Horizontal Communication

Horizontal Communication: The terms lateral communication and horizontal communication are interchangeable. Horizontal communication occurs when members in the same organisation are communicating at the same level, position, rank, or status. Horizontal communication occurs when information moves laterally inside an organisation and includes people at the same level. Horizontal communication is used to coordinate information and enables employees in the same or comparable ranks in an organisation to work together. The following are some examples of horizontal communication definitions:

“Horizontal communication includes colleagues and peers at the same level of the organisation,” says Ricky W. Griffin.

“Horizontal communication involves lateral or diagonal message interchange either inside work-unit boundaries, including peers who report to the same supervisor, or across work-unit boundaries, involving colleagues who report to different supervisors,” according to Bartol and Martin.

“Horizontal communication is the communications between and among agencies and employees on the same level of the organisational hierarchy,” writes William A. Conboy.

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

“Horizontal communication happens when the communicator and the receiver are at the same level in the organisation,” according to Ivancevich and others.

Horizontal communication, therefore, is the flow of information or messages among persons in the organisational hierarchy who have comparable or equal level statuses.

Horizontal and vertical communication differences

Horizontal communication is the flow of information or messages between parallel persons of the same level or rank in an organisational hierarchy. Vertical communication, on the other hand, is the flow of information or messages between or among the organization’s subordinates and superiors. The following are the differences between horizontal and vertical communication:

Essentials of effective Horizontal communication

The essentials of effective Horizontal communication are as follows:

(i) Appreciation

Horizontal communication must be recognised as a practical and valuable technique to communicate information by senior executives in order for it to be successful.

(ii) Communication in an emergency

To be successful, this communication method must be seen as a sort of emergency communication aimed at resolving a specific situation quickly.

iii) Supervision on a one-on-one basis

To make this approach more successful, the management must persuade the staff.

iv) Self-discipline

To increase the effectiveness of discipline and ensure that it is properly enforced at all levels. Otherwise, management might be compromised.

(v) Ease of comprehension

To be successful, attention must be made to ensure that managers realise that horizontal communication is an important component of the overall communication process.

(vi) Improved inter-departmental communication

To be successful, the organisational structure should be designed in such a manner that interdepartmental communication is possible.

vii) Serve as a lubricant

Departments must be established to be functional, so that they can serve as a lubricant in the process of efficiently employing horizontal communication.