Informal Communication is communication based on friendship, relationship, proximity and shared interests between coworkers or the so called the “personal networks”. The informal bonds created between co-workers makes the communication more effective and powerful. When the employees are not able to communicate the required information to higher authorities because of communication barriers, then informal channels of communication takes place. Informal communication or grapevine arises from social interactions of the people. Therefore, it is as fickle, dynamic, and varied as people are. Its speed is very fast as compared to formal communication. In addition, informal channels of communication are faster, more reliable and allows for more ideas to be generated as a sort of informal bonding between co-workers helps them to get engaged in more deeper and
thorough conversation regarding their work. It is an easy task for a computer virus to spread from one system to another and
contaminate files, data or the entire system. In the same manner, gossips and rumors contaminates a healthy working
environment.
exchanged interactively, through meetings and conversations, and courses of action
are worked out in the context of the circumstances into which the actions must fit.
communication channels and barriers of communication. Different aspects are presented
through comparisons of academic studies, theories’ synthesis and discussion of findings.
The third section describes the issue of how informal communication, if approached as an
asset for an organisation, could be converted to a useful tool through Communities of
Practice.