Formal Communication: Types, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Examples

This report examines the three primary types of formal communication within organizations: vertical, horizontal, and external communication. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of each type, providing a comprehensive analysis of their applications. The report highlights that vertical communication, used between upper and lower management levels, is most common. It discusses how effective communication, including horizontal and external, contributes to top-notch service quality. The report analyzes how effective communication can lead to better decision-making, employee-management relationships, and overall organizational efficiency. It also includes examples of how organizations can improve their service quality by implementing better communication strategies, addressing the significance of cohesive teamwork and clarity of goals within an organization. References are also provided.

FORMAL COMMUNICATION
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Types of Formal communication
There are three types of formal communications used within the organization. Each type
of formal communication has its own application and benefits (Kandlousi & Abdollahi, 2010).
Amongst the three types of formal communications namely, vertical communication, external
communication, and horizontal communication, the most common type of communication used
within my organization is vertical communication.
Vertical communication is used to communicate from the upper management levels to
lower management and vice versa. This type of communication is used by the upper
management level to communicate the goals, objectives, and strategies of the organization to
lower management levels. This communication used is through letters, emails, billboard
announcements and even often formal meetings.
The advantages of vertical formal communications are;
 Conveying the message of subordinate
 Maintenance of organization discipline
 Maintaining good employee-management relationship
 Effective decision making
 Explaining plan and policies
 Aids in decentralization
 Increases efficiency through transparency
 Avoid by-passing
 Allows a chain of command
 Allows assigning jobs and evaluation of performances
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The disadvantages of vertical formal communications are;
 Often disrupts discipline
 Delays the decision-making process
 Reduces efficiency
 Distorts or losses information
 Reduces relationship
 Slows organization systems
 Negligence of superiors
Horizontal communication works best within an organization. Horizontal formal
communication has its own distinct advantages. It allows the exchange of information amongst
people in different departments within the same organizational hierarchy levels (Dăneci-Pătrău,
2011). It helps avoid misunderstandings between departments, who are working on the same
project. It increases productivity and efficiency. It allows implementing top-level decisions in a
better manner as employees at the lower levels are allowed to coordinate amongst themselves. It
facilitates teamwork and increases job satisfaction. However, some management states that
horizontal formal communication has certain disadvantages as the upper management levels face
problems in maintaining control.
In attaining top-notch service quality organizations need to have an effective and efficient
communication system. In one example, a telephone connectivity company and an insurance
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company assisted me with expert service. However in two other cases, while servicing my
automobile and getting my mobile handset serviced, the service quality received was not
appropriate. While describing these incidences, the fundamental difference in infrastructure and
management practices of these organizations was felt. While the organizations rendering top-
notch service quality had well coordinate management practices with all types of formal
communications present, the other two organizations lacked coordination and the presence of
external communication (First & Tomić, 2011). The first two organization valued customer
feedback and provided their services accordingly whereas, in the other two organizations, there
was not present any external communications.
The management practices in the first two organizations were focused on commitment,
sought clarity, focused on team efforts and held regular meetings. The other two organizations
were not focused on customizing their services to get the best possible customer review or in
tuning their services to appeal to customers. In order to achieve the best possible service quality,
there is needed to have cohesive teamwork present and clarity of goals and objectives
communicated from the top management levels. However, when service quality is not well-
matched then there must be some gap in communication between the various stakeholders of the
organization.
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References
Dăneci-Pătrău, D. (2011). Formal communication in an organisation. Economics, Management,
and Financial Markets, 6(1), 487-497. Retrieved from
https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=90666
First, I., & Tomić, M. (2011). FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
IN CREATING CORPORATE BRAND IMAGE AND
PREFERENCE. Trziste/Market, 23(1). Retrieved from
https://web.a.ebscohost.com/abstract?
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%26jrnl%3d03534790%26asa%3dY%26AN%3d66705645
Kandlousi, N. S. A. E., Ali, A. J., & Abdollahi, A. (2010). Organizational citizenship behavior in
concern of communication satisfaction: The role of the formal and informal
communication. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(10), 51. Retrieved
from https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/wp-content/uploads/
2013/01/BUS209-2.2.2-OrganizationalCitizenshipBehavior.pdf
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