In an corporate organization, an employee communicates horizontally between different functional areas with his _______

In a corporate organization, an employee communicates horizontally with his colleagues. He communicates vertically with his subordinates and superiors. Horizontal/Lateral communication passes between different departments and functions within the organization. The term lateral communication is also known as horizontal communication. It is defined primarily as the quality of information sharing among peers at similar levels, effective lateral communication involves exchange of information between and among all organizational members, while we may perceive that organizational information flow vertically from top to bottom. For example communication done between different functional areas, such as communication between a manager of marketing department and manager in the finance department, it is known as lateral communication.