This can lead to devastating consequences. Status and gender differences. Communication is related to organizational structure and to formal and informal interaction. Classical management theory stresses hierarchy and scaler chain of command. Vertical lines are the formal lines of communication.
Most formal communication goes downward at the expense of upward and lateral communication.
There are gaps, misinformation, distortion, omission. The failure of the bottom to act on command is viewed as a problem of insufficient control when it can easily be a lack of communication effectiveness. The organizational chart defines formal communication. But actual communication follows interaction. Instead of the organizational chart, we must think of managers as embedded in networks that include superiors, subordinates, formal and informal contacts, people in similar and collateral fields of work, in-house and the broader profession.