TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

&
FLOW OR DIMENSION OF
COMMUNICATION
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

For efective communication ,the

communicator has to be very careful and
judicious in the choice of media:

factors afects media:

Urgency of message
time available
expenditure
intellectual and emotional level of the receivers.


ALL MEDIA CAN BE CLASSIFIED
INTO FIVE GROUPS:

(i) Written communication.

(ii) Oral communication.(Face to Face
communication)
(iii) Audio-visual communication.
(iv) Computer-based communication.
1.
1. Written
communication
includes

 Letters
 circulars
 memos ,
 telegrams,
 reports
 minutes
 forms and
questionnaires,
manuals,
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 expression, tables
and charts , graphs ,
diagrams , posters
,slides ,flm strips ,etc .

4. Audio-visual
communication
includes television and
cinema flms that
combine the visual
impact with narration .
Written communication:
merits


 Accurate and precise .

 permanent record .

 legal document .

 facilitates the assignation of
responsibility .

 wide access.

 Suitable for long distance
communication and repetitive
standing orders

 Gives sufcient time to think, act
and react.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION : LIMITATIONS


 Time consuming
Ex: a letter may take two or even three to
four days to reach its destination , where
as in oral communication message is
instantly transmitted .
 Costly

 cannot maintain strict secrecy

 No immediate clarifcation

 less feeible and cannot be changed
easily

 not efective in the case of emergency.
Oral communication merits
• Immediate feedback
• Time saving.
• Builds up a healthy climate by drawing the
people together
• an efective tool of persuasion as it sounds
personal
• Economical
• provides the speaker opportunity to correct
himself
• Speaker enjoys the advantage of
understanding the groups he is addressing
• 
ORAL COMMUNICATION :LIMITATIONS
 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
 Oral messages cannot be retained
for long time
 No legal validity unless they are
taped and made a part of
permanent record .
 If the speaker has not carefully
organised his thought oral
messages may lead to
misunderstanding.
ESSENTIALS OF ORAL
COMMUNICATION
 Clear pronunciation.
 Brevity .
 Precision.
 Conviction.
 Logical sequence.
 Appropriate word choice
 Avoiding hackneyed phrases and
clichés.
 Natural voice
FACE TO FACE COMMUNICATION:
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

 Difcult to practice in a large –sized

organisations

 Not efective in large gathering

 Inefective if the listener is not

attentive
VISUAL COMMUNICATION.
 Visual communication alone is not enough
.it can be efective 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 flms and slides

attractive and interesting.

 The narration becomes clear ,precise ,lucid

and easily understandable.

 It is also advisable to keep the flms short

and to screen them at an appropriate time.
 COMPUTER –BASED
COMMUNICATION
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is
defned as any human communication that occurs
through the use of two or more electronic devices
while the term has traditionally referred to those
communications that occur via computer-mediated
formats 

EX: Instant messaging, 

email 
chat rooms
 online forums 
social network services (FB, Wassapp, Snapchat,
Instagram etc)
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.
Eco- friendly
LIMITATIONS
 Uncertain legal validity
 Fear of undesirable
leakage
 The virus malady
 Hacking
 Poor signals hinder the
efciency
 Unwanted spam emails
 FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

DOWNWARD, UPWARD, HORIZONTAL AND DIAGONAL

 COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE IN ORGANIZATION

1. It lays down the relationship between various

positions in the company.
2. The diferent levels in the structure have to
communicate with each other in a systematic
manner to avoid confusion, misunderstanding
or chaos.
3. No organization can survive without a networ
which maintains the fow of information.
FORMAL COMMUNICATION

Communication that
follows the ofcial
hierarchy.

“Formal communication
means exchange of ideas
and information which is
done under the planned
organizational structure .”

Information passes through

a defnite channel.
 HIERARCHY LEVEL
Executive Director

Vice President Manager

Downward Comm.

