CHAPTER THREE

TYPES of COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

Types/ Classification of communication in organization

Communication has its own process. Two or more parties engaged in communication, knowingly
or unknowingly perform chain of events. Communication exists when all these events in the
process are effectively carried out. The absence of one of these elements will lead to
miscommunication, and such will result in poor decision making by management.

External and Internal communication

Each business organization/ house is concerned with two types of communication.
1. External communication
2. Internal communication
External communication
External communication refers to communication with outside sources such as suppliers, dealing
with customers, professional associations, interacting with private and government organization
etc. As the external environment has become more dynamic and turbulent, regular exchange of
information with outside agencies and individuals becomes essential. Whether by phone, fax,
video tape, or letter, much of this communication is carefully orchestrated, and some occurs
informally. Two functional units particularly important in managing the flow of external
messages: the marketing department and the public relation department. Marketing focuses on
selling goods and services, whereas public relations is more concerned with developing the
organization’s overall permutation.
Internal communication
Internal communication is communication consists in transmitting information within the
organization. It is communication within an organization
Internal communication is classified based on:
 Organizational relationship
 Direction of flow of communication
 Methods of communication
On the bases of organizational relationship
Communication on the basis of organizational relationship grouped as:
 Formal communication and
 Informal communication (grapevine)

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Formal communication
Formal communication networks are management’s idea of who ought to communicate with
whom to get the job done. Formal channels of communication follow cretin definite,
predetermine directions.
In formal communication the flow of information follows official chain of command. Formal
communication depends on organizational structure. It refers to the transmission of officially
known information through the formally established charts of an organization.
In small organization, much information can be changed casually and directly, hence the formal
communication networks are so simple that they are hardly noticeable. But in giant organizations
transmitting the right information to the right people at the right time is a real challenge.
The main characteristic of formal communication is that it is primarily a communication network
that deals with formal kinds of information such as memos, policies, procedures, etc... It is
tangible.
Its advantages are it is simple and it gives feedback; where as its disadvantages are message
overload; lack of motivation; inaccuracy and lack of speed in exchanging information.
Informal communication (grapevine)
Informal networks can extend anywhere from two partners to dozens of individuals. Some
informal networks are almost as large as the organization itself. Large informal networks are
often referred as grapevine. It is quite natural for a group of people working together to be
interested in one another and talk about appointments, promotions, retrenchment, or even
domestic affairs like the estranged relations of an employee with his wife or the romantic
investment of another. Information on most of these matters is supposed to be secret. But some
people derive great pleasure from gathering such ‘secret’ information and transmitting it to
others. They are the leaders who can control the grapevine. When one comes across with any
piece of information interesting enough to be transmitted through the grapevine, in a very
mysterious manner he whispers it to another exhorting him to keep the information secret. The
second person, just because he has been specifically instructed to keep it secret, doesn’t feel
relived till he has whispered it into the ears of at least five more persons, in his turn imploring all
of them to keep its secret. Soon this top secret has reached everybody.
The grapevine is more a product of the situation than it is of the person. Certain situations like
insecurity of service, uncertainty over promotions, special increments to a particular employee,
certain innovations in the organization are likely to affect the job prospects of the employees so
that very soon all kinds of rumors have spread in the organization.

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Types of Grapevine Chains
Grapevine chain is classified into four basic types: single strand, gossip, probability, and cluster.
Single strand chain - involves the passing of information through a long line of persons to the
ultimate/ final receipt. A tells B, B tells C, C tells D, and so on till the information reached to
most of the persons concerned.
Gossip chain - “A” actively seeks and tells everyone. This chain is just like the wheel where A is
at the center and the information passes along the spokes/ beams of the wheel to others stationed
on the rim.
Probability chain - is a random process in which A transmits the information to others in
accordance with the laws of probability and then these others tell still others in a similar manner.
Each person passes on information at random, without particular regard for who the receiver is.
And the receivers use the same approach in their communication efforts.

Cluster chain - A tells selected persons who may in turn relay/ pass on the information to other
selected individuals. Most of the informal communication follows this chain.
The advantages of informal network are: it is fast and reliable; it provides large amount of
information; it confirms formal messages; it helps to expand information; it provides emotional
relief - if employees are upset about certain issue, they talk it over with their colleagues and feel
lighter; it promotes unity and solidarity in any organization; formal channels cannot exist alone
but they are supplemented by grapevine; it leads to creation of ideas, and it keeps good personal
relations
Where as its disadvantages are: it could create unrest due to gossip; no knowledge of the source;
the feedback is minimal; it travels so fast it rarely waits for complete information; it may pass
wrong and distorted information; it causes loss and wastage of time because people like to sit
around and gossip, and it can hurt people.

