Channels of communication

Prepared by
Dr. D P Dash
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION Or FLOW OF
COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS or FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

FORMAL INFORMAL or GRAPEVINE

• Formal communications are those which are bound with all rules
and regulations, Ex. Orders, notices, etc.

• Informal communication includes the non official or un-regulated

communications, Ex. Rumours, un-verified information

• They both exist simultaneously in an organisation.

 Communication channels
Example:

M.D.

Directors
Downwa
rd
channel Managers
Upward
channel
Officers

Supervisors

Workers/Clerks
Formal Channels Communication

President

Instructions and directives

Information

Vice Vice
President President

Manager Manager Manager Manager

Efforts at coordination

FORMAL CHANNELS EXAMPLE

 FORMAL CHANNELS

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OFCOMMUNICATION

• It is in the form of official messages and news that flow through

recognized channels or routes formally laid by the organization.
• This communication may take place between a superior and
subordinate, a subordinate and superior or among employees at
same level or departmental managers.
• It flows in 4 directions:
1) Downward
2) Upward
3) Horizontal
4) Diagonal
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 DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
M.D.

 Any organization has an inbuilt hierarchical Director

system, and in that, in the first instances,
communication invariably flows downwards. Managers

Officers
 Downward communication takes place whenever a
person belonging to a higher position down the Superviso
line of authority communicates with a person rs
belonging to the lower levels of the hierarchy.
Workers

 Written: e.g. memoranda ,letters,

handbooks, pamphlets, policy statements,
circular or notices,

 Oral: e.g. speeches Staff meetings, interviews,

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 district’s 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.
Advantages of downward communication:

1. It helps to maintain discipline within an organisation.

Since the levels of authority are determined and
clear-cut, each person knows that he is accountable
to his immediate senior.

2. The seniors also know exactly the amount of

authority they wield, and so they are confident while
issuing instructions and orders to juniors.

Disadvantages of downward communication:

1. In downward communication the lines of

communication are often too long.

2. Message gets distorted sometimes.

 Some information is confidential and cannot be

communicated downwards.
 UPWARD COMMUNICATION:

1. Flow of communication from lower levels to higher

levels.
M.D.
2. Upward communication is essential to managers Director
informed about the progress of the work.
Manage
3. The main functions of upward communication rs
is to supply information to the upper levels
Officers
about what is happening at the lower levels.
Supervis
Ex. Suggestion systems, appeal and grievance ors
procedures, complaint system , counseling
Workers
sessions.

.
UPWARD COMMUNICATION
SUPERINTENDENTS

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS

PRINCIPALS

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

FACULTY
 Advantages of upward communication

Promotes better understanding

develops ‘employer-employee’ relations.
Provides feedback to Administrators
Helps monitor decision making effectiveness.
Helps gauge organizational climate.
Deals with problem areas quickly .
Provides needed information to Administrators.

Disadvantages of upward communication

Only agreeable information communicated.

Tends to travel slowly.
Subject to filtering and distortion
less openness to upward communication
 Horizontal / Lateral Channels
• 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.
 HORIZONTAL
COMMUNICATION
ASSISTANT ASSISTANT
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL
FACULTY FACULTY
MEMBER MEMBER

OFTEN FACILLITATE ACHIEVED FURNISHES

OVERLOOKED COORDINATI THROUGH CROSS- EMOTIONAL
AS ON FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT
UNIMPORTANT BETWEEN COMMITTEES AMONGPEERS
UNITS
Advantages of horizontal communication:
1. Horizontal communication improves the quality of team
work.
2. Since horizontal communication means better co-
ordination of individual effort, it ensures greater efficiency
and better results.
3. Effective horizontal communication helps to eliminate
misunderstanding, envy, and petty jealousies among
people of equal status.
Disadvantages of horizontal communication:
1. There may be a conflict between horizontal and vertical
communication. Horizontal communication takes place
more frequently than communication between seniors and
juniors. So, a decision taken horizontally may go against
some instructions given by senior.
2. At higher managerial levels horizontal communication
becomes difficult when people engaged in specialised jobs
use technical languages (Jargons).
3. Unless horizontal communication is tightly controlled and
each person is made actually aware of his responsibilities, a
great deal of time may be wasted
 DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION
• Refers to communication between managers and
workers located in different functional divisions
(Wilson 1992).
• Although both vertical and horizontal communication
continue to be important, these terms no longer
adequately capture communication needs and flows in
most modern organizations.
• The concept of diagonal communication was
introduced to capture the new communication
challenges associated with new organizational forms,
such as project-based organizations.
 Diagonal or Crosswise
Communication

• It is also among persons at different levels

• who have no direct reporting relationships

• This Kind of communication is used to speed

information flow to improve understanding.

