Advantages and Disadvantages of Upward Communication

Advantages of Upward Communication

Advantages of upward Communication are given in the image below.

Image credits © Manoj Patil.

Advantages of upward Communication in an organization is followed:

1. Fosters Friendly Relations
2. Provides Valuable Feedback
3. Encourages Participation
4. Two-Way Process
5. Making Suggestions
6. Introducing New Projects
7. Employee Morale

Upward communication benefits are.

1. Fosters Friendly Relations

Upward communication helps to bring about co-operation, goodwill and understanding among employers and employees. This stimulates friendly relations.

2. Provides Valuable Feedback

Upward communication provides a valuable feedback. The superiors come to know how their plans and policies; orders and instructions are being received and executed.

3. Encourages Participation

By encouraging employees to make suggestion, upward communication helps to bring in elements of participative management in the organization.

4. Two-Way Process

Upward communication is a part of a two-way process which promotes better understanding between management and employees.

5. Making Suggestions

The employees are encouraged to make suggestions in the interest of the organization. Some of these suggestions prove useful, and the employees are suitably rewarded.

6. Introducing New Projects

Upward communication creates a healthy relationship between the management and the employees and this in turn makes it convenient for the management to introduce new schemes or projects.

7. Employee Morale

Upward communication develops and improves employer-employee relations and promotes employee morale.

Disadvantages of Upward Communication

Disadvantages of upward Communication are given in the image below.

Image credits © Manoj Patil.

Disadvantages of upward communication in an organization is followed:

1. Resistance From Employees
2. Fear of Incompetence
3. Indecisive Superiors
4. Messages Not Heard
5. Unwillingness to Admit Failure

Upward communication disadvantages are.

1. Resistance From Employees

Employees rarely initiate upward communication as they are afraid of being ignored. Such communication often meets with improper recognition, so they hesitate to initiate it again.

2. Fear of Incompetence

The subordinates communicating with the superiors fear that their colleagues or work may be regarded by their superior as a reflection on their own competence.

3. Indecisive Superiors

If the superiors do not take any decision in the light of upward communication, the employee's loss confidence in their superiors.

4. Messages Not Heard

Often messages do not travel upwards; they merely rest with the inactive or indifferent superior. Some managers are poor listeners, some simply 'hear' messages without taking any action.

5. Unwillingness to Admit Failure

Many employees in lower hierarchy are insecure about their jobs and uncertain about their future prospects. They, therefore, feel unwilling to discuss their on-the-job problems with their superiors.