Types of communication

By Sir Haseeb Ur Rehman

Types of communication
For communication to be effective ,the
communicator has to be very careful and judicious
in the choice of media, which will depend on
various factors like urgency of the message ,the
time available ,expenditure involved and the
intellectual and emotional level of the receivers.
All the media available can be broadly classified
into five groups:
(i) Written communication.
(ii) Oral communication.(Face to Face communication)
(iii)Audio-visual communication.
(iv)Computer-based communication.

1. Written communication includes

Letters , circulars , memos , telegrams ,
reports ,minutes , forms and
questionnaires , manuals , etc.
2. Oral communication includes face to face
communication ,conversation over the
telephone , radio broadcast ,interviews ,
group discussions , meetings
,conferences ,seminars and speeches.
3. Visual communication encompasses
gestures and facial expressions , tables
and charts , graphs , diagrams ,
posters ,slides ,film strips ,etc .

 Audio-visual communication includes

television and cinema films that combine
the visual impact with narration .
Written communication: merits
It is accurate and precise .
It can be repeatedly referred to .
It is a permanent record .
It is a legal document .
It facilitates the assignation of
responsibility .
It has a wide access.

written communication :
Limitations
It is time consuming: a letter may take
two or even three to four days to reach
its destination , where as in oral
communication message is instantly
transmitted .
It is costly

Oral communication :limitations

Oral communication is not possible if the
communicator and the receiver are far removed
from each other and no mechanical devices are
available to connect them.
Lengthy messages are not suitable for oral
transmission
Oral messages cannot be retained for long time
Oral messages do not have any legal validity unless
they are taped and made a part of permanent record
.
Although oral communication offer greater
opportunity for clarification ,there are also inherent
in them greater chances of misunderstanding.

Essentials of oral communication

Clear pronunciation.
Brevity .
Precision.
Conviction.
Logical sequence.
Appropriate word choice
Avoiding hackneyed phrases and
clichs.
Natural voice

Face to face communication: m

Merits and limitations
Facial expressions and gestures help to
communicate better.
It reinforced with the help of tone ,pitch and
intensity of the speaker s voice .
The message being communicated gets
assistance of facial expressions and gestures.
Particularly suitable for discussion.
There is a immediate feedback from the total
personality of the listener .
It provides the speaker with a much better
opportunity for adjustment.

Limitations
Difficult to practice in a large sized
organisations
Not effective in large gathering
Ineffective if the listener is not
attentive

Visual communication.
Visual communication alone is not enough .it
can be effective only in combination with
other media.
It can be used to transmit very elementary
and simple ideas ,orders ,warnings.
As we can easily interpolate the message
given by a poster including two pieces of
bone put in a cross- wise fashion and a skull
placed in between.

Audio-visual communication
It is a combination of sight and sound.
Make use of written record also.
It facilitate interpretations and ensure that
message is driven home.
Information transmitted through audio-visual
retained much longer than any other means.
It is found most suitable for mass publicity
,mass propaganda and mass education.

 Within the organisation ,the workers can be

educated by suitable demonstrations on the
close-circuit televisions screen.
It is necessary to make the films and slides
attractive and interesting.
The narration becomes clear ,precise ,lucid
and easily understandable.
It is also advisable to keep the films short and
to screen them at an appropriate time.

Computer based communication

Advantages of computer technology
The quickest means of communication
Space no longer a barrier to communication
Video conferencing can replace personal
meetings
Better means of keeping permanent record
of valuable and bulky data
World wide web as a publishing platform.

limitations
Uncertain legal validity

Fear of undesirable leakage

The virus malady

Dimensions/Flow of communication
Vertical-(i)Downward
(ii)Upward
Horizontal or lateral
Diagonal or crosswise
Grapevine.

Downward
Any organization has an inbuilt hierarchical
system, and in that, in the first instances,
communication invariably flows downwards.
Written: e.g. memoranda ,letters, handbooks,
pamphlets, policy statements.
Oral: e.g. speeches, meetings, telephones etc.

Downward Communication
Used by most large schools that are hierarchical in
nature.
Flows from Superintendent to Assistant
Superintendent to principal to Assistant Principals
to Faculty to students.
Necessary to clarify districts goals, provide a
sense of mission, assist in indoctrinating new
employees. Inform employees about educational
changes that impact the district and to provide
subordinates with data regarding their
performance.

PROBLEMS WITH DOWNWARD

COMMUNICATION
Subordinates select and prioritize messages in
accordance with their perception of their Bosss
character, personality, and motivation.
Sender does not devote enough time to learn
whether messages have been received and
understood.
Those at the Top may shut off this channel at certain
times and on certain subjects or withhold
information on a need to know basis.
Downward communication tends to be dominate in
mechanistic organizations, as opposed to organic
systems which are more open and unidirectional in
flows of information.

Ways to improve Downward

Communication
Adopt training sessions for administrators to
help them learn better ways to communicate.
Get out of the office and walk around talk to
employees on the firing line.
Conduct regular supervisory subordinate
discussion sessions, which will help identify,
analyze ,and solve problems in collaboration
with subordinates.

