Organizational

Communication
Types of Organizational
Communication
 Formal Communication

 Communication that follows the official chain of

command or is part of the communication
required to do one’s job.
 Informal Communication
 Communication that is not defined by the
organization’s hierarchy.
 Permits employees to satisfy their need for social
interaction.
 Can improve an organization’s performance by
creating faster and more effective channels of
communication.
Communication Flows

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Di
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w Lateral w
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d
 Direction of
Communication
Downward Flow
 Communications that flow from managers to
employees to inform, direct, coordinate, and
evaluate employees.
 Upward
 Communications that flow from employees up to
managers to keep them aware of employee
needs and how things can be improved to create
a climate of trust and respect.
 Direction of
Communication Flow
(cont’d)
Lateral (Horizontal) Communication
 Communication that takes place among
employees on the same level in the organization
to save time and facilitate coordination.
 Diagonal Communication
 Communication that cuts across both work areas
and organizational levels in the interest of
efficiency and speed.
 Types of Communication
Networks
Chain Network
 Communication flows according to the formal
chain of command, both upward and downward.
 Wheel Network
 All communication flows in and out through the
group leader (hub) to others in the group.
 All-Channel Network
 Communications flow freely among all members
of the work team.
Three Common Organizational
Communication Networks and How
They Rate on Effectiveness Criteria
The Grapevine
 An informal organizational communication
network that is active in almost every
organization.
 Provides a channel for issues not suitable for
formal communication channels.
 The impact of information passed along the
grapevine can be countered by open and honest
communication with employees.
Grapevine has the following
characteristics
 It arises from social interactions among people.
 It is a natural and normal activity due to desire of the people to
talk to one another.
 It generally operates like a cluster chain as every person tells
in turn many other persons.
 Only a few persons are active communicators in it. These can
be called liaison individuals. People are active on the
grapevine when their own interests and interests of their
friends are involved.
 It operates at a fast speed because it functions through word
of mouth or observation.
 Grapevine functions partly in a predictable manner that offers
managers a chance to influence it.
Advantages of Grapevine
 Helps in developing better relations amongst
employees.
 Has a flexible and personal nature, and hence fills
in gaps arisen in formal channels of
communication.
 Has a fast speed.
 Links persons not in official chain of command.
 Serves as an important feedback channel, if
utilized effectively.
Limitations of Grapevine
 It is not authentic.
 Is prone to distortion.
 May give rise to rumors in the organization.
 It is difficult to pinpoint responsibility.
 May result in leakage of confidential information.

It is apparent that management cannot eliminate

grapevine in an organization. But by keeping the
informal groups informed about concerned
organizational matters in a systematic way, it can
use the power of the grapevine to disseminate
information.
Types of Grapevines

Single Strand
Communication is through intervening persons in a string.

Thus information is passed through persons who are in form of

a strand.

Gossip
Non selectively, one representative communicates with
the other.
Types of Grapevines

Probability
Communication is done randomly with others
according to laws of probability.

Cluster
Communication is selective with those the employee
can trust. Thus different such clusters are formed in
the organization.