Vertical communication indicates the direction in which communication flows from one person to another person in a formal organization. If the information is coming from a superior to a subordinate if flows down and if the information is going from a subordinate to a superior then it is referred to as upward communication.

Horizontal communication occurs between colleagues and peers at work and it involve communication regarding the work to be done. It flows either in upward direction or downward direction. However, despite being a formal form of communication, it does not follow the chain of command. It represents communication between employees of an organization when they to communicate information regarding their work.

Grapevine communication occurs between employees of an organization and it is passed on from one person to another in an informal manner. Grapevine communication occurs between employees to communicate information in an informal manner without the approval of the authorities. The objective of grapevine is to communicate information among the employees in an unofficial manner.