Meaning of Communication:

Communication can broadly be defined as exchange of ideas, messages and

information between two or more persons, through a medium, in a manner that the
sender and the receiver understand the message in the common sense, that is, they
develop common understanding of the message.

The word communication is derived from the Latin word ‘communicate’, which
means to share, impart, participate, exchange, transmit or to make common. It
emphasizes on sharing common information, ideas and messages. It is not merely
issuing orders and instructions.

“Communication is the transfer of information from a sender to a receiver, with the

information being understood by the receiver”. — Koontz and Weihrich

“Communication is the art of developing and attaining understanding between

people. It is the process of exchanging information and feelings between two or
more people and it is essential to effective management.” — Terry and Franklin

“Communication is the sum of all things one person does when he wants to create
understanding in the mind of another. It is a bridge of meaning. It involves a
systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding.” —
Allen Louis

“Communication is the process by which people attempt to share meaning via the
transmission of symbolic messages.” — Stoner and Wankel

Nature of Communication:
Communication has the following features:
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1. Two-way process:
Communication is a two-way process of understanding between two or more
persons – sender and receiver. A person cannot communicate with himself.

2. Continuous process:
Exchange of ideas and opinion amongst people is an ongoing process in business
and non-business organizations. Continuous interaction promotes understanding
and exchange of information relevant for decision-making.

3. Dynamic process:
Communication between sender and receiver takes different forms and medium
depending upon their moods and behavior. It is, thus, a dynamic process that keeps
changing in different situations.

4. Pervasive:
Communication is a pervasive activity. It takes place at all levels (top, middle,
low) in all functional areas (production, finance, personnel, sales) of a business
organisation.

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5. Two people:
A minimum of two persons — sender and receiver — must be present for
communication to take place. It may be between superiors, subordinates and peer
group, intra or inter se.

6. Exchange:
Communication involves exchange of ideas and opinions. People interact and
develop understanding for each other.

7. Means of unifying organisational activities:

Communication unifies internal organisational environment with its external
environment. It also integrates the human and physical resources and converts
them into organisational output.

8. Verbal and non-verbal:

Though words are active carriers of information, gestures can sometimes be more
powerful than words. Facial expressions, sounds, signs and symbols are the non-
verbal forms of communication.

9. Mutual understanding:
Communication is effective when sender and receiver develop mutual
understanding of the subject. Messages conveyed should be understood by the
receiver in the desired sense.

10. Goal-oriented:
Communication is goal-oriented. Unless the receiver and sender know the purpose
they intend to achieve through communication, it has little practical utility.

11. Foundation of management:

Though communication is a directing function, it is important for other managerial
functions also. Designing plans and organisation structures, motivating people to
accomplish goals and controlling organisational activities; all require
communication amongst managers at various levels.

12. A means, not an end:

Communication is not an end. Effective communication is a means towards
achieving the end, that is, goal accomplishment. It smoothens managerial
operations by facilitating planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling
functions.

13. Human activity:

Since communication makes accomplishment of organisational goals possible, it is
essential that people understand and like each other. If people do not understand
each others’ viewpoint, there cannot be effective communication.

14. Inter-disciplinary:
Communication is the art of how communicators use knowledge of different fields
of study like anthropology, psychology and sociology. Making best use of these
disciplines makes communication effective. It is, thus, an inter-disciplinary area of
management.

Role of Communication:
Right from the time a child is born, communication plays an important role in his
life. Speaking, listening and writing are the common forms of communication. A
large part of our time is devoted to communication as we share our thoughts and
feelings with individuals and groups of people. Communication helps to develop
an organised society with defined roles for each individual.
In the business world, managers perform their tasks and responsibilities through
communication. Communication provides the basis for effective implementation of
plans, assigning jobs to people, carrying out directions and activities and facilitates
control.

Management functions can be performed successfully when managers

communicate face-to-face, telephonically or electronically with their superiors,
peers, subordinates, customers, suppliers, competitors etc. Even when they are not
talking, they are busy reading or writing reports, memos and letters which are
different forms of communication. Communication has reduced geographical
distances into storable and confidential forms and has facilitated a large number of
people to interact with each other.

