Types Of Communication

ü Downward communication

o is associated with giving orders or instructions from senior management.

o This form of communication is often the one most easily recognised.

o Its purpose is to give specific directives, provide information about procedures and practices or provide information about the task in hand.

o Control of employees and information about their performance is an important use of downward communication, as is the provision of information on organisational and departmental objectives.

ü Upward communication

o is usually communication initiated from the employees and tends to be non-directive in nature.

o It generally takes two forms, personal problems / suggestions or technical feedback, as part of the organisation’s control system.

ü Lateral or horizontal communication

o is increasingly important and necessary in modern organisations, especially as traditional communication theory assumes only vertical communication.

o It can take the form of task coordination, such as departmental managers or supervisors meeting regularly or problem solving through departmental members meeting to resolve an issue by sharing ideas with other departments. It can resolve conflict and interdepartmental friction.