Informal communication is the foundation of social life in organizations.

Nevertheless, successful managers constantly monitor both the degree of formality present in the organization (since excessive formality kills employees’ spontaneity and numbs their minds to creative thinking) and the degree of informality.

The increase and widespread use of informal communication leads to a waste of time and distracts employees from achieving the organization’s goals.

Based on the above, communication in organizations is a mix of formal and informal, which contributes to creating a healthy internal environment.

Therefore, we pose the following questions:

1. What is the concept of informal communication channels?
2. What is the difference between formal and informal?
3. What are the types of informal communication?

The concept of informal communication channels:

Informal communication arises from the social life of employees, away from the restrictions and limitations imposed by the organizational structure.

In other words, informal communication is separate from the chain of command – one of the outputs of the organizational structure – and what it imposes in terms of formal rules, principles and formalities in communication between individuals.

Within the concept of informal communication, individuals can interact freely without fear or anxiety about following formal rules and principles, which positively impacts their morale in parallel with their work performance.

The difference between formal and informal communication channels:

Formal communication channels are the established pathways for individuals within an organization to send messages. These channels are predetermined based on the organizational structure and its chain of command. Consequently, individuals cannot communicate spontaneously or quickly express their desired message; they are bound by specific formalities and procedures that must be followed. This structure has resulted in formal communication enjoying greater trust from individuals and higher credibility in the content of the messages sent.

In contrast to the above, informal communication channels are conducted without limits or rules governing the communication process. They enjoy a high degree of spontaneity and simplicity, and this has negatively affected the credibility of the information provided on one hand, and positively reduced the time required to send messages on the other.

Types of informal communication channels:

Informal communication channels are divided into two main types, as follows:

1. Grape Vine Communication:
   This term refers to the diverse and unstructured nature of informal communication channels, much like a vineyard with its branches and limbs intertwining in a haphazard way. It’s worth noting that organizations pay close attention to fostering this type of communication and leveraging it effectively due to its direct impact on individual morale and job satisfaction, operating outside the constraints of formal regulations and complex communication protocols.
   This type of communication branches into two main categories: rumors, which are conversations among individuals about work-related matters (such as salary increases, unexpected holidays, profit distributions, etc.),
   and gossip, which are conversations about matters related to individuals’ personal lives (such as marriage, divorce, secret relationships between employees, etc.). Although this type of informal communication is essential to organizational social life, management must monitor it due to some of its negative effects, including:
   1. Time consumption.
   2. Lack of focus on the tasks that need to be performed.
   3. Low productivity.
   4. Problems of distortion and filtering of information.
      It must be noted here that, despite the negative effects, informal communication is characterized by high speed compared to formal communication.
2. Management by Wandering Around (MBWA):
   This informal communication style is a successful management approach. Managers themselves engage with each employee, from addressing their personal problems to soliciting their feedback on work, listening to their opinions and suggestions for improvement and performance enhancement.
   This approach is the complete opposite of the previous one, although both belong to the same school of informal communication. MBWA is considered a successful and effective management style where managers utilize their soft skills and managerial experience to build informal relationships with employees that serve the best interests of the organization. Moving
   beyond hierarchy, organizational structure, and formal communication, the manager here leverages the positive aspects of informal communication within a framework they directly supervise. This minimizes negative impacts and, in fact, can have a positive effect on the work. Naturally, this comes at the expense of the manager’s time and personal life, as achieving a balance between professional and personal life is a challenging task.

Finally , it is important to note that the manager can leverage both types of informal communication for the benefit of the work, as he can employ this communication in a way that serves the achievement of the organization’s goals. For example, we can benefit from the speed of informal communication to send official messages. The manager can also be part of the informal communication process instead of preventing and hindering it, and thus become part of the social life of individuals.

As a result of the above

Neither formal nor informal communication can be relied upon; they are complementary. Communication within an organization should be a blend of both, ultimately impacting the organization’s internal environment and the organizational behavior of its members. The degree to which each type of communication is utilized is determined by several factors, including the type of organization, the level of employee empowerment, and the management style employed.