upward (adverb, up-ward, \ ˈʌpwərd \) communication (noun, com-mu-ni-ca-tion, \ kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃn \)
Definition: is a communication technique that relies on information transferring from the lower levels of a company’s hierarchy towards the upper management. The typical chain of upward communication looks like this: line employee – supervisor – manager – director. This method prompts managers to find out how their workers feel about their duties and the overall atmosphere in the workplace. Additionally, upward communication allows for receiving feedback from employees, building mutual trust, and implementing and improving new policies. The downside of this approach is that it can result in the creation of artificial barriers between employees and higher level management.
In a Sentence:
- Upward communication in my firm is a real mess, as I can’t talk to the board directly about how the day-to-day operations at my branch can be improved.
- I wish we would adopt such an upward communication system that would make it possible for a simple warehouse employee to talk to the CEO.
- Carol worked at PlayLight, which had an upward communication system, meaning that every time she wanted to file a complaint, she had to contact her supervisor, who in turn spoke to his supervisor, etc.
Synonyms and related words: communication channel, hierarchy, subordinate, downward communication