On the bases of direction of flow of communication

Communication on the basis of direction of flow classified as:
 Downward communication
 Upward communication and
 Horizontal communication
 Diagonal communication

Downward communication
Downward communication takes place whenever a superior sends a message to one or more
subordinates. It is communication that flows from a superior to subordinate.
It is in the form of: directions, interactions, orders, policy statements, job sheets, circulars etc…
It is eminently suited to an organization in which the lines of authority runs distinctly downward,
with each rank clearly below another, to which it is directly related.

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Some of the types of downward communication are:
 Job instruction – directions about what to do or how to do it.
 Job rationale – explanations how one task relates to another.
 Procedures & practices – information about rules, regulations, policies and benefits.
 Feedback – information about how effectively a person is performing.
 Indoctrination – information aimed at motivating employees by impressing the
organization’s mission up on them and specifying how they should relate to it.

The advantages of downward communication are: there is direct communication between
superiors and subordinates; the instructions are precise and understandable; and there is desire
for feedback.
Whereas the disadvantages or limitations are:
 Message overload:- sometimes messages may have too much information which is
difficult to pay attention to any of them. Messages can be too long, disguising important
information in the sea of details; can be too complicated to understand.
 Bad timing:- giving a message at the wrong time can cause trouble. If a manager gives
instruction to an employee whose phone is ringing or in a hurry, the employee can’t get
complete understanding. Psychological timing is important, too.
 Serial transmission:- as information passes from one person to another it becomes less
accurate. The problem of serial transmission is great especially in organizations that have
several levels of authority. The remedy for such loses is to put it into writing or to ask
feedback from the receiver.
 Under communication & over communication
 Delay-If the lines of communication in downward communication being very long,
transmitting information to the lowest worker becomes time consuming. Hence, the
information that reaches him may have lost much of it significance or caused damaging
delay.
 Filtering and distortion:- it is hard to understand most messages that contains bad news;
difficult to listen openly & objectively to someone who talks about your sloppy work or
bad attitude if that person has power to reward or punish you.In long lines of
communication information is not only lost but even distorted.
 Built-in resistance- Downward communication smacks too much authoritarianism. The
subordinates don’t get any opportunity of participating in decisions making process. They
are expected to receive the policy decisions & directives without questioning their
appropriateness, utility, or validity, which they resent.

Upward communication
Upward communication is the communication channel that pushes the flow of information
upwards. It occurs when messages flow from subordinates to superiors. The significance of this
communication is recognized recently by mangers.

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Its main objectives are to convey four types of messages: what the subordinates are doing; solved
work problems; suggestions for improvement; and how subordinates feel about each other and
the job.
The commonly used methods of upward communication are
 Open-door policy-It is creating a feeling of employees that the manger’s doors are always
open to them. Whenever they like they can walk into he manager’s room without
hesitation & talk to him about their problems.
 Compliant-and-suggestion boxes-At some convenient places in the office, complaints-
and-suggestions boxes are installed and then the employees are encouraged to drop their
complaints or suggestions, if any, into the boxes. These boxes are appended to regular
intervals and the information gathered (inform gathered) scrutinized.
 Social gatherings -These gatherings offer a very important atmosphere in which the
employees shed their inhibitions & feel free to talk about their problems. Therefore, it is
battler to arrange them frequently in different departments/ units.
 Direct correspondence -Sometimes the manger may directly write to an employee & ask
him to communicate with him or the employees may write to their high-ups on their won
initiations.
 Reports -Employees are required to submit reports about the progress of their work at
regular intervals.
 Consoling-It is encouraging workers to seek the counsel of their superiors on their
personal problems. As workers feel encouraged to talk about themselves freely, they
provide the mangers with valuable information. Counseling helps employees to solve
their problems, and information provided by them is utilized by mangers to shape their
future policy.
Advantage of upward communication
 Providing feedback-It provides the management with necessarily feedback. It helps the
management to ascertain the directives issued to the lower staff are properly understood
& followed and also has to get valuable information on what the employee thinks of the
organization.
 Outlet for the pent-up emotions. It gives the employees an opportunely to vent/ utter their
problems & grievance and helps the management to know & realize the grievance of the
employees
 Constructive suggestions-Often employees offer constructive suggestion to promote the
welfare the organization. If their suggestions are given due emphasis, they feel highly
encouraged, develop sense of participation in decision making, identify themselves with
the organization & develop greater loyalty toward the organization.
 Easier introduction of new schemes-If the employees feel themselves to be part of the
decision making, then the organization can introduce the new schemes without unduly
antagonizing the employees .They lend their concurrence and support to any new
schemes.