Upward Comm.
A.G.M.
Supervisor 1 Supervisor 2 Supervisor 3

Manager

Supervisor Horizontal Comm.

Forman
 COMMUNICATION

Types
Typesof
ofcommunication
communication

METHOD
CHANNEL DIRECTION

1. Downward
1 Formal 1. Oral
2. Upward
2. Informal 2. Written
3. Horizontal
3. Gestural
4. Diagonal
 FORMAL COMMUNICATION

President

Instructions and directives

Information

Vice Vice
President President

Manager Manager Manager Manager

Efforts at coordination

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal

© Copyright 2002 by Prentice Hall, Inc. Channels of
Communication
INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
Communication between individuals and
groups which are not ofcial is known as
informal communication.
Side by side with the formal channel of
communication, every organization has an
efective channel of communication – i.e.,
informal channel.
It consists of exchange of ideas and
information resulting from social interaction
among the members of an organization.
FORMAL INFORMAL

 task oriented.
 consists mainly of

work related • People oriented.

matters. • work related as well as
social messages.
 orderly and
• Erratic and unsystematic
systematic • Serves not only
 serves organizational
organizational needs but
needs. also social needs of the
people.

FORMAL VS. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

FORMAL INFORMAL

 fows in vertical,
horizontal and
diagonal directions.  fows in every
 oral and written possible direction.
both.  mostly oral.
 message accurate  The message can

and authentic. not be authentic

unless
supplemented by
formal channels.
FORMAL VS. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
 INFORMAL

 follows ofcially • Independent of the

FORMAL
established chain of authority relations in
command and lines of the organization.
communication. • It carries messages at a
 a slow moving process. fast speed.
 Easy to pin point the • It is not possible to fx
responsibility with the responsibility of
respect to formal informal
communication. communication.

FORMAL VS. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

DIMENSIONS/FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

 Vertical-(i)Downward
(ii)Upward

 Horizontal or lateral

Diagonal or crosswise

 Grapevine.
 Direction or Flow of
Communication

UPWARD

Diagonal

DOWN
WARD

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
VERTICAL
COMMUNICATION

Vertical
communication
consists of
communication up
and down the
organization's chain
of command.
 Downwards
Communication

Highly Directive, from Senior to

subordinates, to assign duties, give
instructions, to inform, to ofer
feedback, etc.
 DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

 Downward communication moves

from top to bottom, i.e., from the
CEO to downwards.
 It travels through senior
executives to junior level
functionaries.
 Examples: Notices, circulars etc.
 Objectives of Downward
communication
1. To give instructions about what
to do and how to do.
2. To explain organizational
policies, programs and
procedures.
3. To know how efectively a person
is performing his job.
4. To motivate employees to
improve their performance.
5. To train subordinates in
MERITS
 Mission and Goals---informs organization
mission, goals and how they should contribute
their best to accomplish these goals.
 Plans and Policies---provides information
regarding organizational plans and policies.
 Duty and authority---facilitates employees
in knowing what is expected from them and
the extent of their authority.
 Job Satisfaction---increases employees’ job
satisfaction by communicating them about
their better performance.
PROBLEMS OF DOWNWARD
COMMUNICATION
 Quite often information lost or distorted in the
course of its journey.
 A one way trafc, which must be fexible but in
reality it is very rigid.
 For any communicative purpose, it is essential to
fnd out whether the receiver of the message or
information has understood it.
 Time consuming
 More the levels the more the chances of delay or
distortion
 More likely to be fltered, modifed or distorted at
any or each level as managers decide what should
be passed down to their employees.
•Filtration occurs because of lack of
trust and confdence between
employees.

•Sometimes managers withhold

information in order to keep the
employees dependent on them which
results in incomplete information,
employees may feel confused,
uninformed or powerless and might fail
to carry out their tasks properly .
EFFECTIVE DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

 Be well informed and complete.

