The nature of coordination is creating unity in action. It means during the coordinating process an effort is made to create unity among the various activities of an organization. For example, the purchase and sales departments have to coordinate their efforts so that supply of goods takes place according to purchase orders. It is not a job that can be performed once and for all, but its need is felt at every step.
Many activities are performed in a business. Sometimes or the other, if any one of the activities goes on fluctuating either for more or less than required, the whole organizational balance is disrupted. Thus, a close watch has to be kept on all the activities to maintain the balance. Pervasiveness refers to that truth that is applicable to all spheres business and non-business organizations and places uniformly. The nature of coordination is pervasive. In the game of cricket, the placement of players at pre-determined positions is nothing but coordination.
In the same manner, to synchronize the activities of different departments, like purchase, sales, production, finance, etc. Coordination is needed at all three, i. Different activities performed at all levels are equally important. Thus it is the responsibility of all the managers that they make efforts to establish coordination. That is why it could not be said that coordination is of more importance to any one particular managerial level or a manager.
Coordination is never established by itself but it is a deliberate effort. Only cooperation does not suffice but coordination is also needed.
For example, a teacher aspires to teach effectively this is cooperation but the timetable is not prepared in the school this is a lack of coordination. In this situation, classes cannot be arranged for. Here, the effort made by the teacher is meaningless, in the absence of coordination. On the other hand, in the absence of cooperation, coordination dissatisfies the employees. Thus, both are required at a given point in time. In an organization, the efficient coordination of internal and external components helps in reducing the complexities both internal and external.
Therefore, the organization experiences an increase in productivity, easier integration of micro and macro-level organizational dynamics, a better connection of roles among intra-organizational and inter-organizational groups as well as building trust among competing groups, and defining organizational tasks. Coordination is primarily of two types — internal coordination and external coordination as described below. Internal coordination is all about establishing a relationship between all the managers , executives, departments, divisions, branches, and employees or workers.
These relationships are established with a view to coordinate the activities of the organization. It is a hidden force which binds all the other functions of management. Management seeks to achieve co-ordination through its basic functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. That is why, co-ordination is not a separate function of management because achieving of harmony between individuals efforts towards achievement of group goals is a key to success of management.
Co-ordination is the essence of management and is implicit and inherent in all functions of management. Formal decision making levels are important vehicles for information sharing. Direct contacts between departments are rare and information exchange takes place through employees carrying out the liaison work.
Emphasis is given in this strategy on formalization, reporting practices, formal documents, and database. Coordination takes place in different decision-making levels and communicated to the employees through the chain of command at the department level.
For effective and efficient implementation of coordination, there are certain techniques which are available to the employees. It is necessary that the employees in the organization are to be aware of these techniques so that they can make use of them while carrying out the function of coordination.
These techniques are described below. Coordination by rules and procedures — If the work is highly structured and the organization has proper procedures laid down for carrying out the work, then it is easy to predict the outcome.
Rules and procedures act as work guide to the employees for taking decisions in the course of their normal activities. Through rules and procedures, line managers can easily specify well in time the required actions to be taken by the employees under them. Coordination by organization of the departments — In an organization in which departments are not organized properly, coordination can be achieved only at the higher levels of the management.
Proper organization of departments facilitates coordination since the inter-department coordination is carried out at the level of head of departments and not at the higher level. Coordination by simplification of organizational structure -: A simple and sound organizational structure is essential for smooth coordination in the organization.
The line of authority and responsibility in the organization is required to be clearly defined. This ensures minimization of inter-personal conflicts and makes room for unified action.
Unity of purpose is the primary objective of coordination. This can be facilitated by a simple organizational structure. Because of their organizational position, they have the authority to issue the instructions to the subordinates.
Moreover, coordination between inter-dependent sections can be easily achieved by putting the subordinates under one superior. Coordination by committees -Formation of committees to coordinate is a sound technique. Committees are the body of knowledgeable, experienced and responsible employees entrusted with discharging some functions collectively as a group. In the present scenario, management achieves coordination by creating inter-departmental committees, task forces, and teams.
These committees are normally composed of representatives of inter-dependent departments and they are required to meet periodically to discuss the common problems in order to ensure inter-departmental coordination. Committees help in establishing and maintaining face-to-face contact and personal relationships and to promote voluntary cooperation. Coordination by communication — Effective communication is necessary for proper decision making.
