MSG Team's other articles

10907 Reasons for Resistance to Change

Change is an important and an indispensable part of the organizational life. It is all pervasive and hence comes the question of paying attention to the importance of building the coping and adaptive mechanisms of an organization for being current and competitive in the contemporary scenario. The phrase “Resistance to Change” is discussed hand to […]

9651 How Nonprofits can Increase their Funding by Tapping into Different Sources

External Sources of Funding Though the term nonprofits refers to organizations whose motive is not to make profits, they still need funding for financing their day to day operations that include paying salaries, running expenditure, and costs incurred for maintaining the offices and running the campaigns. There are many sources of funding for nonprofits and […]

11545 Theory of Brain Lateralization

Brain Lateralization theory stress on the fact that the two halves of the brain known as right and left hemispheres function differently but yet interdependently. If we study the brain anatomy, we will understand that the brain is divided into 2 hemispheres which are connected by the corpus callosum. Both these hemispheres regulate the body […]

11501 Team Building Games and Activities

Team-building games and activities can be an excellent tool for corporate organisations to bring employees together. Through indoor and outdoor fun activities that don’t feel like work, employees can foster camaraderie and improve communication. Creating shared team experiences can significantly improve job satisfaction and employee engagement, improving overall organisational success. Corporate teams are composed of […]

9256 Are External Consultants Needed for Change Management Programs to Succeed ?

Many organizations take the help of external consultants in identifying, recommending and implementing change. This article looks at whether there is indeed a case to be made for external consultants to help with the change management programs. If we look at the reasons why organizations rope in external consultants like McKinsey, BCG and Booze Allen […]

Search with tags

  • No tags available.

In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions-

  1. Downward
  2. Upward
  3. Lateral
  4. Diagonal
  5. External

  1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward communication.

    In other words, communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication.

    This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward communication is used by the managers for the following purposes -

    • Providing feedback on employees performance
    • Giving job instructions
    • Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
    • Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees.
    • Highlighting the areas of attention.

    Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward communication, managers must:

    • Specify communication objective
    • Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.
    • Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right form

  2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors.

    The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process.

    Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things.

    Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager discussions etc.

  3. Lateral/Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows:
    • It is time saving.
    • It facilitates co-ordination of the task.
    • It facilitates co-operation among team members.
    • It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members.
    • It helps in solving various organizational problems.
    • It is a means of information sharing
    • It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts within a department.

  4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication.

    It generally does not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform their task.

  5. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance - To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager.

Article Written by

MSG Team

An insightful writer passionate about sharing expertise, trends, and tips, dedicated to inspiring and informing readers through engaging and thoughtful content.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Corporate Meetings

MSG Team

Components of Communication Process

MSG Team

Communication Barriers – Reasons for Communication Breakdown

MSG Team