Question

In hierarchically structured organizations, communication between peers is called ________ communication.

Answer 1

In hierarchically structured organizations, communication between peers is called horizontal communication.
It is horizontal because it means that these peers are equal - so one person is not found above the other one because they are both the same - they are peers. If the relationship involved an employer and employees, that would be a vertical relationship and communication.

Answer 2

The right term is "horizontal". In a system that could be depicted as a building where we have the height and the basis, any form of iteration among people at the same level of the building is of termed "horizontal", showing the flat-lying line on which peers stand. The reverse of horizontal is "vertical", symbolizing the climb in authority, now involving people from different levels in the building or system.