It is important that communication should be effective. Effective communication is

transfer of information along with transfer of understanding. It means transfer of
messages, ideas and information in a manner that the sender and receiver
understand the subject in the same sense.

“It is the process of sending a message in such a way that the message received is
as close in meaning as possible to the message intended.” Effective
communication, thus, takes place when receiver understands the message in the
same sense as the sender wants to convey.

Communication is the foundation for human interaction that develops common

understanding amongst two or more persons. This promotes common objectives
through coordinated efforts amongst people belonging to different functional
departments.

Importance of Communication:
The desire to socialize and get formed into organised groups necessitates the need
for communication. In the fast changing world, managers communicate changes in
technology, structure or people to the subordinates. If the communication system is
well organised, it becomes easier for subordinates to understand and act upon the
message. Communication plays important role in the lives of individuals and
organisations.

The following points highlight the importance of communication:

1. Basis for planning:
Planning is the basic function of management. If plans are well designed and
communicated for their implementation, it leads to organisational success.
Planning requires extensive environmental scanning and information about internal
and external organisation elements. An effective system of communication helps in
obtaining this information. Implementing the plans requires communicating them
to everybody in the organisation. Communication is, thus, the basis of planning.

2. Motivation to work:
Employees are motivated to work if their needs are satisfied. Communication helps
managers know needs of their employees so that they can adopt suitable motivators
and inspire them to develop positive attitude towards the work environment.

3. Job satisfaction:
Exchange of information develops trust, confidence and faith amongst managers
and subordinates. They understand their job positions better and, thus, perform
better. People are committed to organisational objectives which promotes job
satisfaction,

4. Commitment to organisational objectives:

Managers who follow an effective system of communication understand
employees’ needs, adopt suitable motivators to satisfy them, appraise their
performance and provide them regular feedback. The employees also work with
commitment towards organisational objectives.

5. Coordination:
Communication coordinates organisational resources (human and non- human),
individual goals with organisational goals and internal environment with external
environment. Coordination is the key to organisational success and communication
is an active contributor to coordination.

6. Adaptability to external environment:

In order to survive in the changing, dynamic environment, managers continuously
interact with external parties like government, suppliers, customers, etc. This
requires effective communication system in the organisation.

7. Internal functioning of an enterprise:

Managers interact with parties internal to business enterprises. They constantly
obtain and provide information to them. More effective the communication system,
more accurate will be the information.

8. Healthy industrial relations:

Satisfied workers contribute to healthy organisations. Communication brings
managers and trade unions closer, develops mutual understanding and promotes
industrial peace and harmony. This increases industrial production.

9. Helps in performing managerial roles:

According to Henry Mintzberg, managers perform three major roles –
interpersonal, informational and decisional. Communication helps managers in
performing these roles effectively. In interpersonal roles, managers interact with
superiors, peers and subordinates; in informational roles they receive and give
information to people inside and outside the organization and in decisional roles,
they take important decisions and communicate them to organisational members
for their effective implementation.

10. Facilitates leadership:

Effective leaders interact with followers, guide and inspire them to perform the
individual and organisational goals. Effective communication process facilitates
leaders to carry out the leadership functions.

11. Facilitates control:

Planning is effective if accompanied by an effective control system. Control is
possible when managers assess subordinates’ performance, correct and prevent
deviations and provide them regular feedback of performance. Control function
largely depends upon communication system of the organisation. How effectively
managers control organisational activities depends upon how effective is the
communication system.

12. Training and development:

Imparting training and development facilities to employees depends upon how well
their superiors communicate with them. Trainers with good communication skills
are better than those who have poor communication skills.

13. Substance to organisational existence:

Obtaining information to make plans, making members aware of authority-
responsibility structure, position in the organisational hierarchy, coordinating their
activities is the essence of organisational survival and growth. This is possible
through effective communication.

Process of Communication:
Communication process is a sequence of activities where message sent is
understood by the receiver in its intended meaning. For example, execution of a
purchase order or conversation through telephone shall be complete if the desired
result is achieved, that is, supplier sends the desired goods and receiver of phone
call acts as desired by the maker of the call.

