formal vs. informal commn

8/9/2019 Formal vs. Informal Commn.

1/27


2/27

FORMAL VS INFORMAL

COMMUNICATION


3/27

DIFFERENCES

FORMAL INFORMAL Formal communication flows

along prescribed channels

which all members desirous of

communicating with one

another are obliged to fallow.

Formal communication may

move vertical or horizontal.

It follows no set lines, nor any

definite rules, but spreads, like the

grapevine, in any direction,

anywhere, and spreads fast.

Primarily a channel of horizontal

communication, it can flow even

vertically and diagonally


4/27

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

Formal communication flows along prescribed channels which

all members desirous of communicating with one another are

obliged to follow. Formally a clerk working in any of the sections cannot directly

communicate with the managing director. He must talk to his

supervisor, who will pass on the message to the departmental

manager, from where it will go to the managing director.

Formal communication may move vertical or horizontally.


5/27


6/27

VERTICAL COMMUNICATION

Vertical communication can flow downward or upward.

Downward communication :-It flows from a superior to

the subordinate staff.

Upward Communication:- It moves from the

subordinate staff to the superiors.


7/27

DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

Its objectives are To give directives about some job .

To explain policy and procedures.

To convey assessment of performance .

To explain the rationale of the job.


8/27


9/27

ITS LIMITATIONS ARE

1.Under communication or over communication.

In case of a long line of communication there may

be:-

2. Delay.

3. Loss of information.

4. Distortion.

5. Resentment by subordinate staff.


10/27

TO MAKE IT EFFECTIVE

Managers should be adequately informed.

Managers should be clear about how much

to communicate.

some authority should be delegated to lowerlevel to shorten the line of communication.

Information should be passed on to the

correct person.


11/27

UPWARD COMMUNICATION

Upward communication moves from the subordinatestaff to the superiors.

Its Importance is :-

Provides feedback to the superiors. Releases the pent-up emotions of the subordinate

staff.

Provides the superiors with useful suggestions.

Make the introduction of new schemes easier.


12/27


13/27

ITS CHANNELS ARE:-

Superiors keep an open door,

Complaints and suggestion boxes,

Social gathering,

Direct correspondence, Reports,

Counseling,


14/27

ITS LIMITATIONS ARE:-

Employees are reluctant to express

themselves,

Employees fear that their criticism may beinterpreted as a sign of their personal

weakness,

Great possibility of distortion, By passed superiors fell insulted.


15/27

TO MAKE IT EFFECTIVE

Superiors should take initiative to get closeto the subordinate staff.

Keeping the line of communication short,

All upward communication should beproperly analyzed.


16/27

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Horizontal communication flows betweenpeople at the same level.

It is important for prompting understandingand coordination among various people or

departments.It is carried on through

Face to face discussion,

Telephonic talk,

Periodical meetings,

Memos,


17/27


18/27

GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION

Grapevine is an informal channel of

communication.

Primarily a channel of horizontal communication , it

can flow even vertical and diagonally.of four types:-

Single strand

Gossip

Probability ( Random )

Cluster


19/27

TYPES

1. Single strand:- In this type of chain, 'A tellssomething to B who tells it to C and so

on. This chain is the least accurate in

passing on information.


20/27

2. Gossip chain :-

Here one person seeks out and tells everyone the

information he or she has obtained.This chain isoften used when information or message of an

interesting, nature but one that is non-related is

being conveyed.


21/27

Gossip chain


22/27

3. Probability chain ( Random) :-

Here , individuals are indifferent to, or not

really interested in , the person to whom they are

passing some information. This tell at random , and

those people in turn tell other at random. This

chain is found when the information is somewhat

interesting but not really significant.


23/27

4. Cluster chain :- In this type of chain , A

tells to a few selected individuals, and then someof these individuals inform a few other selected

individuals.


24/27

IMPORTANCE

Harmony and cohesiveness in the organisms:-workers they talk among themselves helps to promoteorganizational solidarity and cohesion.

Supplement to other channels:-All the informationcannot be transmitted to the employees through theofficial channels.

A fast channel:-just spot a leader of the grapevine andgive him information , cleverly describing it as topsecret and within minutes, it will have reachedeverybody.

Provides feedback:-the grapevine provides feedback tomanagement .It enables them to know what thesubordinates think about the organization and itsvarious activities.


25/27

DEMERITS OF GRAPEVINE

1.Distortion:-thus one of the major drawbacks ofgrapevine is that it may spread baseless ordistorted news which may sometimes proveharmful even to the employee's.

2.Incomplete information:-so there is every likelihoodof its being misunderstood or misinterpreted.

3.Damaging swiftness:- A rumour may have spreadand caused serious damage before the

management becomes aware of it and can takeany rectifying steps.


26/27

TO USE EFFECTIVELY

The manager should:-

Keep on eye on rumour - mongers.

Use it primarily for feedback,

Contradict rumour promptly.

Involve the workers in the decision making process.


27/27

formal vs. informal commn

Documents