the concept and elements of co-ordination

Co-ordination is the process of harmonizing and integrating the resources and activities if various departments, branches and individual for the achievement of harmony and unity. It is the process of binding all the components of anorganization in systematic order. It is based on personal contact, co-operation, mutual confidence and good human relations. Coordination is helpful in achieving the objectives of the organization. The objective of co-ordination is to armonize the goals of units and suunits with each other. It is a continuous and rational process. It is essential at every level of management in order to achieve the organizational goal.

In the words of Henry Fayol, " Co-ordination is to harmonize all the activities of a concern so as to facilitate the working and its success."

In the words of Koontz and Donnell, “A good co-ordination is that which forecasts the problems and takes necessary preventing measures so that it may not arise at all."

Coordination is a process of binding the activities of various departments and persons in the organization so that the desired can be easily achieved. Management achieves its basic functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling through co-ordination. A manager should coordinate all the resources and activities of the organizations effectively and efficiently for achieving the goals.

Co-ordination is an integral part of all the managerial functions. Its elements are discussed as follows:

a) Co-ordination through Planning
Planning is the determination of the course of action to achieve the desired result. Planning facilitates coordination with the various plans through mutual discussion, exchange of ideas. For example: coordination between the budget of finance and purchases.

b) Co-ordination through Organizing
Organizing coordinates the activities that are diverse in nature and helps build harmonious relations among members involved in those activities. When a manager assigns various activities to subordinates, and when he creates department’s coordination uppermost in his mind.

c) Co-ordination through Staffing
Staffing is the process of hiring, positioning and overseeing employees in an organization. The Coordination ensures right men on the right job with qualified skills. Staffing helps to determine the right job for the staff.

d) Co-ordination through Directing
Directing means communicating, supervising, leading, motivating, suggesting e.t.c. The purpose of giving orders, instructions & guidance to the subordinates can be served only when there is co-ordination between superiors & subordinates.

e) Co-ordination through Controlling
Controlling is the process of analyzing whether the action is being taken as planned and taking corrective action. There must be co-ordination between actual performance and the standard performance in achieving the organizational goals.