Advantages and disadvantages of Horizontal communication

Advantages or Merits or Importance of Horizontal communication and disadvantages of Horizontal communication. The communication which is occurring among same status people or parallel status level groups within the same departments or across departments is called horizontal communication. The following advantages of horizontal communication exist:

Advantages of horizontal communication

• Informal and sweet relationship: This is same status level’s communication system. They exchange ideas, knowledge and thoughts. So, an informal and sweet relationship can be maintained.
• Co-ordination of activities: For the achievements of the expected result of an organization inter departmental co-ordination system must be developed which is a criteria of horizontal communication.
• Departmental communication: Horizontal communication is the best system of communication in departmental communication.
• End of misunderstanding: There is no chance of misunderstanding in horizontal communication among employees. So, it is helpful to management for enhancing mutual understanding and good decision making.
• Hindering bureaucracy: No change of a rise bureaucracy in Horizontal communication running organization which is helpful to make a good relationship among themselves.
• Dynamism at work: If horizontal communication is established in organizational dynamism at work will increase among workers.
• Group activities: IN this system of communication a department is well known to other department and can exchange their affection. So, group activities and direction of the sound work program will be easier.
• Quick communication and solution of problems: Horizontal communication allows quick transmission of messages and solves complex problems in the organization.
• Linking with different areas of expertise: science same level of employees exchange information in this communication, they create good link with different areas of expertise.
• Guarding against distortion message: Horizontal communication takes place among the employees of the same level, information reaches directly from one employee or executive to another which acts as a guard against distortion messages.

Disadvantages or limitations of Horizontal communication

Horizontal communication has not only some advantages but also some disadvantages which are followed:

• Overloaded by information: Since information is less filtered in horizontal communication, one must sort through a greater amount of data which may lead to overload.
• Wastage of time: Such communication involves excessive sorting of data which can kill the useful and valuable time of superiors.
• Positional problem: For positional problem, horizontal communication must fail to fulfill the organization’s goal.
• Lack of understanding: For lack of understanding among employees this communication may not be successful.
• Procedural problem: Sometimes horizontal communication disrupted for procedural problem.
• Damn-care: It takes place between equal ranking staffs. So damn-care spirit is likely to be encouraged because of unclear channels and rules of interaction.
• Over specialization: Specialization is a problem that often happens when organizations do not have uniformity within departments, causing communication difficulties. Specialization can occur with procedures or vocabulary used by different departments. When this occurs organizations have trouble functioning properly and do not run smoothly.
• Lack of motivation: Horizontal communication often fails simply because organization members are unwilling to expend the additional effort that it requires. It may require contact with people in units and the channels and rules of interaction may be unclear. Sometimes we do not really know these people. The need to communicate with them makes us uneasy or takes too much time.
• Rivalry: Rivalry within organizations occurs for example when the different levels of an organization fail to cooperate with one another.
• Ignoring vertical communication: In horizontal communication same level of organizational members are contacted or exchange information with each other. Most of the cases they do not inform managers of the hierarchy which break down or ignore the vertical communication.
• Low productivity: Horizontal communication often fails simply because of organizational members are unwilling to expend the additional effort that it requires and its wastage useful and valuable time of superiors which lead to low productivity.