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Formal Downward Channels
After supervisory communication, the second most important factor in determining
communication climate in the organization is downward communication which is initiated by the
organization’s upper management and then filters downward through the chain of command.
Downward communication conveys the kinds of information. Along with the messages
themselves, managers should communicate the reasoning behind the messages – why things
are being done and the advantages and disadvantages that may result to all concerned.
Sharing reasons has the effect of bringing others into the decision-making process.
Downward communication takes place daily, in on-the-job conversations and interactions
between managers or team leaders and their subordinates. Downward communication can be
one-on-one or take place in large meetings. Typical devices used to carry downward
communication are company procedures manuals, newsletters, public relations
announcements, annual statements, and various types of memos, reports, letters, and
directives.
Miller and Hawes have identified seven ways of adapting to information overload:
1. omission (failing to handle all the information);
2. error (ignoring to correct errors when made);
3. queuing (letting things pile up);
4. filtering (dealing with input in categories ranked according to a priority system);
5. approximation (lowering standards of precision);
6. multiple channels (delegation of information processing to others);
7. escape (refusal to handle the input at all).
Research on the effectiveness of different forms of downward communication has shown
that using a combination of channels tend to get the best results. Dahle (1954) found that
channels were ranked in the following order of effectiveness:
1. combined oral and written,
2. oral only,
3. written only,
4. bulletin board,
5. grapevine.
In terms of actually getting the information through to employees accurately, a
combination of written and oral channels gets the best results. Sending the same message
through more than one channel creates redundancy that seems to be helpful not only in getting
messages through but in ensuring that they will be remembered. On the other hand, as the
number of messages increases, employees become busier having to attend to these
messages. Therefore, an important consideration in organizational communication is the co-
called law of diminishing returns, which states that more is better, up to a point.
Examples of downward communication are:
1. CEO's vision 10. Newsletter
2. Changes in rules or procedures 11. Performance appraisals
3. Company mission 12. Policies
4. Delegation of authority 13. Posters
5. Department meetings 14. Solutions
6. Face-to-face conversations with subordinates 15. Speech to all employees
7. Feedback 16. Staff manager’s advice
8. Incentives 17. Strategic goals
9. Job designs 18. Training