Determinants of coordination modes within organizations

Van De Ven, A., Delbecq, A., & Koenig, R. (1976). Determinants of coordination modes within organizations. American Sociological Review, 41(2), 322-338.

Summary

This article discusses different mechanisms to coordinate work within and organization. It begins with a discussion of two different types of coordination: Coordination by Programming and Coordination by Feedback. Coordination by programming refers more to an impersonal mode where established processes and communications norms exist, so there is not much need for verbal communication. Coordination by Feedback, on the other hand, comes in two operational modes: Personal and Group. In the personal mode, individuals fulfill roles and make mutual task adjustments. In the group mode, the mechanism to make mutual adjustments to work is done through schedule or unscheduled team meetings. Hallmarks of both personal and group modes are vertical (to upper management) and horizontal (to peers and teammates) types of communication. The paper goes on to describe the impact of task uncertainty, task interdependence, and work unit size on the types of coordination that is needed to achieve work outcomes.

Experience

I can relate to the idea of coordination presented in this article. I apply it to work situations all the time. I primarily use coordination by feedback in a group mode because much of my work life is spent in meetings. More than that, having this understanding allows me to take a more critical eye in evaluating how work and tasks must be coordinated to get the job done.

KEYWORDS: Coordination, Coordination by Programming, Impersonal Mode, Coordination by Feedback, Personal Mode, Group Mode, Task Uncertainty, Task Interdependence, Work Unit Size, Horizontal Communication, Vertical Communication