Communication is a process that connects the sender with the receiver of the
message. A process is “a systematic series of actions, operations or series of
changes directed to some end.” However, in real life situations, communication
process is more complex than it sounds. It consists of a series of elements which
results in sharing of meaning by sender and receiver.

These elements are discussed below:

1. Sender:
Sender is the person who initiates, generates and sends the message. He represents
the source of message. The communication process begins when the sender
develops an idea or message he wants to transmit. He must arrange the ideas in a
manner that can be understood by the receiver. A lecturer delivering a lecture in
the classroom is the sender of the message or a manager addressing his team in a
meeting is sender of the message.

2. Message:
Message is the idea or information that the sender wants to convey. He may
convey it verbally (by writing or speaking) or non-verbally (through gestures or
body language). Whatever the form, the message should be clearly formed so that
desired objective is accomplished.

3. Encoding:
Once the sender is clear of what message to transmit, he decides the code through
which the message shall be transmitted. The message is abstract and intangible
and, therefore, has to be converted into some form (words, gestures, pictures etc.)
to make it meaningful. Encoding means converting the message into symbols.

Encoding gives meaning to the message or converts ideas into codes which can be
understood by the receiver. Encoding means translating the message into words
(written or spoken), symbols or gestures. It may be a combination of the three. The
code should be appropriate to the situation, that is, interpreted by the receiver in
the manner intended.

4. Transmission:
Transmission involves selecting the medium or channel of communication. Once
decided that the message has to be sent in writing, the sender may select the
electronic channel and the medium of e-mail or fax. Short messages can be
transmitted through telephone but lengthy messages can be sent through letters or
circulars.

Choice of channel depends upon the message to be conveyed, personal biases of

the sender and nature of information. Short messages are generally sent through
telephone. Where drawings, charts and illustrations form part of the message, it
should be sent in writing. Personal biases include sender’s preference for a
particular channel.

Some senders prefer to communicate in writing, howsoever short the message may
be and, therefore, prefer the written channel of transmission. Nature of information
refers to immediacy and confidentiality of information. Confidential information
where immediate feedback is required is generally transmitted orally.

5. Receiver:
Receiver is the person or a group of persons to whom the message is conveyed. In
case of telephonic conversation, the sender can send message to one receiver but in
case of group discussions, seminars and conferences, receivers can be more than
one. The message must be designed, encoded and transmitted in a manner that
receiver can understand it easily. Use of technical words, jargons and complicated
symbols should be avoided. Depending on the channel selected, receiver may be a
listener, viewer or a reader.

6. Decoding:
Decoding means giving meaningful interpretation to the message. On receiving the
message, the receiver translates the symbols into meaningful information to the
best of his ability. Communication is effective if receiver understands the message
in the same way as intended by the sender. The receiver must, therefore, be
familiar with the codes and symbols used by the sender.

7. Noise:
It represents the disturbing factor in the process of communication. It interferes
with effective communication and reduces clarity of the message. The message
may be interpreted differently than intended by the sender. Conversing near a
machine making sounds, disturbance in telephone line, physical ailment or mental
distress of sender or receiver, psychological barriers (degree of trust, fear,
perception etc.) are the common forms of noise that obstruct the quality of message
transmitted from sender to the receiver.

8. Feedback:
Feedback is receiver’s response to sender’s message. The receiver communicates
his reaction to the sender through words, symbols or gestures. It is the reversal of
communication process where receiver becomes the sender and sender becomes
the receiver. Unless the receiver responds to the message, communication process
is incomplete.

Feedback helps the sender to transform his message, if needed. It also allows the
receiver to clear doubts on the message, ask questions to build his confidence and
enables the sender to know efficiency of the message. Feedback makes the
communication process complete.

In face-to-face communication, the sender can immediately receive the feedback

but in written communication, it takes time for sender to receive feedback on the
message. A written notice sent by manager to the employees to work seven days a
week instead of six can be implemented when everybody has read and signed the
notice. Subordinates will give feedback on the notice and recommend changes, if
required. Managers can implement the notice only if it is accepted by the
subordinates, unless it is an order.

Feedback increases efficiency and applicability of communication.