 Be short so that there is minimum distortion.
 Use simple language
 Keep in view the skill and competence of
sub-ordinates to comprehend and follow
instructions.
 Follow hierarchical structure of organization.
 Encourage feedback through upward
communication.
MODES OF DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

 Handbooks and pamphlets

 Posters and bulletins
 House journal
 Direct mail
 Annual reports
 Special meetings
UPWARD DIRECTION
. Upward comm.
The function of upward
communication is to
supply information to
the upper levels about
what is happening at the
lower level.
This type of
communication includes
progress report,
suggestions and request
for aid .
Upward Communicatio
 It is non directive
in nature from
down below, to
give feedback, to
inform about
progress/problem
s, seeking
approvals.
 UPWARD COMMUNICATION
 Upward Communication is just the reverse of the
downward communication.
 It fows upward from a subordinate to the superior
through middle managerial levels.
 Examples: Reports, meetings, informal discussion
etc.
Advantage:
•keep managers aware of how employees feel
about their jobs and the organization in general.
•helps managers in taking certain decisions.
•fourish only in democratic organizational
environment.
•helps in knowing the attitude of people.
• keep the superiors informed about the progress
and difculties faced in executing orders
•suggest measures for improvement
• communicate grievances etc.
PROBLEMS IN UPWARD COMMUNICATION
 Superiors do not like to be ‘told’ or even
like to hear from their juniors against their
wishes.
 Hence the piece of communication may
quite often not even be allowed to go up.
 It may be distorted or misinterpreted.
 The employees may feel let down or
become shy and reluctant to express
themselves.
EFFECTIVE UPWARD COMMUNICATION
The initiative rests with the superiors
who should:
 Actively encourage feedback.
 Be open minded and receptive to new ideas.
 Listen attentively and empathetically.
 Remove awe of authority.
 Create opportunities for superior-subordinate
interaction like meetings, open door policy, etc.
 Provide suggestion boxes.
 Assure that adverse ideas will not cause
victimization.
MERITS
 Feedback—it help in receiving feedback from the lower levels to carrying
out the controlling function.
 help in knowing the working attitude of employees.

 Creative
ideas---It provides managers with creative ideas and suggestions
which probably they could not have thought of.

 Betterrelations--- improves harmonious industrial relations between

superior sub-ordinate

 overcomes resistance to change--- on the part of the employees as they

are allowed to present their fears and apprehensions before the
management.

 Increases motivation---Employees feel morally committed to their work if

their grievances, ideas, suggestions are considered by top managers.
 LIMITATIONS OF UPWARD COMMUNICATION
 Fears and apprehensions— Sub-ordinates do not always
report the matters the way they want, for the fear of being
reprimanded by their bosses.
 fltration — Each level flters that part of information which
it feels will present an unfavorable picture of their superiors.
 Time consuming — Too many levels result delayed
transmission of information
 Inattention by Superiors — It may discourage the sub-
ordinates to speak to higher levels.
 Low morale — The employees may feel morally depressed
when their grievances and suggestions do not get the
required attention
MEDIUM OF UPWARD COMMUNICATION

 Suggestion System
 Grievance procedure
 Open-door policy
 Questionnaires
 Ombudsperson
SUGGESTION SYSTEM

Formal suggestion system.

 suggestion boxes.
 suggestion forms regularly.
 In this system every suggestion should

receive sincere consideration.

Grievance Procedure
 Gives the sub-ordinates an opportunity to

settle their disputes

 OPEN-DOOR POLICY
 Allows workers to bypass immediate supervisors and talk to the top
executives in regard to important matters without fear of reprisal.
 Reduces tension and improves trust in sub-ordinates.
 Disadvantages ---it create sense of insecurity in managers
Questionnaires
 Anonymous questionnaires are given to workers to fll in with a
view to identify problem areas in the organization.
Ombudsperson
organizations having no union can have a complaint ofcer
called an ombudsperson.
 He hears employees’ complaints, investigates them and
recommends appropriate actions to the top management.
 resolves problems swiftly.
 OMBUDSPERSON

 The organizations having no union can

have a complaint ofcer called an
ombudsperson.
 He hears employees’ complaints,
investigates them and recommends
appropriate actions to the top
management.
 This form of grievance resolution
channel resolves the problems swiftly.
 HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

This type of communication refers to

communication between various
department or units representing the
same level, or people within the same or
diferent departments without having a
superior-subordinate relationship.

