Relational Coordination
Guidelines for Theory, Measurement and Analysis
Chapter 2: The Theory of Relational Coordination (continued)
Organizational Practices that Support Relational Coordination
As theorized in Gittell's "Organizing Work to Support Relational Coordination," organizational practices are expected to influence the level of relational coordination observed among participants in a work process. These practices include coordinating mechanisms that govern the flow of information in organizations, both programmed (information systems and standardized routines) and non-programmed (boundary spanners and team meetings). The effects of these coordinating mechanisms on relational coordination are explored in Gittell's "Coordinating Mechanisms in Care Providers Groups" and in Gittell and Weiss' "Coordination Networks Within and Between Organizations." xxv These coordinating mechanisms strengthen relational coordination and thereby improve quality and efficiency performance.
Relational coordination is also influenced by the design of human resource practices. "Organizing Work to Support Relational Coordination" also explores how human resource practices can support or undermine relational coordination, depending on how they are designed. Some traditionally designed human resource practices tend to divide workers in different functions, and fail to support the development of relational coordination between them. Human resource practices can however be designed in such a way as to foster cross-functional relationships, thus supporting the development of relational coordination, and leading to improved performance outcomes. Thus far, the expected effects of supervision, performance measurement, conflict resolution, job design, and hiring practices have been explored in a number of publications including: "Paradox of Coordination and Control", "Supervisory Span, Relational Coordination and the Flight Departure Process", "A Relational Approach to Job Design and the Coordination of Work", and in The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance. xxvi
"A Theory of Relational Coordination" explores how these different theoretical approaches to the design of coordinating mechanisms and human resource practices contrast with traditional organizational theories, and calls for a new approach to organization design. "A Relational Model of How High Performance Work Systems Work" argues further that these organizational practices can be combined to form a high performance work system that differs from a traditional high performance work system by its focus on fostering relational coordination among participants. In contrast to high performance work systems that foster the development of individual knowledge and skills, or individual motivation and commitment, this new type of high performance work system fosters the development of relational coordination, leading to improved quality and efficiency performance for the organization. It is theorized specifically that the effects of high performance work systems on performance outcomes are mediated through their effects on relational coordination, as shown below in EXHIBIT 8. The emergence of these unique high performance work systems and their variation across organizations in the healthcare industry is documented in great detail in High Performance Healthcare: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve Quality, Efficiency and Resilience. xxvii
EXHIBIT 8: A Relational Model of How High Performance Work Systems Work
Contingent Effects of Relational Coordination
Relational coordination is a communication and relationship-intensive form of coordination that is expected to be particularly important for achieving high performance under high levels of task interdependence, uncertainty, and time constraints. Under these conditions, effective coordination is expected to be particularly dependent on the quality of communication and relationships that exist among participants. The following sections explain the theory behind these contingency arguments.
Task interdependence. Given that coordination is the management of task interdependence, as argued by coordination scholars Thomas Malone and Kevin Crowston, coordination is only relevant for work processes that are characterized by task interdependence. But there are different types of task interdependence. According to Thompson's classic typology, task interdependence can be pooled, sequential or reciprocal. See below in Exhibit 9 for an illustration of all three types of task interdependence. Pooled interdependence exists between tasks that are dependent on a common pool of resources, or between tasks that produce intermediate outputs that must then be "pooled together" to achieve the desired output. Sequential interdependence exists between any two tasks where one depends on completion of the previous one in order to be completed. Reciprocal interdependence exists between any two tasks where each depends on completion of the other in order to be completed. Reciprocal interdependence is considered to be the most challenging of these three forms, from a coordination standpoint. According to Thompson's theory reciprocal interdependence is the only type of interdependence that requires "mutual adjustment" in order to be effectively managed. xxviii
Relational coordination is a form of coordination that enables workers to "mutually adjust" in the sense intended by Thompson, enabling them to coordinate their work 'on the fly'. Relational coordination is therefore expected to have a greater impact on the performance of work processes that have reciprocal task interdependencies, relative to those that have only pooled or sequential task interdependencies.
EXHIBIT 9: Three Types of Task Interdependence
Uncertainty. According to information processing theories of organization design as developed by scholars such as Jay Galbraith, Linda Argote and others, any form of uncertainty increases information-processing requirements, which increases the need for information processing capacity. Coordinating mechanisms have differing levels of information processing capacity. Programmed mechanisms such as protocols, routines and information systems have lower levels of information processing capacity and thus are expected to be less useful under conditions of uncertainty. Non-programmed or feedback mechanisms have higher levels of information processing capacity and thus are expected to be more useful under conditions of uncertainty. The communication and relationship ties that comprise relational coordination generate a high level of information processing capability through relationship and communication connections among workers. Relational coordination is therefore expected to have a greater impact on the performance of work processes that are characterized by high levels of uncertainty, than for those that are characterized by low levels of uncertainty. xxix
Time constraints. Time constraints exacerbate the effects of both task interdependence and uncertainty, leaving little slack in the system and placing a premium on responsiveness as illustrated by Paul Adler in the automobile industry. xxx Relational coordination is therefore expected to have a greater impact on the performance of work processes that are characterized by high levels of time constraints, relative to those with few time constraints.
Implications. Investments in relational coordination should therefore yield greater returns, the greater the levels of reciprocal task interdependence, uncertainty and time constraints in the target work process. This argument does not imply that relational coordination will not improve performance of work processes that have other forms of task interdependence, low levels of uncertainty or relatively weak time constraints, but rather that, other things equal, these performance effects will be smaller.