Communication &

Presentation Skills
HUM108

Dr. Asmaa elhASSAN

12/31/2023 1
 outline
Types Of Communication based on organizational Structure
Formal organization structure
o Centralized Networks
o Decentralized Networks
o Network Performance
Informal Communication Structures
Compare between formal and informal communication ?
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
BASED ON of Organizational Structure:
• (i) Formal Communication: The Formal Communication is the exchange of official
information that flows along the different levels of the organizational hierarchy and
conforms to the prescribed professional rules, policy, standards, processes and regulations
of the organization. The formal communication follows a proper predefined channel of
communication and is deliberately controlled. It is governed by the chain of command and
complies with all the organizational conventional rules.
• (ii) Informal Communication: ‘Informal Communication’ is the communication among the
people of an organization not on the basis of formal relationship in the organizational
structure but on the basis of informal relations and understanding. It may overlap routes,
levels or positions. Informal communication creates a situation where the different workers
communicate with each other, work side by side, hour after hour and day after day
irrespective of their formal positions and relationships. It is referred to as the ‘grapevine’
which indicates informal means of circulating information or gossip. It is direct,
spontaneous and flexible. It is personal, unofficial, and mostly verbal.
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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

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

Formal Communication

President

Instructions and directives

Information

Vice Vice
President President

Manager Manager Manager Manager

Efforts at coordination

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

Formal Communication
• downward communication:
• instructions, directions, orders
• feedback
• upward communication:
• data required to complete projects
• status reports
• suggestions for improvement, new
ideas
• horizontal communication:
• coordination of cooperation
11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication
 Formal networks
 planned structure of organizational communicative
relationships
 optimal task fulfilment
 management defines all the relationships between an
employee and his colleagues
 which are necessary in order to do his work
 Y-shape

Formal Network
Centralized Wheel

Chain

Circle
Decentralized
Comcon
 Centralized Networks
One central person
members can communicate with only one central person through which
all information must pass
Unequal access to information
unequal access to information: individuals at the centres have access to
more information than those at the periphery
Central person is at the “crossroads” of the information flow

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

 Centralized Network
Structures within the organization charts
e.g. „the y“ in the organization chart
some of the possible configurations of
connections between people
- the way communication networks are
actually planned
- circles represent individuals
- lines represent two-way lines of
Y communication
- example of formal communication
within a hierarchy such as in the police
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force or civil force
 Centralized Network

 one group, person or department

occupies a central position
 e.g. head office communicating with
salespeople in different regions
Wheel

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 Centralized Network
 one person passes information to
the others, who then pass it on
 e.g. Civil Service
 advantage: leader at the top of the
hierarchy who can oversee
communications
Chain  disadvantage: isolation felt by
those at the bottom of the
network, less motivation

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

 Decentralized Networks
Information can flow freely
information can freely flow between members without going through a
central person
No central person
equal access to information
All members play an equal role in the transmittal of
information

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

 Decentralized Networks

 sections or departments can

communicate with only two
others
 e.g. between middle managers
from different departments at the
Circle same level of the organisation
 problem: decision-making can
be slow or poor because of a
lock of coordination
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 may be used for small working
groups
 open communication system
 good for brainstorming
 disadvantage: slow
Comcon

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 Communication Networks

11/18/2003 Behavior in Organizations,Formal

p.305 and Informal Channels of Communication
 Centralized versus Decentralized Networks:
Which networks perform better?

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Behavior in Organizations, p.306
Centralized versus Decentralized Networks:
Which networks perform better?
Has to do with :
-saturation: the amount of information a single member of a communication network must handle
-Centralized network:
complex task:
the central person becomes so overloaded with information that the group is slowed down and many errors are made
simple task:
the central person can easily solve an easy problem alone after receiving all the information from the other members
Decentralized network:
complex task:
decentralization prevents any single member from becoming saturated and lowering the group’s performance
simple task:
no central person, the information needed to solve the problem may be spread out over all the group members,
causing delays in coming to a solution
Centralized networks are faster and more accurate on simple tasks, whereas decentralized networks are faster and
more accurate on complex tasks.
 Chain

Probability
Informal Chain
Network
Gossip

Cluster
 Informal Communication Structures
 Deviation from the planned communication structure
 Direction of the flow of information may be changed, top-
down communication turns into a reciprocal communication
 consist of interaction patterns that are not designed by management
 can be based on physical proximity, shared career interests or
personal friendships
 article about the exchange of email in an organization (E-mail
reveals real leaders)
 The map shows the teams in which people actually work, as
opposed to those they are assigned to
 unofficial de facto leaders can also emerge
 big institutions tend to divide organically into informal
collaborative networks, called communities of practice
 companies‘ informal structure
 The communities often crossed the formal departmental boundaries
defined by the company
 Informal Network