 It fows between persons at the same hierarchical level.

• It is known by various other names like
sideways communication,
lateral communication,
Inter-scalar communication.
Horizontal
communication
MERITS OF HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

 speeds up the fow of work in organization.

 facilitates problem-solving amongst
members at the same level and brings about
co-ordination.
 Develops mutual trust and confdence
amongst similar position holders of diferent
departments.
 It relieves top managers of the burden of
solving problem of the lower levels if they can
manage to solve them on their own.
LIMITATIONS OF HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

 In the modern age, functional heads are so

highly specialized in managing activities of their
departments that they lack knowledge of other
functional areas.
 Hampers communication at the horizontal level.
 For example:- marketing manager may not
appreciate the problem of the fnance manager
in collecting payments from the debtors and
insist on liberal credit to customers.
 Personal likes and dislikes amongst members of
diferent work groups can obstruct free fow of
information among them.
•Diferences in perceptions and attitudes of
functional heads can be counter-productive in
horizontal communication.

•The best example of lateral communication

can be seen in the interaction of production
and marketing departments.

•Strategies of marketing cannot be fruitful

unless its plans are communicated to the
production department.
 OBJECTIVES OF LATERAL
COMMUNICATION
 Co-ordinate among various individuals or
departments.
 Resolve conficts among various employees
of the department.
 Exchange information among various
employees of the department.
 Promote social relations among employees in
the organization.
DIAGONAL OR CROSSWISE
COMMUNICATION
 Diagonal or Crosswise Communication cuts across
diferent functions and levels in an organization.
 It travels from sub-ordinates to supervisors.

 The increased use of e-mails also encourages

cross wise communication.

For Eeample:- when a sales manager directly
communicates with the Vice-President (production)
who is not only in a
diferent division but also at a higher level in the
organization, they are engaged in diagonal
communication.

Any employee can communicate via e-mail with

another employee, regardless of the receiver’s
function or status.

It is also called radial or circular communication.

The major problem with diagonal communication is

that
it departs from the normal chain of command.
 Formal Communication
network
•Chain Network or Single
Strand
•Y type network
•Wheel Network
•Wheel network
•Circle Network
•Free fow or all channel
COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE

Chain

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal

Channels of
Communication
 Chain Network or Single
Strand
•One person communicates with one person only.

•It represents a vertical hierarchy in which

communication can fow only upward or
downward.

•The fow of communication takes place through

the formal channels, from a superior to
subordinate or vice-versa.

•There is no horizontal communication in the

chain network.
2. COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES
CENTRALIZED

Y
Y TYPE NETWORK

It’s a combination of horizontal and vertical

fow of communication.

If we turn the Y upside down, we see two sub-

ordinates reporting to one senior, with 2
levels of authority above the latter.
3.COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES
CENTRALIZED

Wheel

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal

Channels of
Communication
WHEEL NETWORK

•The wheel network refers to several sub-ordinates

reporting to a superior.

•It is a combination of horizontal and diagonal fow of

communication

•All the sub-ordinates are of equal rank, all of them

report to one superior and interact between
themselves.

•All the workers receive instruction and guidance from

one person.
4. COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES
DECENTRALIZED

 Circle Network

Circle

11/18/2003 Formal and Informal

Channels of
Communication
CIRCLE NETWORK

•The message moves in circle.

•Each person can communicate with his two

neighborhood colleagues but not further.

