FORMAL AND INFORMAL

COMMUNICATION
Formal communication
The process of sharing official information with others
who need to know it, according to the prescribed patterns
depicted in an organization chart.
Formal Communication
President

Instructions and directives

Information

Vice Vice
President President

Manager Manager Manager Manager

Efforts at coordination
Types of Formal Communication
Downward communication:
Supervisory communication initiated by upper management
Flows downward through hierarchy of command
Instructions, directions, orders
Upward communication:
Flow of information from lower levels to higher levels
within an organization in the form of
 data required to complete projects
 status reports
 suggestions for improvement, new ideas
Horizontal communication
Communication between two or more persons who
are working at the same level.
It seeks coordination and cooperation
Diagonal
Communication flowing between people belonging to
different levels of hierarchy and having no direct
reporting relationship.
It quickens the information flow and improves
understanding
Formal Communication Modes
Informal Communication
Information shared without any formally imposed
obligations or restrictions
Deviation from the planned communication
Based on personal relations
Usually follows through an informal Chat or Grapevine
 E
C
K
H
Y G I
X
F B D
J
D E
G
J
D F H I B I
C C A
B J Probability
B A K D
Gossip C F
A A
Chain Cluster

11/18/2003
Chain
 every member passes on information, but to just one person
Gossip
 one person passes on information to all the others that he
encounters
Probability Chain
 no structure
 A is very talkative and outgoing type, passes on information
to random contacts
Cluster
 information is passed on to selected persons
 most common pattern
 selectivity: pass on information to people with whom you are
in close contact