Communication can be characterized as Formal, Informal, Inter-personal and Non-verbal communication:
1. Formal Communication
Formal communication means the communication which travels through the formally established channels. In other words, communication which travels through the formal chain of command or lines of hierarchy of authority is called the formal communication. Under it, information is given through the formally designed channel or network. It is designed, controlled and regulated by the management.
Advantages of Formal Communication
- It helps in the fixation of responsibility and accountability.
- It helps in maintaining the lines of authority in the organization.
- It helps in maintaining discipline.
- It ensures orderly flow of communication.
Disadvantages of Formal Communication
- It lacks personal contacts and relationship.
- It is time consuming. It takes much time to communicate.
- It creates a bottleneck in the flow of information because almost all information is channeled through a single executive.
- It obstructs free, smooth and accurate circulation of information in an organization.
Formal communication can be Horizontal, Vertical and Diagonal.
i. Horizontal Communication
Advantages of Horizontal Communication
- Coordinating in nature.
- Frequently informal and therefore simpler than vertical communication.
- Reassuring to those in charge of implementing department policy, since it provides them with the opportunity of checking with each other and comparing notes.
- Expedient in terms of communication time.
Disadvantages of Horizontal Communication
The major disadvantages of horizontal communication are listed as below:
- Department chiefs may remain uninformed about what their division heads are thinking.
- It can have a disuniting effect by fostering clique i.e. grouping among personal at the same levels of authority.
- It can distort the purpose of a department policy, and even render it inoperative by allowing too much discussion about it.
- It may actually increase misunderstanding among division heads by permitting informal (verbal) alterations of formal communications.
ii. Vertical Communication
The communication in which information is either transmitted from top to the bottom or from bottom to the top in structural hierarchy is a vertical communication. In this way, vertical communication may be of two types as:
a) Downward Communication
When messages are transmitted from superiors to subordinates along with the chain of command, it is said to be downward communication. It refers to the transmission of information from superior to subordinates. The most common downward communications are job instruction, official memos, policy statements, procedures, manuals and company publications.
b) Upward Communication
When messages are transmitted from bottom to top of the organizational hierarchy, it is said to be upward communication. This provides feedback on the extent of effectiveness of downward communication. It is also a means of informing the management about the viewpoints, reactions, feelings and state of employee morale. Widely used upward communication devices include suggestion boxes, group meetings, report to supervisors and appeal or grievance procedures. Usually upward communication is utilized in democratic and participative management. Effective upward communication channels are important because they provide employees with opportunities to have a say.
Advantages of Vertical Communication
- It is authoritative and official.
- It is binding to all parties involved.
- It is the most legitimate type of communication.
Disadvantages of Vertical Communication
The major disadvantages of vertical communication are listed as below:
- It is formal and informal.
- It is usually slow-moving, since it must be channeled through several levels of authority.
- It may conceal the true motives behind the formal message it carries.
iii. Diagonal Communication
Diagonal communication cuts across departmental lines. Such communication is in between people who are neither in the same department nor on the same level of organizational structure. In other words, it refers to interchange of messages between the managers and employees who are neither in the same department nor on the same level of organizational structure. Diagonal communication refers to communication between managers and workers located in different functional divisions. 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 matrix and project based organizations.
Advantages of Diagonal Communication
- It is the most direct method of communication.
- It is the most selective method of communication.
- It is one of the fastest methods of communication.
- In critical situations, it would seem to be the most essential and logical type of communication.
Disadvantages of Diagonal Communication
- It can destroy lines of authority and formal chains of command.
- It can leave immediate superiors uninformed of what their subordinates are doing.
- It can lead to conflicting orders so it may lead to further confusion.
- It is usually verbal and thus is untraceable if things go wrong.
Related Topic: Concept of Communication
2. Informal Communication
Informal communication refers to the communication which takes place on the basis of informal relations between the members of a group. It is personal communication in nature and not a positional communication. It does not flow along with the formal lines of authority or formal chain of command. Even it is not regulated by the formal rules and procedures. Normally, members of informal group use this form of communication in order to share their ideas, views, opinions and other information. There is lack of official instruction for communication. It is not controlled and designed by formal organizational structure. So, it is not used to communicate formal message.
Advantages of Informal Communication
- It is more flexible.
- It helps to improve decision-making.
- Informal communication is faster in speed than formal communication.
- It works as a powerful and effective tool of communication.
- It may provide feedback to managers on their actions and decisions.
Disadvantages of Informal Communication
- It is difficult to fix responsibility for the information.
- It may cause misunderstanding.
- It carries inaccurate, half-truth or distorted information.
- It is difficult to believe on information.
- It leads to leakage of secret information.
3. Inter-personal Communication
Inter-personal communication is the sharing of information between two or more people face-to-face through any other direct channel. Since communicating parties get face-to-face, so it is two-way communication. Very simply, manager or supervisors give direction and guidance to their subordinates in their presence is the common example of inter-personal communication. Inter-personal communication can be oral or written.
i) Oral Communication
When message is expressed through the words of mouth or spoken words, it is said to be oral communication. It may take place either through face-to-face conversation or through any electronic mode such as telephone, cellular phone, intercom etc. In oral communication, source of message i.e. sender gives the information through oral means i.e. by speaking. This means of communication is more reliable because sender can get feedback quickly.
Advantages of Oral Communication
- It is quicker and saves in time.
- It establishes a personal touch and leads to better understanding.
- It is economical or less expensive as compared to written communication.
- It is flexible and the messages can be changed to suit the needs and response of the receiver.
Disadvantages of Oral Communication
- It has the tendency of being distorted.
- It is less reliable.
- It provides no record for future reference.
- It does not provide sufficient time for thinking before conveying the message.
ii. Written Communication
When message is expressed through written words, it is known as written communication. It may be expressed even through groups, charts, diagrams, pictures with or without words. In this form of communication, information is shared to the receiver by writing or drawing. It is the formal means of communication. Normally, information that should be kept for long time for future reference, are transmitted by means of written communication.
Advantages of Written Communication
- It tends to be complete, clear, precise and correct.
- It tends to reduce misunderstanding, conflicts and disputes.
- It ensures transmission of information in uniform manager, i.e. everyone concerned has the same information.
- It ensures little risk of unauthorized alternation in the messages.
- It is taken as a legal evidence by the courts.
Disadvantages of Written Communication
- It is time consuming.
- It is expensive.
- It may be interpreted in a different manner by different people.
- It tends to ineffective and unimpressive in case of poor drafting.
- It fails to provide feedback immediately.
4. Non-Verbal Communication
Communication through postures or gestures of body parts is known as the gestural or non-gestural or non-verbal communication. It is a mode of communication in which anything other than words may be used to transmit message from one person to another. In other words, the communication of information by means of facial expression, body movement, physical contact, gestures, etc. is called non-verbal communication. It is the communication in which neither written nor oral means are used. It is often used to encourage the subordinates like shaking hands, blinking eyes, smiling, clapping etc. It is most powerful means of communication. Good managers always use this type of communication frequently whenever necessary.