• The communication is very slow in this

network.
 5. COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES
DECENTRALIZED

Common
FREE FLOW OR ALL CHANNEL NETWORK

 There is no restriction in the fow of

communication.
 Everyone is free to communicate with
anyone and everyone in the organization.
 This network is informal and unstructured.
 It is very fexible.
 All are equal and everybody’s views are
equally and openly shared.
INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Communication
between
individuals and
groups which are
not ofcially
recognized is
known as informal
communication.
 Side by side with the formal channel of
communication, every organization has an efective
informal channel of comm.

 It consists of exchange of ideas and information

resulting from social interaction among the members
of an organization.

 Based on informal relations .

 Free from all the organizational formalities.

 The exchange of information usually takes place

on the occasions of community meals, social
occasions, parties ,etc. informal communication is
also called “Grapevine communication”.
WHAT IS GRAPEVINE
 The network or pathway of
informal communication is
known as grapevine.
 Grapevine cuts across formal
channels of communication.
 The origin and direction of the fow of
informally conveyed messages
cannot be easily traced.
FEATURES OF GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
• It transmits the information in every direction
throughout the organization laterally and diagonally.
•Chain of command needs not be followed.
•Information fows rapidly.
• Generally occurs orally.
• based on people rather than task.
• Does not follow a fxed pattern as in the case with
formal communication.
•Information does not follow an orderly path.
•Managers should not eliminate the grapevine, and
thereby ignore it.
•Wise managers remain tuned to the grapevine.
ADVANTAGES OF GRAPEVINE
COMMUNICATION
 Social relations: It gives opportunity to
form social groups and communicate with one
another.
 Satisfaction: it satisfes an important
urge of people to know what is happening
in the other parts of the organization. They
also come to know about the latest
information.
 Speed : It is useful when information is
required to be communicated very rapidly.
It works faster than formal information.
 Feedback: it can be used by managers to
get quick feedback from the sub-ordinates.
SUPPORTING THE FORMAL CHANNEL

 Supporting the formal channel:

Whatever cannot be communicated
through formal channel because of time or
ofcial constraints, can be successfully
transmitted through informal channels.

 Better human relations: it develops

healthy relations amongst people in the
organization as it cuts across ofcial
positions and hierarchical relationships.
DISADVANTAGES
 Incomplete information: There are occasions
when grapevine does not carry complete
information
 Distortion: as People add their personal
interpretations and facts.
 Misunderstanding:
 Unreliability: As It can’t be depended upon for
sending urgent messages.
 Unsystematic communication
Disadvantages
•Leakage: Confdential information often
leaks out
•Lack of authenticity: Information spreads
by word of mouth and it may not be supported
by tangible (concrete, substantial) facts.
•Problem in feing responsibility: Origin of
information can not be ascertained thus It is
difcult to hold anybody responsible for
spreading false information.
Types of grapevine
communication
 INFORMAL NETWORKS
E
C
Y K
H
G I
X
F B D
D

C E J J
G
A
B D F H I Probability B I
C

A B J
D
A
Chain K C F
Cluster A
Gossip
 1.SINGLE STRAND

In this type,
information fows
through a long line
of person to the w
ultimate receiver.
p
This chain is
s
least accurate in
h passing on the
information.
r

q
2.GOSSIP WHEEL

x
S
w
H
P

A
U
B
GOSSIP WHEEL
 involves passing of information from a
person in the centre to all the other
around him.
 chain is often used when information or
a message regarding is an interesting
one but non-job related nature is being
conveyed.
3. PROBABILITY CHAIN

u
r
p l
a
s
c w
q
PROBABILITY CHAIN
 Here people communicates randomly with
others according to the law of probability.
 In this type of chain, individuals are indiferent
to, or not really interested in, the persons to
whom they are passing some information.
 The chain is found when the information is
somewhat interesting but not really signifcant.
4. CLUSTER

j
n k

w
e
p l
m q
t
r
CLUSTER
 It involves selective communication in
a group.
 The individual communicates with only
those individuals whom he trusts.
 Out of these informal networks, the
cluster network is the most popular.