FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Formal communication
- This is communication that takes place through the formal channels of the
organizational structure along the lines of authority established by
management.
- Formal communication is used in professional settings, and it involves the use
of formal language.
- Such communication is generally in writing and may take the form of policy
manuals, procedures and rule books, memos, official meeting reports,etc
- Formal communication result in vertical, lateral/horizontal and diagonal flow
of information in an organization.

Vertical communication
- Vertical flow of communication is crucial for the running of the organization.
- It allows for the giving of instructions and receiving of feedback.
- There are two forms of vertical communication which are upward and
downward communication.

Downward communication
- These are messages sent from managers to subordinates.
- It can be in form of memos, notices, instructions, appraisals, etc
- The purposes of downward communication are:
To describe the company’s goals, philosophies and mission
To describe company’s policies and procedures
To describe the employees relationships with the company
To instruct people on how to do a job
To give feedback on how successful previous jobs have been

Upward communication
- These are messages from subordinates going up the hierarchy to managers
- It can be in form of proposals, oral and written reports,suggestions
- The purposes of upward communication are:
To receive feedback on how well messages have been received
To receive feedback on the progress of tasks
To receive suggestions from staff
To receive proposals from staff

Lateral/Horizontal communication
- Lateral communication implies communication between equals such as
departmental heads, or between similar departments.
- Much of horizontal communication takes place through face to face
discussions. Reports and memos are also used.
 - In some organizations it is difficult to communicate horizontally without
sending messages upward to let people know what is going on
- Lateral communication enable people in different departments to appreciate
the activities of other departments and reduce rivalry between departments.

Diagonal communication

Informal communication
- This is communication arising from channels outside formal channels and
does not follow lines of authority
- Informal communication is build around social relationships of members in an
organization.
- Its difficult to fix responsibility about accuracy of information within informal
communication channels.
- Informal communication is used in unprofessional setups and involve the use
of informal language such as slang
- Informal communication result in the formation of grapevines which carry
gossip and rumours around the organization
- The grapevine fills an information void

Purpose of informal communication

- To satisfy personal needs
- To prevent boredom
- To provide information about the organization which is not provided by
formal channels. This helps organizational members to make sense of what is
going on in an organization
- It serves as a barometer regarding the organization. It gives vital feedback to
management regarding the organization

There are certain attributes of grapevine that makes it useful and important:
It is fast
Most of the time it is accurate
It carries a great deal of information
- Managers can tell a great deal about the mood of their staff if they pay
attention to grapevine
- Grapevine can allow people to blow off esteem and it boosts morale by
uniting staff
- At its worst grapevine spread rumours within an organization of things that
may not be true, thus motivating some staff members
- The spread of false rumour can result in conflict in the organization

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT
 - Conflict is inevitable when people work together whether in formal or
informal setups
- Conflict arise because of differences in values, needs and leadership style
- Conflict can be viewed from negative and positive approaches.
- The negative approach to conflict views conflict as destructive and is a sign of
incompetence on part of the organization.
- This negative approach holds that conflict is caused by a few undesirable
people who show their anger, aggression and violent nature.
- The positive approach views conflict as natural in an organization; is helpful
to some degree if properly handled.
- If properly handled, the positive approach asserts that, conflict can lead to
better participation, higher motivation and greater creativity thus leading to
development of procedures for improved management of conflict in the
future, (Fielding, 2004).
- This view also recognizes that conflict can be harmful if people became so
involved that they cannot concentrate on their work
- If conflict is allowed to continue, then people will
 Withhold information
 Stay away
 Leave the company

Managing conflict in an organization

- There are two approaches to management of conflict which are
 Avoiding the conflict
 Confronting the conflict

Avoiding conflict
- People avoid conflict because they feel that they cannot handle it
- They smooth out the differences and hope that the conflict will go away
- People may also postpone resolution of the conflict until the anger has
disappeared but this only help in the short term because this does not allow
people to settle the most important issues.

Confronting conflict
- If conflict has to be resolved people take three major options:
 Try to win without considering the other side (win-lose)
 Attempt a compromise solution (lose-lose)
 Make both sides win (win-win)

Win-lose approach
- This approach is based on power whereby one side uses authority to defeat the
other side
- However this approach is short term and can cause anger on the losing side.
 Lose-lose approach
- At times referred to as compromise.
- This approach calls for both sides to make concessions, but nobody is
completely satisfied
- This approach is useful in the short term and can lead to dissatisfaction in the
long run

Win-win approach
- This approach stresses that all parties can win if the conflict is well handled
- All parties to the conflict sit on one side and try to solve the problem at hand,
focusing on the problem other than trying to prove who is right or wrong
- The aim is to work towards a towards a common goal that will satisfy
everybody
- This approach creates an atmosphere of trust within an organization.

Implications of conflict for communication

Those involved in conflict need to:

Analyse the type of conflict
Try to create an atmosphere of trust
Strive towards a win-win situation
Encourage effective listening
Acknowledge the values and interests of others

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION