COORDINATION

Principles of Coordination- Mary Parker

A. Principle of Direct Contact:

- This principle states that coordination can be achieved by
direct contact among the responsible people concerned.
- Direct interpersonal relationships and direct personal
communications make coordination easier.
- Managers should directly contact their subordinates to
help build good relations for managers with their
subordinates.

B. Early stage:
- This principle states that coordination should start from
the very beginning of the planning process.
- When members are involved in goal-setting at the time of
policy formulation and objective setting, coordination
problems are ninety percent solved.

C. Reciprocal relationship:
- This principle states that all factors in a situation are
reciprocally related.
- In other words, all the parts influence and are influenced
by other parts.
- Example: Financial manager has reciprocal relationship
with production manager. Production manager, in turn,
co- ordinates with sales and marketing manager and
other managers.
 D. Principle of continuity:
- This principle states that coordination is a continuous and
never-ending process. It is something which must go on
all the time in the organisation.
- Further, coordination is involved in every managerial
function.

E. Principle of self-coordination:
- This principle states that when a particular department
affects another function or department, it is in turn,
affected by the other department or function. This
particular department may not be having control over the
other departments.

Types of Coordination

A. On the Basis of Scope B. On the Basis of Flow

a. Internal a. Vertical
b. External b. Horizontal
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● Internal Organization
- Coordination between the different units of an organisation.
- It involves synchronisation of the activities and efforts of
individuals, in various departments, plants and offices of an
organisation.

For Instance,
The coordination between department heads, or supervisors, or
co-workers, etc. In other words, in internal coordination, an
employee either reports vertically to the supervisor and/or the
subordinates and horizontally to the colleagues and/or co-
workers.
● External Organization
- Coordination between an organisation and its external
environment.
- No organisation operates in isolation. In order to survive and
succeed, it must set its house in order, and interact with outside
forces in a friendly way.
- These relationships are established with a view to having a
better understanding of outsiders like market agencies, public,
competitors, customers, government agencies, financial
institutions, etc.

___________________

● Vertical Organization
- Coordination between different levels of an organisation.
- It is achieved by top management, through delegation of
authority.

● Horizontal Organization
- When coordination is brought between various positions, at the
same level in the organisation (i.e., between production, sales,
finance, personnel, etc.)
- It is achieved through mutual consultations and cooperation.