cascade communication

Definition

A top-down information flow where messages trickle from executives through management layers to front-line employees, losing clarity and gaining confusion at each level like a game of corporate telephone.

Example Usage

The CEO's vision statement got lost in cascade communication—by the time it reached us, it was just 'work harder.'

Origin

Organizational communication theory from the 1970s-80s

Fun Fact

Research shows that by the time information cascades through five management levels, only 20% of the original message remains accurate.

Source: Organizational communication and management terminology

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