Formal and Informal Communication free essay sample

Formal and informal communication structures in the organization In order for order there to be effective communication in the organization there have to be good balance of formal and informal communication in the organization. Informal and formal communications are different in many ways but both exist in organizations. They both have their advantages and disadvantages but as we are about to discuss you will see why the organization cannot function without either one of them. Formal communication occurs when person in the organization communicate using formal channels of the organization structure along the lines of authority established by the management. Matters under this communication are official and to the point. Things are done using pacific procedures and rules which must be followed. Informal communication on the other hand is much less official and rule driven. It is related to the social needs of the employee, does not follow the authoritarian line, employee communicate under more casual situations, usually although not always oral. We will write a custom essay sample on Formal and Informal Communication or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are many different type and forms of formal and informal communication, let us take a look at a few of them. Departmental meetings, conferences, telephone calls (for business use), company news bulletins, special interviews and special purpose publications are forms of formal communication. The most common form of informal communication is the grapevine. Gossip, rumors and other unofficial information passes through the grapevine and it give the employees a chance to express personal feels like or dislikes in the organization. The structure or the way in which communication flows is also important to the effectiveness communication in the organization. In formal communication there are four main types. These include upward, downward and horizontal. Downwards flow of communication means that the message is being sent from higher levels like managers or supervisors to person in the lower levels like subordinates in the organizational hierarchy. Upward flow of communication is the opposite instead of the message coming from a person in authority it comes from the subordinate and goes to the authority figure and continues up the organizational hierarchy. Horizontal or lateral flow of communication involved the persons who are communicating to be on the same level, whether it be subordinates on the same level or managers on the same level. This is opposite of vertical flow of communication which involves the persons communicating to be on different levels An informal communication structure used relaxed communication channels that are not specifically used for organizational information. The four categories in informal communication structure are scheduled, intended, opportunistic, and spontaneous Communication. Scheduled is when a group of employee plan to have a discussion on an informal level. Intended somewhat like scheduled but less complex. Opportunistic is like when an employee sees someone and remembers to talk to that person on a matter. Spontaneous is when two or more employees meet by chance, starts having a conversation and it develops into deeper discussion. Earlier we mention advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal communications. Although both form of communication have disadvantages if there is a proper balance between the two then each can come support each other for the benefit of the organization. Formal communication is if official and so most likely to be obeyed while informal is questioned. Formal has fewer misunderstandings then informal. The origin of the message is easier to fine in formal communication then in informal communication. Informal encourages more interaction between parties, no so much with formal communications. Informal communication unites workers which promotes cooperation and team work. Whatever disadvantages formal communication may have, informal communication has an advantage to support it. In the same way the disadvantages of informal communication are supports by the advantages of formal communication. In the end it is about having the right amount formal communication together with the right amount of informal communication.