TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS

Aby Abdul Rabb, Nagercoil, India

M.Com.,M.L.M., M.B.A.,M.Phil (Com)
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I.

INTRODUCTION
Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas opinion or emotions by two or more
persons. Communication becomes the backbone in developing effective plan by providing
organized information. In business, communication system plays a vital role by providing
information from everywhere, which enables the management to function effectively. This
assignment briefly explains the meaning, definition and types of communications with appropriate
illustrations.

A. Definition
The word communication has defined by the different ways. The legal definition of
communication is The exchange, imparting, or transmission of ideas, information, opinions, or
thoughts, transmitted electronically or by gestures, speech, or writing. According to Haimann,
communication may be defined as the process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood
by other.
II.

SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is the foundation for all group activities and the first executive function is
to develop and maintain a system of communication. Communication enables the smooth and
unrestricted running of the enterprises. The significance of communication includes decision
making, execution, leadership, co-ordination, motivation, co-operation and industrial relations.
A. Process of Communication
Communication is a continuous process starts from the sender. These processes are such as
sender, message, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver and feedback.

B. Principles of Communication
The principles of communications are essential facts that make the communication into an
effective one. The have an effective communication system all firms must follow the principles of
communication such as clarity in expression, completeness, conciseness, consideration, courtesy,
confidence, correctness, confidence and competitiveness.
III.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
There are different kinds of communication. It can be classified into different types on
different basis. Communication is classified on the basis of limit of communication, direction of
communication, authenticity of communication, media of communication and topic involved in
communication. The following are these each category of communication:-

A. BASED ON LIMITS OF COMMUNICATION

Based on the limitation of communication, communication has been divided into two
categories such as internal communication and external communication. They are:
1) Internal communication:
Internal communication is a communication which flows within an organization or any
organized setup.
Example, Appolo has hospitals and health care facilities different parts of India, especially in
different parts of Tamil Nadu. The communication which flows within the branches of Appolo
hospitals is called as internal communication.
a) Importance of Internal Communication
Effective communication system is very essential for an organization to update their
knowledge and technologies among their branches in different territories. Communication is
import toll for providing information, maintaining and controlling organizational performance and
for passing on information relating to authorities and responsibilities of different department
within the organization.

2) External communication:
External communication includes all communications that transmit information from an
origination or any organized setup to any agency outside to the organization like the government
agencies, supplies, distributors, customers, other department authorities are commonly known as
external communication
Example, Hudson Limited is a company limited situated in Chennai. For day-to-day running of
the business, Hudson limited need to transmit information from their company to outside agency,
such to its distributors, bankers, company registrars, auditors, and government departments. The
communication which flow outside organization is called external communications.
B. BASED ON DIRECTION
Depending on the direction of communication, it has been classified into three types such
as Vertical communication, Horizontal communication and Diagonal communication. They are as
follows:
1) Vertical communication:
Vertical communication can be divided into two broad categories such as downward
communication and upward communication. They are as follows:

a) Downward communication
Information transmitted from a person of higher position (superior) to a person of lower
position (subordinate), is known as downward communication. Downward communication may be
written or oral.
Example, The State bank of Travancore has its Tamil Nadu regional office at Chennai. When the
regional manager transmits information to its branch managers (superior to subordinate) either in
writing or oral, it is called downward communication.

b) Upward communication
Information transmitted from a person of lower position (Subordinate) to a person of
higher position (Superior), is known as upward communication. This upward communication
includes transparency, suggestions, get-togethers, progress report and problem solving.
Example, Star Health Insurance Company is a one of the leading private health insurance
company in India. It has branched offices across the India. The branch manager has to submit the
progress of their work at regular interval, like weekly or monthly report to its head office Chennai.
Here the information is transmitting from a person of lower position to the person of higher
position.
2) Horizontal (lateral) commination:
Communication between departments or persons on the same level in the managerial
hierarchy of any organization is termed as horizontal communication. Horizontal communication
normally happens in the forms of face to- face communication, telephone conversation, and of
written form. Horizontal communication enables the management to promote understanding and
co-operation among various departments and to attain overall performance of an organization.
Example, Life Insurance Corporation has branches across the nation. When the branch manager
of one LIC branch contact or communicate with another LIC branch manager, there the horizontal
communication take place.
3) Diagonal communication:
Diagonal communication take place in the organization when an employee communicates
with other whose position is not vertically or horizontally related with him. This kind of
communication flows from any position of the organization to any other position in the same
organization.
Example, the accounting clerk of Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank, Tirunelveli branch communicates
with its other branch employee.

C. BASED ON AUTHORITY
Communication has divided into two types based on authority of communication. They are
formal communication and informal communication.
1) Formal Communication:
Formal communication is the one directed by the structure and system of an organization.
Only official matters are communicated in formal communication and should be of prescribed
norms.
Example, The official communication in prescribed format and matters are in official in nature.
2) Informal Communication:
Informal communication is often referred to Grapevine communication. Informal
communication takes place in every organization and there is not prescribed norms or any definite
Example, Unofficial communication without prescribed format and mean.
D. BASED ON MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION
Communication media expresses the methods of communication. Based on the media,
communication can be divided into three types they are oral, written or non- verbal
communication.
1) Oral Communication:
Oral communication is a communication where two or more persons come to exchange
their feelings, ideas, thought or any information or any clarity regarding any doubts through
speech. It take place as face- to- face communication. Oral communication makes possible speedy
interchange with immediate feedback. It cannot be considered as legal evidence.
Example, speaking two or more people is a best example for oral communication
2) Written Communication:
When the transmission of subject matter takes place in written form, it will be said as
written communication. This type of communication is authentic in nature and is a legal proof.
Written communication cannot provide an immediate feedback. Misinterpretation can also happen
in written communication.
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Example, A customer of Bharathi Airtel Ltd, sends a written request to the company asking to
solve 3G the network issue at his place is the best example for written communication.

3) Non- verbal communication:

Non- verbal communication take place through gestures, symbols, postures, etc. It leads to
misunderstanding.
Example, A teacher shows the Elephant chart to the students to describe about the Elephant.
E. BASED ON THE TOPIC INVOLVED
Communication may be classified depends on the subject matter of the communication.
Based on the topic involved, communication has divided into two types such as personal
communication and official communication. They are:
1) Personal Communication:
In personal communication, subject matter will be something relevant to the personal
development and problem of the sender or receiver. This type of communication is normally of
informal and follows no prescription of norms.
Example, A student sends a letter to his friend at Paris asking about his family and explaining his
personal matters.
2) Official Communication:
Official communication includes only the matters are authorized to them to communicate.
Mostly norms will be prescribed for the communication by the structure.
Example, A student sends a letter to the Controller of Examination, Manonmaniam Sundaranar
University asking to issue his academic trancripts. This communication is the best example for
official communication.

CONCLUSION
Communication is a means of connecting people or places. In business, it is a
key function of management--an organization cannot operate without communication between
Levels, departments and employees. See also communications.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harper, Douglas, "Communication", Online Etymology Dictionary.
Mehrabian, A. Nonverbal communication. Virginia University: Transaction Publishers, 1972.
Robbins, S., Judge, T., Millett, B., & Boyle, M. Organizational Behaviour, 6th ed. French's Forest:
Pearson, 2011.