Principles of Management B.Com.

– Part II

Communication Flow (Top-Down, Bottom-Up, Horizontal, Diagonal)

Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and non-verbal messages. Communication is considered
effective when it achieves the desired reaction or response from the receiver. Simply stated, communication is a two-way
process of exchanging ideas or information.
In an effective organization, communication must flows hierarchically in various directions as follows:

1. Top-Down Communication (Downs) 

This communication flows from people at higher levels to those at lower levels in an organizational hierarchy i.e.
from a manager to employees. This kind of communication exists especially in organizations with an authoritarian
environment.

The media used for Oral Top-Down communication include instructions, speeches, meetings, telephone,
loudspeakers and even the grapevine, for Written Top-Down communication include memorandum, letter,
handbooks, pamphlets, policy statement, procedures, and electronic news display.

2. Bottom-Up Communication (Ups) 

This communication flows from people at lower levels to those at higher levels i.e. from employees to managers. This
kind of communication exists in organizations with participative and democratic environment. This upward flow of
communication is often hindered by the people at lower levels to their managers at higher levels such as filter the
messages of unfavorable news, do not transmit the full information of such news, etc. Indeed, the tendency to
report only good news bottom-up is quite common.

The means used for Top-Down and Bottom-Up communications are:

a. Chain of Command
It is usually assumed to provide a clear channel for communication by managers at higher-levels to
those at lower-levels.

b. Suggestion/ Complaint system

It is a wide-open mean of communication used through suggestion/ complaint boxes to find out the
conflicting/ differing ideas.

c. Appeal and Grievance procedure

It is such a mean of communication by which someone is free to appeal/ to put his or her grieveness
infront of authoritarian without any hesitation/ fear.

d. Open-Door policy
In this mean of communication, managers at higher-level keep theirselves friendly and honestly to
those at lower-level to develop privacy and a secured, open-door liaison in-between for them to
explain freely and fully.

e. Exit Interview
It is conducted to be familiar with valuable ideas and attitudes from the leaving employees.

f. Counseling session
g. Grapevine
h. Special Group meetings
i. Morale Questionnaire
j. Ombudsperson

3. Horizontal Communication )

It is the flow of communication that occurs among people of same/ similar organization levels.

4. Diagonal/ Crosswise Communication 

It is the flow of communication that occurs among people of different/ dissimilar organization levels who have no
direct reporting relationships with one another. A great deal of communication does not follow the organizational
hierarchy but it flows across the chain of command.

Communication Flow (Top-Down, Bottom-Up, Horizontal, Dia Compiled by: NOOR UL HUDA Page 1 of 1