Communication also plays a vital role in coordination. Communication facilitates proper understanding between employees and group among whom coordination is to be achieved. Through effective communication, employees understand their scope of activity and limits of functioning. Because of such understanding, employees can ensure both horizontal as well as vertical coordination. With the introduction of information technology, communication network has become free from any barrier and allow easy and quick flow of information.
This enables the employees to coordinate their operational activities more efficiently. Coordination by conference — In large business organization conferences are being organized at regular intervals to provide a platform for discussion of various issues faced by different departments geographically dispersed. In such conferences the management and employees at unit level exchange views, identify problems and resolve it through discussion.
Such discussions and decisions taken based on the discussions pave the way for better coordination throughout the organization. Coordination by special coordinators — In an organization where the higher level managers find little time to attend to basic issues of coordination, they can have an assistant to do the job for them.
Such an employee is normally called technical assistant. The main task of a technical assistant is to collect information regarding different issues, analyze the same, list various alternatives available, and suggest steps to be taken by the higher level managers for effective coordination.
Thus, the technical assistant provides valuable assistance to the higher level managers in making decision.
Coordination by leadership and supervision — Leadership of top management is the best means of achieving coordination. Sound leadership can persuade subordinates to have identity of interests and to adopt a common outlook. It can also bring self coordination within the group. Personal supervision and establishment of informal contacts with the employees help to create a climate or mutual trust and cooperation which is the foundation of the healthy coordination.
Role of Coordination in the Organization satyendra October 16, 0 Comments Chain of command , Coordination , Coordination strategy , Harmonious relationship , Internal and external coordination , organization , Self coordination , Unity of action , Vertical and horizontal coordination , Role of Coordination in the Organization The organization consists of several components which are broad and complex.
Objectives of coordination Coordination is carried out with certain objectives. Need and significance of coordination in the organization In an organization, employees are engaged in carrying out different tasks.
Principles of coordination Coordination being crucial for the successful performance of the organization, the organizational management is to follow the principles of coordination for ensuring an effective coordination in the organization.
Coordination strategies There are three main strategies for coordination in the organization Fig 1. Fig 1 Coordination strategies Techniques for implementation of coordination For effective and efficient implementation of coordination, there are certain techniques which are available to the employees.
A comprehensive model of coordination is shown in Fig 2. Fig 2 Comprehensive model of coordination. Organizational Decision Making October 16, 2 Comments satyendra. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply.
Login Your Account Enter your e-mail address and your password. The classification of departments is very large at present. So the importance of co-ordination has subsequently increased. A manager has to perform five interrelated functions in the process of managing an organization, which is s system made up of different inter linked and interdependent subsystems. A manager has to link these diverse groups towards the achievement of a common goal. The process by which a manager synchronizes the activities of different department is known as coordination.
It is the common thread that runs through all activities such as — purchase, production, sales, and finance to ensure continuity in the working of the organisation.
It is however the essence of management for achieving harmony among individual efforts towards the accomplishment of group goals. Each Managerial function is an exercise contributing individually to coordination. Coordination is implicit and inherent in all functions of an organisation.
A coordinated operation is one in which the activities of the employees are harmonious, dovetailed, and integrated towards a common objective. A number of authors have defined co-ordination differently.
The views of some of them are given here in order to know its exact nature. Without co-ordination, working cannot be harmonised. It is accomplished by means of planning, organising, actuating and controlling.
Different managerial functions are also used to attain organisational goals. In the absence of co-ordination, administration will not be possible. Administration and co-ordination are one and the same thing; one is not possible without the other. Each of the managerial functions is an exercise in co-ordination.
Without co-ordination, managerial function will not be performed properly. In fact the undertaking of various functions is itself co-ordination.
The discussion of various definitions of co-ordination leads to the following inferences:. Co-ordination is to harmonise various activities of the enterprise to ensure smooth working. It is an effort to ensure the objections of the business with minimum friction and maximum co-ordination among various segments of the business.
Co-ordination is an effort to reach business goals by means of planning, organising, actuating and controlling various activities. The exercise of each managerial function involves co- ordination. If each individual is allowed to perform his own function efficiently without taking note of the connected function performed by another individual, there will result a chaos in the organisation.
It is essential that there be complete coordination, so that unity of action on the part of all is achieved. Also, conflict between the line executives and the staff poses the problem of coordination by the chief executive. Hence, the chief executive has to coordinate not only functions and activities but also individuals performing different functions.
For example, to ensure harmonious functioning of the organisation, it is essential that the functions of purchasing, designing, production and sales departments are co-ordinated. If the sales manager procures a huge order to be executed within a specified period of time without reference to the production manager or the buyer, it may turn out that the goods cannot be produced in quantities ordered within the specified time.