Feedback plays important role in two-way communication. In one-way
communication, sender communicates with the receiver without getting any
feedback but in two-way communication, receiver provides feedback to the sender.
Though one-way communication takes less time and is more orderly (it avoids
noise and chaos), feedback in two-way communication makes it more accurate and
precise.

Feedback offers the following benefits:

1. It allows senders to improve communication with the receiver.

2. It allows receiver to clarify doubts on the message and, therefore, perform better.

3. Allowing receivers to ask questions builds confidence and they are more
confident of their performance.

4. It enables the sender to know efficiency of his message; whether or not the
receiver has understood the message in its right meaning. Feedback makes the
communication process complete.

5. In response to receiver’s understanding and suggestions on the message, sender

can adjust the subsequent messages.

However, two-way communication should be used constructively. If sender and

receiver hold conflicting opinions and none is ready to agree to the other’s
viewpoint, the message cannot be acted upon. Blaming each other with defensive
reasoning and not acting in support of the message can reduce efficiency of the
message. Two-way communication cannot be avoided and, therefore, both the
parties should hold aside their egos and arrive at consensus in case there are
conflicting opinions about the message.

The communication process can be represented as follows:

Channels of Communication:
Communication channel is the path through which information flows from sender
to receiver.

Two main communication channels are:

I. Formal communication channel and

II. Informal communication channel.

I. Formal Communication Channel:

It is the official channel of communication controlled by managers in their official
capacity. Official information and decisions follow this channel of communication.
This channel is officially recognised by the organisation structure, follows the
formal chain of command for passing information, suggestions, orders etc. and
defines authority-responsibility relationships amongst members of the
organisation.

It is a deliberately created path of communication. Information flows vertically,

horizontally and diagonally along this path of communication ‘through proper
channel’, that is, through various levels in the organisational hierarchy.

Vertical communication represents flow of information from one level to the other
in the organsational hierarchy. It can be downward and upward. In downward
vertical communication, information flows from top to middle-level managers,
lower-level managers, supervisors and workers.
The information is related to goals, policies, directions, instructions etc. In upward
vertical communication, information flows from lower-levels to higher levels. It
relates to reports about subordinates’ work, achievements and progress, work-
related problems, suggestions to improve the style of working etc.

Horizontal communication flows amongst people at the same level. It does not
follow the official chain of command. When manager of marketing department
discusses issues related to production and sale of goods, with the manager of
production department, it is said to be horizontal communication. Diagonal
communication is similar to horizontal communication that takes place amongst
people of different departments at different levels rather than the same level.

Merits of formal communication:

Formal communication channel has the following merits:
1. Authentic information:
It is an officially recognised path of communication and, therefore, whatever
information flows in whatever direction (vertical, horizontal or lateral), it is
presumed to be authentic.

2. Large geographical area:

Large organisations have branches spread over wide geographical areas. Formal
communication channels spread information over wide geographical areas.

3. Justify organisational hierarchy:

Who is to receive information from whom, where, when and to what extent is
clearly specified in the formal channels.

4. Coordination:
Formal channels coordinate the work of other functional areas and facilitate
smooth functioning of the organisation.

5. Control:
It helps in receiving right information at the right time and facilitates control of
organisational activities.

6. Filtering of information:
Only important information which top managers must know flows to them. They
do not have to, therefore, scan every information, relevant and irrelevant. This
saves time which can be spent on strategic issues.

Limitations of formal communication:

Formal communication channel suffers from the following limitations:
1. Information distortion:
When information passes through a number of levels, some of the information is
lost in transit and gets filled by some unintended information. There may be, thus,
information distortion. In some cases, information up to eighty per cent gets lost on
the way.

2. Time-consuming:
As information passes through a number of levels, it is a time-consuming channel
of communication.

3. Expensive:
It is an expensive channel of communication as it requires lot of paper and
administrative work.

4. Lack of personal touch:

People at the top and bottom communicate with each other through formal
channels only. They do not get to talk to each other personally. Lack of personal
touch restricts free flow of information in the organisation. Formal communication
channel cannot be avoided. Efforts should be made to reduce its limitations and
make it an effective channel of communication.

