CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Economics and Management · Planning, Organizing, Staffing and Leading
In a Kolkata trading company, the sales director's instruction passes through the regional head, area manager and branch supervisor before reaching salespeople, and it arrives distorted. Which feature of formal communication mainly explains this distortion?
The distortion is mainly caused by too many levels in the communication chain. Each intermediary, from regional head to supervisor, may filter, shorten or reinterpret the director's instruction, so the message reaching salespeople differs from the original. This is a typical problem of long downward formal channels.
- AGrapevine spreading informally across departments
- BToo many levels in the chain of communication filtering the messageCorrect
- CUse of written rather than oral media
- DUpward feedback from subordinates to superiors
Explanation
The message travels down a scalar chain with several intermediaries, and each level may filter or reinterpret it, causing distortion. The grapevine is informal and not the described route. Written media usually reduce, not increase, distortion.
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