TOPIC 3: CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION
We define organizational communication as the ways in which groups of
people both maintain structure and order through their symbolic interactions
and allow individual actors the freedom to accomplish their goals. This
definition recognizes that communication is the primary tool to influence
organizations and gain access to organizational resources.
(a) Internal vs external communication
Internal communication occurs within the organisation while external
communication is between an organisation and other organisations,
customers or individuals who are external to the particular organisation.
Internal communication networks are patterns of relationships through which
information flows in an organization. Stohl (1995) describes communication
networks as capturing “the tapestry of relationships—the complex web of
affiliations among individuals and organizations as they are woven through
the collaborative threads of communication” (p. 18). Communication
networks emerge in organizations based on formal and informal
communication (Stohl & Stohl, 2005).
External communication must pass through the registry section which
keeps record of such communication. It involves communication with
individuals and organisations outside our organisation.
(b)Formal vs informal communication
Formal communication consists of messages that follow prescribed
channels of communication throughout the organization. The most common
way of depicting formal communication networks is with organizational
charts Organizational charts provide clear guidelines as to who is
responsible for a given task and which employees are responsible for others’
performance. Organizational charts demonstrate that communication can
flow in several directions: downward, upward, and horizontally.
1. Downward communication occurs whenever superiors initiate
messages to subordinates. Ideally, downward communication should
include such things as job instructions, job rationale, policy and
procedures, performance feedback, and motivational appeals. When
abused, it can lead to dictatorship.
2. Messages flowing from subordinates to superiors are labelled upward
communication. Obviously, effective decision making depends on
timely, accurate, and complete information traveling upward from
subordinates.
3. Messages between members of an organization with equal power are
labelled horizontal communication. Horizontal communication is
important to organizational success when used to coordinate tasks,
solve problems, share information, and resolve conflict. Horizontal
communication receives much more attention in participatory
organizational structures in which employees have more opportunity to
formally participate in decision making (such as quality circles or
autonomous work teams).
Informal/grapevine communication has no definite route of
communication for sharing information. Information converges a long way by
passing from one person to another leaving no indication from which point it
started. This is similar to the vines of grapes. This kind of communication is
in the form of (a) office gossip involving telling a number of persons in one’s
group, (b) single standard office stories to a trusted colleague who in turn
tells another trusted colleague, and so on. (c) Probability; an employee
may also become indifferent about whom he should pass the information to.
He/she may pass the information to anybody around him who may be
interested to listen. (d) Cluster: in this case the person who has the
information passes it to selected individuals who also pass it on to selected
individuals. In every organisation, some people have good liaison with other
persons.
Informal communication is generally considered to be any interaction that
does not generally follow the formal structure of the organization but
emerges out of natural social interaction among organization members.
Whereas formal communication consists of messages the organization
recognizes as official, informal messages do not follow official lines. The
concept of emergent organizational networks represents the informal,
naturally occurring patterns of communication relationships in organizations
(Susskind, Schwartz, Richards, & Johnson, 2005).
Moreover, effective workplace communicators understand the nature of both
formal and informal communication.
Managers who take time to develop and listen to sources of informal
information are better equipped to understand employees’ attitudes and
concerns. When entering an organization, such as when you start your first
job, asking other employees about communication practices is smart
because you not only discover formal procedures but also make contact for
informal sources of information.
(c) Intrapersonal vs interpersonal communication
Intrapersonal Communication
Intrapersonal communication is the communication that occurs within your
own mind. Intrapersonal communication occurs, when you evaluate or
examine the interaction that occurs between yourself and others, but it is not
limited to such situations. This form of communication occurs before and
during other forms of communication as well. For instance, you might argue
with yourself during a conversation in which someone asks you to do
something you don’t really want to do: Before you accept or decline, you
mull over the alternatives in your mind. Intrapersonal communication also
includes such activities as solving problems internally, resolving internal
conflict, planning for the future, and evaluating yourself and your
relationships with others.
Interpersonal Communications
Interpersonal communication is the process of using messages to generate
meaning between at least two people in a situation that allows mutual
opportunities for both speaking and listening. Like intrapersonal
communication, interpersonal communication occurs for a variety of reasons:
to solve problems, to resolve conflicts, to share information, to improve
perceptions of oneself, or to fulfil social needs, such as the need to belong or
to be loved. Through our interpersonal communication, we are able to
establish relationships with others that include friendships and romantic
relationships. Dyadic and small-group communications are two subsets of
interpersonal communication. Dyadic communication is simply two-person
communication, such as interviews with an employer or a teacher; talks with
a parent, spouse, or child; and interactions among strangers, acquaintances,
and friends. Small-group communication is the process of using
messages to generate meaning in a small group of people (Brilhart &
Galanes, 1998). Small-group communication occurs in families, work groups,
support groups, religious groups, and study groups.
