Interrelationship Between Management Functions

 COORDINATION–THE ESSENCE OF MANAGING

Coordination has been viewed by different management experts in different ways. Henri Fayol considers coordination as a function of manager. Louis A. Allen also regards coordination as one of the separate managerial functions. James D. Mooney considers coordination as the first principle of organisation. Ralph C. Davis looks upon coordination primarily as a vital phase of controlling.

Meaning of Coordination

In the words of Mooney and Railey, “Coordination is the orderly arrangement of group efforts to provide unity of action in the pursuit of a common purpose.” It is the effort to ensure a smooth interplay of the functions and forces of the different component parts of the organisation to the end that its purpose will be realised with a minimum of friction and a maximum of collaborative effectiveness. In other words, coordination means the orderly synchronisation of efforts of the people working in the organisation for the achievement of organisational objectives.

Coordination is a continuous process for achieving unity of purpose in the organization. It leads to blending the activities of different individuals and groups for the achievement of certain objectives. The features of coordination are as follows:

i. It is an essential managerial activity. It is needed at all levels of management.

ii. It involves an orderly management of group efforts.

iii. It is a continuous process carried on by the manager.

iv. Its purpose is to secure unity of action towards common objectives.

Significance of Coordination

The basic role of a manager in an enterprise is like that of an orchestra conductor who directs the activities of the Orchestra Party in such a way that is produces harmony in music. As a coordinator, the manager performs the function of securing and maintaining unified action throughout the organisation. He directs the activities of the group in such a manner that it brings about harmonious relations and unified action to achieve the given objectives.

In a business enterprise, coordination will lead to the following advantages.

i. Better Results. Through coordination duplication of efforts is avoided. The time and energy thus saved are better utilized in a creative tasks. This results in total accomplishment which will be far in excess of the sum of the individuals of parts.

ii. Economy and Efficiency. Coordination leads to economy and efficiency in the organisation by avoiding wastages of resources and duplication of efforts. Due to coordination, there will be no delays and breakdowns which will further increase efficiency.

iii. Better Utilization of Human Resources. Modern organisations employ specialists in diverse fields for better results. Their efforts need to be integrated if the services of such experts are to be utilized fully. Coordination can help in integration of the activities of the experts or specialists.

iv. Meeting Environment Challenges. The technological, economic, social, and political environments of modern business are very complex. Proper coordination of the operations of different departments can help in meeting these challenges effectively.

v. High Morale. Coordination in organisation and staffing leads to job satisfaction of employees. This improves the morale of different groups. As a result, their loyalty to the organisation is increased. They work, whole heartedly for the attainment of the objectives of the organisation.

Coordination as Essence of Managing

Co-ordination is an all-inclusive function of management and not just one of its functions. Management seeks to achieve co-ordination by performing various functions like planning, organizing, directing and controlling. When all these functions are related to each other harmoniously, co-ordination is achieved. As a matter of fact, co-ordination is the essence of managing.

In order to achieve co-ordination among the subordinates and sub-units, the management performs its functions. Coordination is required in every function of management, as discussed below:

i. Coordination Through Planning. Plans of different departments must be properly coordinated, otherwise, the objectives of the organisation will not be accomplished. Planning leads to formulation of budgets, policies and procedures which are also tools of coordination.

ii. Coordination Through Organizing. Coordination is equally important in organizing. All activities required to achieve the desired objectives must be properly grouped and assigned to the right people.

iii. Coordination Through Staffing. In staffing, a balance must be attained between job requirements and the qualities of the personnel who are placed on different jobs. Manpower planning is an important tool of coordination.

iv. Coordination Through Direction. The direction function of management is an attempt in achieving coordination. Supervision, motivation, leadership and communication are designed to secure unit of action in a group. Coordination is also achieved through supervision.

v. Coordination Through Controlling. The purpose of comparing performance with the standards and taking corrective action is to achieve coordination. Corrective measures must match the types of deviation in the performance of various individuals.

Thus, coordination is the silken thread running through the entire process of management. That is why, it is called the essence of management.

Relation between Coordination and Cooperation

The concept of coordination is broader than that of cooperation. Coordination is an arrangement of group efforts to provide units of action in the pursuit of common objectives. It means bringing together the efforts of different components of the organisation in order to give them a unity of purpose. But cooperation denotes the collective efforts by the people working in the organisation voluntarily to accomplish a particular purpose.

Existence of cooperation among the members of a group facilitates coordination. But coordination does not originate from the voluntary efforts of the group members. It has to be achieved by the conscious efforts of the management. For instance, 5 persons engaged in pushing a taxi out of mud have a strong attitude of cooperation. But they may not be successful unless one of them provides leadership and coordinates the activities of all. In the same manner, the orchestra conductor coordinates the efforts of the members of his group to produce finite music. In short, cooperation without coordination has no fruit and coordination without cooperation has no root. Cooperation and coordination go hand-in-hand and one is the stepping stone of the other. A good manager tries to achieve both because only through cooperation and coordination he can get things done through others.

Techniques of Effective Coordination

The following steps should be taken for achieving effective coordination:

i. Clearly defined goals: The goals of the enterprise should be laid down clearly. Every individual in the enterprise should understand the overall objectives and the contribution by his job to these objectives. Unity of purpose is a must for achieving proper coordination.

ii. Clear Lines of Authority and Responsibility: There is a line of authority in every enterprise which indicates as to who is accountable to whom. The line of authority and responsibility should be clearly defined to achieve coordination. Clear-cut authority relationships help in reducing conflicts among different positions (particularly line and staff) which is essential for sound coordination.

iii. Precise and Comprehensive Programmes and Policies: Laying down well-defined programmes and policies is another measure for achieving effective coordination. This brings uniformity of action because everybody understands the programmes and policies in the same sense.

iv. Cooperation: Coordination must be accompanied by cooperation. The individuals in the organisation must be willing to help each other voluntarily. Cooperation can be brought about by keeping harmonious relations among the people in the organisation by encouraging informal contacts to supplement formal communication and using committees for exchange of ideas and views at the top level.

v. Effective Communication: Effective communication is the key to proper coordination. The channels of communication used in the enterprise should be reliable so that they are able to create proper understanding in the minds of the receivers. Personal Contacts should be encouraged as it is the most effective means of communication for achieving coordination.

vi. Effective Leadership and Supervision: Management can achieve better coordination through effective leadership and supervision. Effective leadership ensures coordination both at the planning and the implementing stage. Effective supervision is necessary to guide the activities of individuals in the proper direction.