II. Informal Communication Channel:

It is an unofficial channel of communication that arises out of socio-psychological
needs of people to interact with each other. It is an important and spontaneous
outgrowth of formal channels of communication. It emphasises more on the person
than position. It arises when people of common nationality, caste or religion
interact with each other or when they share a car pool or meet each other regularly
in canteens, libraries, bus stands etc.

Grapevine communication:
It is an informal communication network where information flows freely
throughout the organisation. Grapevine is the most common form of informal
communication. It connects people in the organisation and transmits information in
every direction: vertical, horizontal and diagonal.

It cuts across formal positions and facilitates social, personal and psychological
interaction amongst people. Though it travels faster than formal communication
channel, it also carries gossips and rumours with it. Grapevine communication
normally occurs when some change is introduced in organisational policies
(change in office, automation etc.) and people are located close to each other (as
individuals or groups) in order to discuss matters.

Features of grapevine communication:

Grapevine communication has the following features:
1. It connects almost everybody in the organisation.

2. It flows in every direction – vertical, horizontal and diagonal.

3. It does not follow the official chain of command.

4. It is a fast channel of communication.

5. It generally occurs at the work site, though it may occur outside the organisation
also.

6. It arises out of social and personal interaction amongst people in the

organisation.

7. It is based on people than task.

8. It generally occurs orally.

9. It occurs in various forms known as communication chains.

Patterns of grapevine communication—grapevine communication chains:

Grapevine communication chain represents the pattern in which information flows
in different directions.
Kieth Davis identifies four types of communication chains:
1. Single-strand chain:
In this chain, information passes from one person to the other in a sequential order.
A tells something to B who tells it to C, C to D and so on till the information
finally reaches the person concerned, say, J.

It appears like this:

2. Gossip chain:
In this chain, one person passes information to everyone else in the organisation.
He is not selective about passing the information. This information may not be
related to work but is of interest to all.

It appears like this:

3. Probability chain:
In this chain, information is passed randomly by one person to others. These
persons further pass information in the same random fashion. This information is
not significant but is somewhat interesting.
It appears like this:

4. Cluster chain:
In this chain, one person passes information to a selected few confidentially, that
is, communication is done with people whom the sender trusts. Some of them keep
the information to themselves and others pass it to other selected few whom they
trust. Information of interest is transmitted further and rest is retained by members.
It is the most common pattern of grapevine or informal communication.

It appears like this:

Merits of grapevine communication:

Informal or grapevine communication channel has the following merits:
1. Speed:
Communication through this channel spreads fast as it does not follow a definite
path. The moment someone comes to know of information that is ‘confidential’ or
otherwise, it spreads like wild fire throughout the organisation. It is “just between
you and me” is the basis of spreading information through grapevine.

2. Supports formal communication channel:

This channel is an important supplement to formal channel of communication.
Whatever cannot be communicated through formal channel, because of time or
official constraints, can be successfully transmitted through informal channels.

3. Nature of information:
Information about corporate history, moral values and traditions can be better
transmitted through informal channels than formal channels.

4. Feedback:
Managers can obtain feedback from subordinates regarding the policies, directions,
instructions, decisions etc. through grapevine. Feedback through informal channel
is faster than the formal channel.

5. Human relations:
Since informal channels cut across official positions and hierarchical relationships,
they promote healthy relations amongst people in the organisation.

6. Socio-psychological needs:
This channel satisfies social and psychological needs of people to interact with
each other and share their joys and sorrows. It creates a sense of belongingness in
the group and strengthens their group identity.

Limitations of grapevine communication:

Informal communication channel suffers from the following limitations:
1. Information distortion:
Since information is not based on facts, it may be misleading and distorted.

2. Lack of authenticity:
Informal communication is not authentic. Different people may-interpret the same
information in different ways.

3. Fixing responsibility:
Origin of information cannot be known in this channel. It is, therefore, difficult to
hold responsibility for spreading false information.

4. Incomplete information:
Information filtration and distortion are the common features of informal
communication. What is said by first sender is not what is received by the last
receiver. There is, thus, incomplete transmission of information.

