Cascade Communication - Definition & Meaning

Published in Human Resources Terms by MBA Skool Team

What is Cascade Communication?

Cascade communication means passing of messages or information from senior executives to junior executives to managers. Those managers then pass on this message to other employees directly or indirectly reporting to them. It is a most important tool for spreading information throughout the organization. It is a more personal way of passing on the information. There are alternative tools for this such as attractive mailers, posters on mail, passing message through videos but all these methods require intranet and could be expansive. Choosing cascade communication or these methods, it depends upon organizations and decision could vary depending upon the size of the organization, type of industry etc.


There are pros and cons also for choosing this method which have been stated below:

Pros of Cascade Communication:

This method provides clear information and leaves no scope of doubt as whenever the information is forwarded, the receiver can clarify doubt if there is any at that time only. It makes the employees feel trusted as this is a more personalized way of forwarding information. This helps organizations to implement changes more quickly. It also provide confidence to employees as they become aware of what is going on with management above them.

Cons of Cascade Communication:

Along with benefits there are some major drawbacks also. First one is communication barriers. If the receivers are not welcoming or attentive at that point, it can lead to information loss. There is scope of misinterpretation of the information. In cascade communication, sometimes it becomes difficult to back trace where the information got disrupted. Another important drawback is the cascading has to be done quickly. Otherwise, the information can become meaningless or can get lost.

These drawbacks can be overcome by few ways like training managers to pass on information quickly and without loss. Information should be passed through one or two messages as more number of messages can lead to confusion.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Cascade Communication along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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