Achieving Seamless Organizational Coordination

Understanding Organizational Coordination

A lack of conceptual precision often leads to the use of many synonyms for the term 'coordinate,' such as 'harmonize,' 'order,' and 'balance.' However, 'coordination' should not be considered a synonym for 'cooperation,' which designates attitudes that can foster internal coordination.

Characteristics of Effective Coordination

• Mutual adjustment processes
• Activities or relationships involving people or things
• References to one or more well-defined objectives
• Use of information to be communicated

Factors Influencing Organizational Complexity

Organizational Structure and Its Impact

Organizational structure, particularly the functional form, is a key reason for internal complexity. Structure, in turn, depends on the type of technology employed, encompassing both production techniques and service performance targets, as well as the socio-technical domain.

Technology's Role in Organizational Design

Technology increases internal complexity. The organizational structure depends on the type of technology used, both in production techniques and service performance targets, considering both technical and social domains.

Delegation: Transferring Power and Responsibility

Organizational complexity is another cause for the required coordination through delegation of tasks. Delegation is understood as the transfer of powers and responsibilities from a higher hierarchical level to a lower one, influenced by situational conditions.

Environmental Impact on Organizational Systems

The environment increases complexity by increasing the variability and unpredictability of the factors that the system must account for.

Organizational Culture: A Key Determinant

Organizational culture, understood as a variable and not merely a metaphor, is another constituent factor in determining the form and intensity of internal relations, and thus, complexity.

The Human Factor in Organizational Dynamics

Concept of the Human Factor

The human factor encompasses a set of attitudes, expectations, and assessments regarding an individual's own conduct, as well as their ideas on how to create value for others.

Self-Disclosure in Organizational Relationships

Self-disclosure is defined as the development of a relationship that, while not necessarily intimate, involves a degree of openness that might otherwise tend towards privacy. Such symmetric processes can foster mutual understanding.

Empathy: A Crucial Organizational Skill

Empathy is the ability and willingness of organizational members to be influenced by the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others in their own behavior. This entails:

• The ability to see oneself from the perspective of others.
• The ability to see the other's perspective.

Empathy depends not only on power but also on will.

Communication: The Core of Effective Coordination

Key Characteristics of Effective Communication

The key to effective coordination is communication. Its characteristics include:

• Utility maximization.
• Performing tasks in less time to avoid duplication.