Oral e.g. Informal meetings, lunch hours meeting

Written e.g. Magazines, Journals, Company newspapers

DIAGIONAL COMMUNICATION

Superintendent

Asst.Supt. Asst. Supt. For Asst. Supt. For

For Personnel Instruction Business

Director of Secondary Ed.

Chief Negotiator ELEM. Ed.
Coordinator Accountants
Personnel Coordinator

Elementary Secondary
Principal Principal
 Diagonal channels

Advantages of Diagonal channels

 Flexibility of communication across different levels
 Speedier transction of business
 Certain degree of Informality
 Involves people of all levels
Disadvantages of Diagonal channels
• Slackening of control
• May encourage Adverse rumour or grapevine
 INFORMAL CHANNELS OR GRAPEVINE
COMMUNICATION

1. Here the information flows in any order i.e. , no

horizontal or vertical flow of communication.

2. Spreads very rapidly in all channels of

communications.

3. It provides feedback to the organisation, reaches

everyone.

4. It can be harmful as information can be

baseless.

5. It is mostly incomplete.
 “Grapevine“
1. a secret means of spreading or
receiving information
2. the informal transmission of
(unofficial) information, gossip or
rumor from person-to-person -> "to
hear about s.th. through the
grapevine"
3. a rumor: unfounded report; hearsay

Formal and Informal Channels of

Communication
 Informal Networks
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 Cluster A
Chain

Formal and Informal Channels of

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

Single strand: Communication in sequence.

Gossip network: communicates to all on non-
selective basis.
Probability network: Individual communicates
randomly. Information may move from
anybody to anybody
Cluster network: an individual communicates
to only those whom he trusts. Moves through
selected groups.
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INFORMAL CHANNELS COMMUNICATION or GRAPEVINE

 Unofficial messages (work related or people

related) that flow outside the officially
designed channels.
 Technically called as grapevine
communication.
 Result of natural desire to communicate with
each other freely and frequently.
 Does not follow the authority.
 It takes place due to individual needs.
 It is implicit, multidimensional
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and diverse.
 Benefits of Grapevine
 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.
 Demerits of grapevine
• Distortion of information
• May transmit incomplete information
• Travels with destructive swiftness
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FACTORS OF GRAPEVINE

Employees rely on the grapevine when:

 they feel threatened.

insecure.
 under stress.
 when communication from
management is limited.
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 To use it effectively
The manager should-
• Keep an eye on rumor-mongers

• Primarily for feedback

• Contradict rumors promptly

• Involve the workers in the decision making

process.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGESOF INFORMAL
COMMUNICATION

Advantages Disadvantages
 More flexible and  Information may be
much faster. distorted.
 Helps in achieving  Lacks official status
better human relations and less dependable.
 Fulfills the  Has no definite origin
psychological needs of and direction.
the employees.  Leakage of
confidential
information.

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 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL
COMMUNICATION.

Sr. Formal communication Informal communication

No.

1. Formal communication is that which Informal communication, too ,

takes place within the line of authority. operates in every organisation and
Observing the norms ad conditions carries communication which doesn't
necessary to the hierarchy. arise out of the formal channels of
communication. Informal discussion
about rumours an un-verified
information.
2. Formal communication, in whichever Today this type of communication is
direction its movers are always planed, recognized as integral part of the
dictated and guided. communication structure of every
organization. This is known as
grapevine communication.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FORMAL
COMMUNICATION

Advantages Disadvantages
 Effective  Stiff , Slow and Rigid
 Provides close contact  Channels of
between members of communication are not
the organization perfect.
 Control over the sub-  Organizational
ordinates and fixing in distance, screening at
their responsibility. various points and
 Flow of essential narrow route are the
information in an three bottlenecks in the
orderly manner. flow of
communication.

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