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  Greater harmony & cohesion-Upward communication acts as a kind of lubricant. It
makes the atmosphere in the organization congenial & creates greater harmony &
cohesion between the management & the employees.

Disadvantage of upward communication

 Risk:- employees have much to gain by opening up to the boss, but there is a chance of
big losses as well. Fear of being punished for communicating upward. This fear is highest
in two sorts within organizations: one with truly unsympathetic management and the
other in which managers are uncommunicative.
 Distortion:- one fact of organizational life is that negative information is less likely to be
communicate upward than positive information. This makes sense the bearer of bad news
could, fairly or not, be associate with the unpleasant message. Thus the managers run the
risk of getting shortchanged on bad news and overdosed on favorable reports, hardly an
accurate picture of what is going on.
 Status differential:- many bosses are the members of the “I talk, you listen” group. They
have ideas and opinions should only flow downward. They do not bother that the best
ideas that can improve an operation often comes from the workers who are closest to it.
 Employees are usually reluctant to initiate upward communication.-Manages might keep
their doors open, but can’t force employees to walk into their rooms. Employees do
experience an awe of authority & fight-shy of contacting their superiors
Horizontal communication
Horizontal (lateral) communication consists of exchanging of messages between members of an
organization with equal power. It is the communication that goes on between members of the
same division of an organization. Horizontal communication is communication between
departments or people on the same level in managerial hierarchy of an organization. It is
departmental communication. It is the most frequently used channel of communication, e.g.
workers communicate with other workers; clerks exchanging information with one another;
supervisors holding discussion during tea/ coffee break session.
Advantages of horizontal communication are differentiation of tasks; sharing of information;
building relationship between colleagues; breaks down bureaucratic barriers; enables sense of
belongingness; and enables coordination between different departments.
Disadvantages horizontal communications are rivalry; lack of motivation; information
overload; and physical barriers.
 Rivalry:- people who feel threatened by one another are not likely to be cooperative. The
threat can come from competition for a promotion, raise, or other scarce resources.
 Lack of motivation:- basically everyone agrees the importance of communicating more,
but often no strong motivation to do so exist.
 Information overload:- sometime people are too busy to talk to one another, even though
they recognize the need. If management wants people to communicate, it has to provide
the time.
 Physical barriers:- colleagues who work in different areas are not likely to keep in close
contacts as those who rub shoulders every day.
Diagonal Communication

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Diagonal communication refers to interchange of message among two persons located at
different levels of hierarchy and outside the direct chain of command. It serves the purpose of
coordination and integration and involves by passing the chain of command as in the case of
horizontal communication. It is used to speed up information flow to improve understanding and
to coordinate for the achievement of organizational objectives.

On the bases of the methods of communication

Communication on the basis of methods grouped as:
 Verbal communication and
 Nonverbal communication

A. Verbal communication
Verbal communication is a type of communication in which people communicates using words.
Verbal communication is two types.
 Oral communication and
 Written communication

i. Oral form of communication (Speech)

Oral communication involves the use of words, but non-paper. It is exchanging of messages that
are spoken. It occurs in situations like conversations, telephone talk, interviews, presentations,
face-to face communications, meetings, conferences, and group discussions.
Advantages of oral communication are: It is more personal; There is greater control over when
and how thoroughly the message will be heard; Immediate feedback; Effective for relatively
simple ideas; Most effective when seeking immediate emotional response; Much nonverbal
information available; It saves time and money; It is a powerful means of persuasion; It helps to
promote friendly ties; and Easier clarification is possible.
Disadvantages of oral communication are: Transitory, off the record - It doesn’t have shelf
life, cannot be stored for latter use; Possible loss of accuracy when message passes through
several people; Requires listener and speaker to be in the same place at the same time; It is
dependent on distance and suitable mechanical devices; It is not appropriate for lengthy
messages; There is no legal validity; and There greater chances of misunderstanding;

