What is the difference between downward communication and upward communication?

Effective downward communication from superior to subordinate is crucial to an organization's success. Plans, policies, and procedures originating at upper management levels must be communicated accurately to lower levels of the organization to ensure effective performance. Overall, the purpose of downward communication is to increase the subordinate's understanding of the organization and his or her job.

Upward communication involves suggestions for improvement, disputes, exceptions, and performance reports. Without these forms of information, upper-level management cannot accurately monitor organizational performance and make decisions about future programs and activities. Performance reports—the most basic form of upward communication—can be troublesome because the subordinate occupies a position of dependency with respect to the superior.