5. Lack of evidence:
It spreads by word of mouth. It is not supported by written facts. This makes it
often incredible or non-dependable. Though informal channel has limitations,
managers cannot eliminate it. It is an inevitable channel of communication.

Managers should make proper use of this channel to attain the formal goals. They
can make use of this channel to receive feedback about organisational plans and
policies and avoid spreading gossips and rumours in the organisation.

How to make effective use of grapevine communication:

Since grapevine or informal communication channel cannot be eliminated,
managers should use it effectively to attain the formal organisational goals.

The following steps can help managers in this regard:

1. Managers should personally inform employees about organisational goals, plans,
policies, etc. besides communicating them through the formal channel. This will
avoid spreading rumours and gossips. While communicating with subordinates,
managers should maintain closeness with them.

2. Enhance group discussions and activities so that people openly discuss their
formal and informal problems.

3. Managers should fix some time, in a week or month, to personally meet the
employees and discuss various formal and informal problems with them.

4. Managers should win the confidence of group leaders so that group goals are not
contrary to individual goals.

5. As much as possible, decision-making should be participative in nature.

6. Managers should keep asking the employees about organisational plans and
policies. Regular feedback can improve the organisation’s state of affairs.
7. Managers should be good listeners. If they want to be listened to, they should
also listen to others.

Importance of Communication in an Organization:

Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to

perform the basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading
and Controlling. Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and
responsibilities. Communication serves as a foundation for planning. All the
essential information must be communicated to the managers who in-turn must
communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also requires effective
communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as managers
must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team
goals. Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication.
Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally
devote approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on
face to face or telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates,
colleagues, customers or suppliers. Managers also use Written Communication in
form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral communication is not feasible.
Thus, we can say that “effective communication is a building block of successful
organizations”. In other words, communication acts as organizational blood.

The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as

follows: 1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the
employees about the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and
how to improve their performance if it is not up to the mark.

2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for

decision- making process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of
actions.

3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a

well informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual.
Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and
written communication help in moulding employee’s attitudes.
4. Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of
another individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive
without communication.

5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps

controlling organizational member’s behaviour in various ways. There are various
levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must
follow in an organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform
their job role efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their
superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling function of management.

An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency

in delivering and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to
communication, analyze the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps
to avoid those barriers. Thus, the primary responsibility of a manager is to develop
and maintain an effective communication system in the organization

Guidelines for Effective Communication Effective communication is a part and

parcel of any successful organization. A communication should be free from
barriers so as to be effective. Communication is a two way process where the
message sent by the sender should be interpreted in the same terms by the
recipient. The characteristics of effective communication are as follows :

1. Clarity of Purpose: The message to be delivered must be clear in the mind of

sender. The person to whom it is targeted and the aim of the message should be
clear in the mind of the sender.

2. Completeness: The message delivered should not be incomplete. It should be

supported by facts and observations. It should be well planned and organized. No
assumptions should be made by the receiver.

3. Conciseness: The message should be concise. It should not include any

unnecessary details. It should be short and complete.

4. Feedback: Whether the message sent by the sender is understood in same terms
by the receiver or not can be judged by the feedback received. The feedback should
be timely and in personal. It should be specific rather than general.
 5. Empathy: Empathy with the listeners is essential for effective verbal
communication. The speaker should step into the shoes of the listener and be
sensitive to their needs and emotions. This way he can understand things from their
perspective and make communication more effective.

6. Modify the message according to the audience: The information requirement by

different people in the organization differs according to their needs. What is
relevant to the middle level management might not be relevant to the top level of
management. Use of jargons should be minimized because it might lead to
misunderstanding and misinterpretations. The message should be modified
according to the needs and requirements of the targeted audience.

7. Multiple Channels of communication: For effective communication multiple

channels should be used as it increases the chances of clarity of message. The
message is reinforced by using different channels and there are less chances of
deformation of message.

8. Make effective use of Grapevine (informal channel of communication): The

employees and managers should not always discourage grapevine. They should
make effective use of grapevine. The managers can use grapevine to deliver formal
messages and for identification of issues which are significant for the employees.
The managers can get to know the problems faced by the employees and can work
upon it.