The ‘Verticals’, ‘Horizontals’, and ‘Diagonals’ in Organisational Communication: Developing Models to Mitigate Communication Barriers Through Social Media Applications

Abstract

India’s workplace culture is distinctively multilingual and multi-dialectical, where English is often considered as the lingua franca. On many occasions, the choice of one official workplace language can automatically advantage or disadvantage different members of an organisation based on their competency and confidence with it. It can also impact their interpersonal relations, one of the markers of communication, between employees, who are the social capital for an organisation, and function through social groupings. This paper aims at proposing models for overcoming the communication barriers which have a three-tier structure—vertical, horizontal and diagonal—by engaging, motivating, exploring and broadening perspectives of the organisational workforce. It will include scope to build intrapersonal, interpersonal, leadership, persuasiveness, decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership skills. This can mitigate performance anxiety and boost the morale of the workforce which can ensure effective time-use and enhance productivity. The paper will examine, analyse, and propose a model for soft skills development within the framework of a three-tier communication structure for the millennials who constitute the soul of an organisational culture. An attempt will be made through the medium of social media applications like, WhatsApp, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote, process and shape communication strategies for the workforce to make the workplace communication professionally communicative and competent.