In a business context, communication channels can be broadly categorized into:
1. Formal Channels: These are official pathways for communication within an organization. Examples include memos, emails, reports, and meetings. 2. Informal Channels: These include casual interactions among employees, such as water-cooler conversations, instant messaging, and unofficial social media groups. 3. Vertical Channels: Communication that flows up and down the organizational hierarchy, such as reports from subordinates to managers or directives from executives to staff. 4. Horizontal Channels: Communication that occurs between peers or colleagues at the same organizational level, crucial for collaboration and teamwork.