• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

The Business Communication

Empowering Connections for Success

  • Introduction
  • Skills
  • Types
    • Oral Communication
    • Written Communication
    • Internal Communication
    • Non-Verbal Communication
    • Modern communication
  • Letter Writing
    • Report Writing
  • Secretarial
    • Employment Communication
    • Company Meeting
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Types of Communication / What is Horizontal communication? Effective Horizontal communication

What is Horizontal communication? Effective Horizontal communication

Posted By The Business Communication 2 Comments

The term lateral communication can be used interchangeably as horizontal communication. Horizontal communication is communication among people at the parallel or same level, position, rank or status people of the organization. Horizontal communication is the communication that flows laterally within the organization, involves persons at the same level of the organization. Horizontal communication normally involves coordinating information and allows people with the same or similar rank in an organization to cooperate or collaborate. Some definitions of horizontal communication are as follows:

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Differences between horizontal and vertical communication
  • Related Articles – Types of Communication | Different Types of Communication – What is Vertical Communication? Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Communications – What is Mass Communication? – 20 Features of Mass Communication – Upward Communication – Downward vs Upward Communication Essentials of effective Horizontal communication

Ricky W. Griffin, “Horizontal communication involves colleagues and peers at the same level of the organization.”

Bartol and Martin, “Horizontal communication is lateral or diagonal message exchange either within work –unit boundaries, involving peers who report to the same supervisor or across-work unit boundaries, involving individuals who report to different supervisors.”

According to William A. Conboy, “Horizontal communication is the exchanges between and among agencies and personnel on the same level of the organizational chart.”

According to Bovee and others, “Horizontal communication is the flow of information across departmetal boundaries, either laterally or diagonally.”

According to Ivancevich and others, “Horizontal communication occurs when the communicator and the receiver are at the same level in the organization.”

The graphical presentation of horizontal communication is as follows:

The flow of Horizontal communication
So, Horizontal communication is the communication where information or messages flows among the similar or same level statuses of people in the organizational structure.

Differences between horizontal and vertical communication

Horizontal communication is the communication where information or messages flows between the parallel same level or statuses people of the organizational structure. On the other hand, vertical communication is the communication where information or messages flows between or among the subordinates and superiors of the organizational. The difference between horizontal and vertical communication are as follows:

Differences between horizontal and vertical communication
Related Articles
- Types of Communication | Different Types of Communication
- What is Vertical Communication? Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Communications
- What is Mass Communication? – 20 Features of Mass Communication
- Upward Communication – Downward vs Upward Communication
Essentials of effective Horizontal communication

 The essentials of effective Horizontal communication are as follows:

  • Recognition: To make Horizontal communication effective top executive must recognize it is a realistic and useful way to exchange a message.
  • Emergency communication: To make it effective this communication system is to be considered a form of emergency communication to effect a quick resolution of a particular problem.
  • Direct supervision: To make more effective of this system manager should convince the workers.
  • Discipline: To make more effective discipline to be maintained strictly in every level. Otherwise, management may be broken.
  • Clear understandability: To make effective, care should be taken so that managers may have a clear understanding that horizontal communication is a functional part of the total communication process.
  • Interdepartmental communication increase: To make it effective, organizational structure should be made in such a way that opportunity for interdepartmental communication can be ensured.
  • Act as Lubricant: To make effective, departments must be developed, so that it will act as a lubricant in the way of effectively using horizontal communication.
LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

We’d love to keep you updated with our latest news and offers! 😎

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You're on the list!! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Filed Under: Types of Communication Tagged With: Differences between horizontal and vertical communication, Essentials of effective Horizontal communication, Meaning of lateral communication, What is Horizontal communication

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Victoria says

    November 26, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    A diagram of a vertical communication relating to the hospital

    Reply
  2. kaushiki mishra says

    February 23, 2020 at 2:20 am

    Thank you 🙂🙂 this note is help me to understand this topic ..

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Copyright © 2013–2025 by The Business Communication All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Contact
x