Upward communication
The main functions of upward communication
is to supply information to the upper levels
about what is happening at the lower levels.
For example: suggestion systems, appeal and
grievance procedures, complaint system ,
counseling sessions , joint setting of
objectives , the grapevine, group meetings. etc

UPWARD COMMUNICATION
SUPERINTENDENTS

ASSISTANT

SUPERINTENDENTS

PRINCIPALS
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
FACULTY

BENEFITS
Provides feedback to Administrators from
Downward Communication.
Helps monitor decision making effectiveness.
Helps gauge organizational climate.
Deals with problem areas quickly .
Provides needed information to
Administrators.

PROBLEMS WITH UPWARD

COMMUNICATION
Subject to filtering and distortion because
subordinates do not want superiors to gain
information that could be damaging to the
subordinates.
Highly cohesive groups tend to withhold
information that might be damaging to the
group as a whole.
Lower level subordinate show less openness
to upward communication than those who are
at higher levels in the organization.

WAYS TO IMPROVE UPWARD

COMMUNICATION
Employee Meetings

Employee Letters

Open Door Policy

Social Groups

Employee Meetings
Meetings to probe job problems,and needs.
Determine what administrative practices help or
hinder subordinate job performance.
Provide feedback to administrators and encourage
subordinates to offer ideas.
Help subordinates feel self worth and importance.
Studies show these meetings reduce turnover and
improve subordinates attitudes

OPEN DOOR POLICY

Encourages subordinates to walk in and
talk to administrators many levels up.
They are encouraged to talk with
immediate supervisors first to eliminate
resentment among administrators who
are bypassed.
Some barriers exist such as
subordinates who do not want to be
identified as having a problem.

EMPLOYEE LETTERS
Subordinates can submit letters to
administrators or suggestions.
All letters are anonymous.
All submissions must be answered without
delay.
Replies can be delivered to the appropriate
lower level administrator in cases where
the communicator is anonymous.

Participation in social groups

Act as unplanned upward commnication .
Examples are.
Parties, Picnics, golf outings, cookouts,
retreats, and other employer sponsored events.
Main barrier can sometimes be a lack of
attendance

Lateral or Horizontal Communication

Occur between people at the same level.
When communication takes place between two
or more persons who are subordinates working
under the same person, or those who are
working under the same person.
e.g. this variety of communication mostly
takes place during committee meetings or
conferences.

It is carried on through:-

Face to face discussion

Telephonic talk
Periodical meetings
Memos.
Important for promotingUnderstanding & coordination among
various people or department.

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
ASSISTANT
PRINCIPAL

ASSISTANT
PRINCIPAL

FACULTY
MEMBER

FACULTY
MEMBER

OFTEN
OVERLOOKED
AS
UNIMPORTANT

FACILLITATE
COORDINATI
ON
BETWEEN
UNITS

ACHIEVED
THROUGH CROSSFUNCTIONAL
COMMITTEES

FURNISHES
EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT
AMONGPEERS

Diagonal or Crosswise Communication

Includes the horizontal flow of information.
It is also among persons at different levels
who have no direct reporting relationships
Oral e.g. Informal meetings, lunch hours meeting
Written e.g. Magazines, Journals, Company
newspapers
This Kind of communication is used to speed
information flow to improve understanding.

DIAGIONAL COMMUNICATION
Superintendent
Asst.Supt.
For Personnel

Director
of
Personnel

Chief
Negotiator

Asst. Supt. For

Instruction
ELEM. Ed.
Coordinator

Elementary
Principal

Secondary
Ed.
Coordinator

Secondary
Principal

Asst. Supt.
For Business

Accountants

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE

GRAPEVINE
Used when employees feel the organizational
forms of communication have failed.
Exists in all organizations.
Nearly five out of six messages are carried
this way rather than formal methods of
communication.
This form of communication is very rapid.
It has both positive and negative features.
Positive features include.

 Keeps subordinates informed about important

organizational matters.
Gives administrators insight about subordinates
attitudes.
Provides subordinates a relief valve to vent
emotions.
Provides a test of subordinates feelings about a
new procedure or Policy without making formal
commitments.
Helps build moral by passing positive comments
regarding the organisation.
Rumor is the one item that gives the grapevine its
bad reputation.

Grapevine

An informal channel of
communication.
Can flow
vertically,horizontally,diagonally.

Types of grapevine

(1) Single strand:flows like a chain

(2) Gossip :one person tells
everybody else
(3) Probability(random) :information
may move from anybody to anybody
(4) cluster :moves through selected
groups.

Importance of grapevine
Emotional relief
Harmony & Cohesiveness in the
organisation
Supplement to other channels
A fast channel
Provides feedback

Demits of grapevine
Distortion of information
May transmit incomplete information
Travels with destructive swiftness

To use it effectively
The manager should Keep an eye on rumor-mongers
Primarily for feedback
Contradict rumours promptly
Involve the workers in the decision
making process.