PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN ACHIEVING CO-ORDINATION:

1. Conflict of Objectives:
Objectives may overlap. For instance, while sales department is concerned with consumer
satisfaction, production department may be concerned with adhering to production schedules.
Line authorities may prefer to cling to conservatism but staff officers may like to introduce an
innovation.

2. The Growing Size:

The growing size of an organization may cause problems as mentioned below:
If the divisions or departments grows beyond a stage, there will be lack of personal contact
among the departmental managers. Co-ordination is difficult to be achieved under such
circumstances.
i. Compartmentalization arising from lack of understanding.
ii. Lack of cooperation on account of jealousy.
iii. Too much centralisation or too much decentralization.

3. Undefined Authority:
Vague and undefined authority and bitter subordinate relationships cause confusion and
conflict of authority. Co-ordination becomes difficult to achieve.

4. Empire Building Tendencies:

Taking advantage of the vague and undefined delegation of authority, departmental managers
tend to care only for the interests of their own departments, thus throwing overboard the
interests of the organization. This empire building tendency makes co-ordination difficult.

5. Resolving Conflict:
To resolve conflicts by domination leaves one party the victor and the other vanquished. It is
not successful in the long run. Conflicts resolved by compromise (i.e., each side giving up a
little) only postpones settlement of the dispute. The real and lasting solution lies in
coordination and integration. It creates synthesis of interests. It does not involve sacrifice on
any party.
 6. Independence of Thinking and Action:
When people in an organization is capable of independent and self-directed action and if their
actions lie in different directions, coordination becomes difficult to achieve.

7. Lack of Co-Operative Spirits:

Where there is no cooperative spirit among the departments and employees, achieving co-
ordination is a challenge.

8. Individual Differences:
Where the magnitude of individual differences is significant in an organization in terms of
perception, values and beliefs, co-ordination is difficult to achieve.

9. Natural hindrance:
Due to lack of knowledge, the superior and subordinate communication gap will be raised.
Therefore, it prevents effective coordination in the organisation.

10. Lack of administrative talent:

Lack of administrative talent is widely applicable for the superiors in the organisation such as
autocratic attitudes and non-acceptance of feedback from the subordinates.

11. Lack of techniques of coordination:

Without mutual respect among the subordinates, the coordination may not survive. Moreover,
the managers must respect the feelings and emotions of the employees.
STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE COORDINATION:

1. There should be a proper delegation of authority and responsibility at all levels of

management.

2. The whole or entire activities of the organisation should be divided department-wise

or section-wise according to the size of the organisation.

3. Preparing and adherence to rigid rules and regulations, procedures, policies, etc.

4. Establishment of an effective communication system.

5. Establishment of employees’ grievances cell.

6. There should be a proper system for reporting.

7. Skilled workers are to be rewarded adequately.

8. The management should induce the employees to take active part in meetings,
committees, conferences, seminars and the like.

9. The management should encourage the employees to have friendly relationship with
others.

10. Managers should have opportunities to get training in the area of leadership, co-
ordination, planning, staffing and the like.