Y
E
Probability Chain
C
Chain K
H
 no structure
D every member G I  A is very
passes on F B D
X talkative and
C
information, but to outgoing type,
B
just one person
J passes on
A
A
information to
Probability
Chain
random contacts

© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Informal Network
E
G J
Cluster
C
D F H I Cluster
B
B J I information is passed on
A K
to selected persons
Gossip D
C F
most common pattern
Gossip A selectivity: pass on
one person passes information to people
on information to with whom you are in
all the others that close contact
he encounters
© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Formal Structure vs Informal Networks

???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1g81D_Wh1E
Differentiate between formal and informal communication ?
 Text: E-mail reveals real leaders

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

 Informal Communication

information shared without any formally imposed obligations or restrictions

if an organization’s formal communication represents its skeleton, its informal
communication constitutes its central nervous system
An organization’s informal channels of communication, based mainly on friendship or
acquaintance
• origin: American Civil War

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

 Formal communication

 Is the process of sharing official information with others who

need to know it.
 Usually follows the prescribed pattern of interrelationships
between various units of an organization, which is commonly
depicted in an organization chart.
 Company
All- newsletters
Employee
employees
handbooks
mailings

Fax
Formal Company
magazine

Chanel
Formal
Memeos
meetings

Flyers and
Letters
bulletins
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 Company newsletters:

 impersonal
 aimed at a general audience
 regularly published internal documents
 describe information of interest to employees regarding an array of
business and non-business issues affecting them
effective devices in improving employees’ attitudes because
the mere act of publishing a newsletter sends a message that
the company cares enough about its employees communicate with
them
 Employee handbooks

 Major formal means of communicating pertinent company information to

employees
 Internally published
 A document describing to employees basic information about the company
 General reference regarding the company’s background, the nature of its
business, and its rules
 Explains key aspects of the company’s policies
 Clarifies the expectations of the company and employees toward each other
 Clarifies company policies -> prevents lawsuits
 Useful means of effectively socializing new employees and promoting the
company’s values
 Company magazines

 Sometimes published by a group of employees who spend part of

their work time on the magazine
 Open dialogue between management and employees – e.g. critics and
suggestions for improvement
 Account on organizational activities
 Readership includes pensioners
 Small ads
 Formal meetings

 Long interactions on pre-planned topics

 Often with multiple people
 Scheduled: planned in advance by both parties
 Frequently in a room designed for meetings
 Arranged participants
 Participants in role
 Pre-set agenda
 Formal language and speech register

 Letters
 Written messages used for external communication
- personal - one-way (static)
Flyers and Bulletins
Flyer
 Highly impersonal
 Not aimed at one specific individual
 Written information that is targeted broadly
 One-way (static)
bulletin board
 A board on which announcements are put, particularly at
newsrooms, newspaper offices
 Memos
 One-way (static)
 Written messages used for communication within an
organization
fax
 One-way (static)
all-employees mailings
 One-way (static)
Conclusion:
formal communication channels:
- mostly produce written messages
- frequently one-way and take long for a response
- one-way written communications tend to be reserved for
formal, official messages
that need to be referred to in the future at the receiver’s
convenience (e.g. official
announcements about position openings)
 Instant
messaging
(chat)

Face-to-
E-mail face
Informal discussions

Chanel
Voice
messaging
Telephone
(voice
mail)
 Informal Dialogues
Characteristics:
• often no formal opening or closing
• first utterance often assumes a common reference to a previous
interaction or issue
• conversations generally last only a few minutes
-conversations generally last only a few minutes - about 88 to 93% of professionals'
interactions are unscheduled - often no formal opening or closing
-only few verbal or visual orienting signs (e.g. turning away) to indicate that conversations
were about to close
- the first utterance often assumes a common reference to a previous interaction or issue
e.g.: “mm – this invoice have you got the original quote […]?”
“I have taken a detailed look at this now, and the problem was …”

11/18/2003
Compare between formal and informal
communication ?
• https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-formal-and-informal-
communication.html
• https://diffzi.com/formal-communication-vs-informal-communication
/#Comparison_Chart

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbayYk6oCxY&t=70s
 BASIS FOR INFORMAL
FORMAL COMMUNICATION
COMPARISON COMMUNICATION
Meaning A type of verbal A type of verbal
communication in which the communication in which the
interchange of information is interchange of information
done through the pre-defined does not follow any
channels is known as formal channels i.e. the
communication. communication stretches in
all directions.
Another Official Communication Grapevine communication
Name
Reliability More Comparatively less
Speed Slow Very Fast
Evidence As the communication is No documentary evidence.
generally written, documentary
evidence is present.
Time Consuming Yes No
Advantage Effective due to timely and Efficient because employees can
systematic flow of information. discuss work related problems,
this saves time and cost of the
organization.
Disadvantage Distortion due to long chain of Spread of rumors
communication.
Secrecy Full secrecy is maintained. It is difficult to maintain the
secrecy.
Flow of Only through predefined Can move freely.
Information channels.