Or, even if they can be produced, the suitable raw material may not be available. Therefore, the inter-relationship between the purchasing department and production department as well as the sales department demands the establishment of coordination.
Inherent complexity of large scale organisation give rise to problems of co-ordination and controls. Diversified and specialised activities under the principle of division of labour leading to an extreme specialisation, demand special attention to co-ordination.
Departmentation also leads to co-ordination. Human nature of competition, rivalries and jealousies in large business organisations create special need for co-ordination. Large number of employees work in big business organisation.
It therefore becomes essential to co-ordinate, that differences in efforts, approaches or interests are reconciled and individual goals and actions are harmonized so that they may bring about common objectives. It harmonizes, unifies and blends all activities and thus, ensures the achievement of predetermined objectives. Although for the success of any organisation co-ordination must exist between different departments, groups and activities.
But there are some limitations in the area of co-ordination due to the following circumstances:. Uncertainty of future is the greatest challenge to effective co-ordination. Every forecast is not cent percent perfect and accurate, due to some natural calamities like heavy rains, floods, droughts, earth quakes and certain abnormal changes in the behaviour of individuals and groups in organisation. These create obstacles in successful co-ordination. Incomplete knowledge, consciousness, capability, talent, experience, bad character of the managers are also the constraints in effective co-ordination.
Lack of administrative and managerial skills and technique, on the part of executives and managers limits the degree of co-ordination in a business organisation. Lack of systematic method of developing and adopting new ideas and programmes act as a constraint in effective co-ordination. A vast number of variables due to the incompleteness of human knowledge limit the degree of co-ordination. Large number of units with the larger number of people in it who possess varying skills and personal specialisation creates problem in securing co-ordination, because it is very difficult to co-ordination all of them.
Individual interest of people become more important and works as a barrier to co-ordination. If the authorities have not been properly delegated and responsibilities fixed, more conflicts and confusions may arise which limit the degree of co-ordination. Party politics, desire for self-importance, dual superiors, lack of unity of command, lack of co-ordination, defective control are some other constraints in effective co-ordination.
The main purposes which are sought to be realized through coordination are as follows:. This can be done by the coordination only. The conflict of goals arises because everybody perceives the organizational goals differently and tries to achieve them in his own way. This may lead to confusion and chaos in the organization.
Therefore, coordination is necessary to bring unity of action in the organization. Through coordination it is possible to bring about total accomplishment which will be far in excess of the sum of the individual parts. It has been observed that the total accomplishment of ten employees of a department whose efforts are properly coordinated will be far greater than the mathematical sum of their individual accomplishment. This happens because through coordination, duplication of efforts is prevented and the time and energy thus saved are better utilized in more creative tasks.
Through coordination, it is possible to bring about economy and efficiency in the organization. Coordination will avoid duplication of efforts due to which there will be economy in labour, time and equipment.
When the activities are properly integrated, there will be lest delays which will bring efficiency in the business organization.
Coordination is achieved through systematic efforts. Good coordination gives job satisfaction to the employees which keep their morale high.
Moreover, there are good human relations because the authority-responsibility relationships are clear. The conflict between line and staff personnel can also be avoided through proper coordination of their efforts.
It has been pointed out that sound coordination has a significant effect on the development and retention of good personnel in business. If the total organization is so designed and patterned that each executive and employees derives job satisfaction, there will be tendency on the part of the executive and employees and employees to stay with the organization. The absence of this will create suffocating conditions in which it would be difficult for any person to stay r for long in the organization.
Co-ordination is not a separate function but the very essence of management. It is present in all the functions. Need for co-ordination arises due to inter-dependency of various functional departments.
Co-ordination is a dynamic process and it is to be exercised all the time to ensure smooth functioning of departments. The managers across the level have to consciously exercise co-ordination. It is required in group efforts and not in individual effort.
Hence it involves orderly arrangement of group effort. The objective of coordination is to facilitate accomplishment of overall objectives. It works on the fulcrum of unity of purpose. The basic function of coordination in an enterprise is the same as that of an orchestra conductor who directs the activities of the orchestra party in such a manner that it produces harmony in music.
Likewise the coordinator of an enterprise also directs the activities of the group in such a manner that it brings harmonious and unified actions to achieve common purpose. Like the orchestra conductor, a manager also performs the function of securing and maintaining unity of direction throughout the organization.
Coordination has been viewed by different management experts in different ways. Henry Fayol considers coordination as a function of Manager. Louis A.
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