Which of the following statements about formal communication are correct?
(A) Formal communication flows through official channels designed in the organisation chart.
(B) Formal communication may be oral or written but is generally recorded and filed in the office.
(C) Formal communication may take place among employees of the same cadre.
(D) Formal communication spreads rapidly and sometimes gets distorted.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B) and (C) only
(A) Formal communication flows through official channels designed in the organisation chart. — Correct. Formal communication follows the official lines of the organisation chart.
(B) Formal communication may be oral or written but is generally recorded and filed in the office. — Correct. It may be spoken or written, but it is generally kept on record in the office files.
(C) Formal communication may take place among employees of the same cadre. — Correct. It may flow between a superior and a subordinate, and also among employees or managers of the same cadre, that is, the same rank.
(D) Formal communication spreads rapidly and sometimes gets distorted. — Incorrect. Spreading rapidly and getting distorted is a feature of the grapevine, which is informal communication. Formal messages move through fixed official channels.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Formal Communication Formal communication flows through official channels designed in the organisation chart. This communication may take place between a superior and subordinate, a subordinate and superior or among same cadre employees or managers. The communications may be oral or written but generally recorded and filed in the office. …” “Informal Communication Communication that takes place without following the formal lines of communication is said to be informal communication. Informal system of communication is generally referred to as the ‘grapevine’ because it spreads throughout the organisation with its branches going out in all directions in utter disregard to the levels of authority. …” “Informal Communication … The grapevine/ informal communication spreads rapidly and sometimes gets distorted. …” |