplace.
• Some staff use informal communications methods to let their managers
know about their concerns, without having to put it in writing or speak to
them face to face.
 principle structure of informal
communication methods
• Informal communication methods have no principle structure and obey no
‘rules’.
• Informal communication typically goes randomly from one topic to another.
• This is why information communication is often called the ‘grapevine’ in the
workplace because information is passed on quickly from one person to
another like a grapevine grows.
• The risk with informal communications methods is that false information can
be passed on.
• Information that is spread on ‘the grapevine’ travels quickly and facts may
wrong or distorted.
• This can lead to the rapid spread of false rumours.
 Grapevine
• According to Bovee and Others, “Grapevine is an informal
interpersonal channel of information not officially sanctioned by the
organization.

• In the opinion of R.W. Griffin, “The grapevine is an informal

communication network that can permeate an organization.”

• Newstrom and K. Davis said, “Grapevine is an informal system

that arises spontaneously from the social interaction of the
organization.” Business Communication

• So, grapevine is an informal, unofficial and personal

communication channel or system that takes place within the
organization as a result of rumor and gossip.
• It is a complex web of oral information flow linking all the members
of the organization.
Patterns or Types of Informal
Communication or Grapevine

INFORMAL
COMMUNICATION

SINGLE STRAND PROBABILITY GOSSIP WHEEL CLUSTER

 Patterns or Types

• The grapevine does not have any definite pattern or direction, though
it is largely horizontal in nature. It can be effective horizontally,
vertically and even diagonally.

• Prof. Keith Davis, who has done some research work on the nature of
grapevine, has classified it into four basic types-
• Single Strand Chain
• Gossip Chain
• The probability chain
• Cluster Chain
 Single Strand Chain

• The single strand chain involves the passing of

information through a line of persons to the ultimate
recipient. In the figure, the person A tells B, who tells C,
who tells D, and so on, till the information has reached
most of the persons involved or concerned.
 Gossip Chain
• In the gossip chain, one person seeks and tells the information to
everyone. This chain is just like the wheel where one person stays
at the centre and the information passes along the spokes of the
wheel to others stationed on the rim.
• In the following figure, A is at the center and passes the information
to others staying on the rim of the wheel.
 The probability chain

The probability chain is a random process in which someone transmits the

information to others in accordance with the laws of probability and then these
others tell still others in a similar way.

This chain may also be called random process. The probability chain is shown
below-
 Cluster Chain:
• In the cluster chain, a person tells the information to the
selected persons who may in turn relay (pass) the information
to other selected persons. Most of the information
communication follows this chain. Cluster chain is shown in
the following figure-