ii. Written form of communication

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 Written communication is the other side of the coin in verbal communication. It goes hand in
hand with oral communication. One cannot be whole without the other.
Written communication enriches a speech by using different words and phrases. The writer has
time to go over the words, phrases sentences, and check grammatical construction. Because of
this increased time and the possibility that the reader will reread the material, the writer can deal
with more difficult concepts.
Advantages of written communication are: Permanent record; Effective for detailed, complex
ideas; Most effective when seeking delayed thoughtful response; ensure accuracy when a
message is passed from one person to another; Does not require reader to be in the same place at
the same time as the writer; It is precise and accurate; It can be referred repeatedly.
Disadvantages of written communication are: More formal; little control over if, when and
how thoroughly the message will be read; Delayed or nonexistent feedback;; little nonverbal
information available; It is time consuming; and It can be expensive.

B. Nonverbal communication
“Actions speak louder than words”
Non-verbal Communication: is the process of communication without words. People use
nonverbal signals to support and clarify verbal communication. Generally, nonverbal
communication is presented in the following main categories:
i. Appearance: conveys nonverbal expressions that affect recipient’s attitude towards the
verbal message, even before they read or hear them. It can be of two types:
Personal appearance: clothing, hair style, cosmetics, jewelry, neatness, etc…are parts of
personal appearance. They can convey impressions regarding occupation, age, nationality, social
and economic level, etc … depending on circumstances.
Appearance of surroundings: it includes office size, location of the office, furnishings, machine
and equipments, wall decorations, floor, lightings, etc…

ii. Body language: it includes the following:

Facial expression: are (eye and face) especially helpful means of communicating non-verbally.
They can show hidden emotions like anger, annoyance, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, joy, love
interest, sorrow, surprising and uncertainty.
Gestures and postures: gestures (traffic and deaf people). Postures convey impression of self
impressions of self confidence, status and interest.

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Smell and touch: various smell or odors and artificial fragrances on human beings can
sometimes convey emotions and feelings better than spoken words. For example some odor on
equipment can indicate- smoke, fire, decay or dangerous leaks…
Touching people in different ways can silently communicate friendship, approval, anger or other
feelings.
iii. SILENCE, TIME AND SOUND:
Silence: can actually cause serious hard feelings, loss of business, loss of sales, sometimes loss
of profit and loss of opportunities.
Time: is important in many ways. So, being on time for appointments, for work each day and for
deadlines communicate favorable nonverbal messages in our culture.
Sound: in addition to speaking person voice, other human sound like clearing throat, language,
etc… also communicate non-verbally. Sometimes nonhuman sounds like bells, cars, trains,
airplanes all can be significant nonverbal communicators.

Characteristics of nonverbal communication

 Nonverbal communication exists even when you were in the non-talking stage.
There are other languages besides words that carry messages about your relationships.
Even without any formal experience, you can recognize and to some degree interpret messages
that other people send nonverbally.
 Nonverbal behavior has a communicative value-Communication without a word has
taken place between you and your partner.
 Nonverbal communication is culture-bound-Cultures have different nonverbal languages
as well as verbal ones. Some nonverbal behaviors have different meaning varying from
culture to culture. Different cultural norms for nonverbal behaviors could make the
potential for cross-cultural misunderstandings great.
 Nonverbal communication is primarily rational-Nonverbal communications especially
well suited to convey messages involving rational dimensions such as liking, respect and
control.
 Nonverbal communication is ambiguous-Nonverbal messages are more ambiguous than
verbal messages; e.g. silence of your friend at fun-filled evening. Not all nonverbal
behavior is equally ambiguous.

Functions of Communication
i) Information function:

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The basic requirement of adapting and adjusting oneself to the environment is information. There
must be some information about what is going on in the environment which concerns the people.
The receiving or giving of information underlines all communication functions, either directly or
indirectly.
ii) Command or instructive function:
Those who are hierarchically superior in the family, society or organization, often initiate
communication either for the purpose of informing their subordinates or for the purpose of
telling them, what to do, how to do when to do etc.
The command and instructive functions of communication are more observable in formal
organizations than in informal organizations.
iii) Influence or persuasive function:
According to Berlo (1960), the sole purpose of communication is to influence people. Persuasive
function of communication i.e. to induce people is extremely important for extension in changing
their behaviour in the desirable direction.
iv) Integrative function:
A major function of communication is integration or of continuously offsetting any
disintegration at the interpersonal or at the organizational level. This helps in maintaining
individual, societal or organizational stability and identity

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