What Is Coordination: Meaning, Features, And Importance Described

Meaning of Coordination

In management, coordination is critical. There are a number of responsibilities in business. Various people handle these jobs. In addition, the execution of these tasks necessitates the allocation of effort and assignment of activities, as well as making judgments at various levels.

All of this demands cooperation in order to achieve the intended objectives. Coordination is the process of synchronizing, integrating, or unifying all of a company’s members in an effort to meet goals.

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The manager uses the technique of harmony to achieve group cooperation and cohesion in action through balancing the activities of numerous individuals and groups, as well as their differences in interest or approach, for the purpose of achieving common objectives. In the words of Mcfarland, “Co-ordination is the process by which an executive creates a systematic pattern of group efforts among his staff and ensures unity of action in pursuit of a common goal.”

Features of Coordination

There are three primary features of coordination:

Integration: All parties involved must be working towards a common goal.
This requires effective communication and a shared understanding of the company’s objectives.
Synchronization: The various parts of the organization must be working in tandem, with each team aware of the others’ activities and timelines.
Unification: There must be a sense of unity among all members of the organization, so that everyone is working together towards the same goal.

Importance or Necessity of Coordination

Co-ordination is considered to be the heart of management activity today. Coordination is required because various elements and activities of an organization must be integrated and unified to achieve common goals. Management cannot assemble distinct elements into a coherent whole if members of a group do not coordinate with one another.

Co-ordination For Smooth Working

Co-ordination is also important to achieve economies in the use of resources. The effective utilization of resources is possible only when there is coordination among the various departments of an organization. For example, production department will have to coordinate with marketing department to know the level of production required to meet the customer demand.

Principles of Coordination

For successful co-ordination, adhere to the following essential ideas:

Direct Contact: Personal communications are the most efficient way to coordinate efforts. Agreement on methods, actions, and ultimate success is achieved in personal conversations. It also eliminates red tape and guarantees that things get done promptly. Direct communication is a potent form of coordination.

Early Beginning: Coordination might be easier in the early phases of planning and policy-making. As a result, direct contact must begin as early as possible in the process. There will be difficulties if an order for the supply of a specific good has been booked but the necessary raw materials to produce them are not available. It would have been feasible for art’s purchasing manager, production manager, and sales manager to know whether or on what terms the order could be completed if they had spoken with one another earlier in the process.

Continuity: Coordination must be maintained as a continuous operation. It begins with planning and ends when the goal is achieved. Coordination is required whenever there is a split in responsibilities and areas among managers and departments. So, every time a new situation arises, the manager must put out another effort to co-ordinate it. As a result, until the purpose is fulfilled, the manager must continue working at it.

Reciprocal Relationship: In a business, coordination is the relationship between all aspects of a problem: production, sales, finance, men, and management. When ‘P’ works with ‘Q,’ for example, and ‘Q’ works with ‘R,’ each of the four individuals is influenced by the others.