Challenges in Achieving Integration in Organization
Subject: Discuss the main problems an organisation can encounter in achieving integration. Are there successful alternatives to integration? Use examples from your own company or one you know well.
I see the term organization is another word of integration, which means integration is most important criteria of an organization. Integrate means “to bring people together harmoniously into a single community”(Oxford, 2007. p357). Various Management gurus have realized and expressed the importance of integration in an organization in different ways as this is most challenging culture in an organization. Like according to Lawrence and Lorch [23, p.1], integration is defined as “the quality or state of collaborations that exists among departments that are required to achieve unity of effort by the demands of the environment”.
J. Child (pg 79, reference 1) describes as “Integration signifies coordination, cohesion and synergy between different roles or units in an organization whose activities are different but interdependent in the process of creating value”.
Recent studies in the context of the supply chain management, however, have proposed a broader concept of integration that includes not only integration of buyers, but also integration of suppliers in the chain (ref. 3). Integration is the collaboration and linkages between and across organizational functions as well as organizational partners, including customers and suppliers. Internal integration refers to the cross-functional team orientation reflecting the linkages within organizational functions and teams, also known as horizontal linkages.
Problems in achieving Integration in Organization
Lack of integration is one of the charges most frequently leveled against organizations. As J. Child had mentioned in page 81 “The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing”, is an often-heard complaint of clients and customers. It is relatively easy to state the need for adequate integration, but it is not
I see the term organization is another word of integration, which means integration is most important criteria of an organization. Integrate means “to bring people together harmoniously into a single community”(Oxford, 2007. p357). Various Management gurus have realized and expressed the importance of integration in an organization in different ways as this is most challenging culture in an organization. Like according to Lawrence and Lorch [23, p.1], integration is defined as “the quality or state of collaborations that exists among departments that are required to achieve unity of effort by the demands of the environment”.
J. Child (pg 79, reference 1) describes as “Integration signifies coordination, cohesion and synergy between different roles or units in an organization whose activities are different but interdependent in the process of creating value”.
Recent studies in the context of the supply chain management, however, have proposed a broader concept of integration that includes not only integration of buyers, but also integration of suppliers in the chain (ref. 3). Integration is the collaboration and linkages between and across organizational functions as well as organizational partners, including customers and suppliers. Internal integration refers to the cross-functional team orientation reflecting the linkages within organizational functions and teams, also known as horizontal linkages.
Problems in achieving Integration in Organization
Lack of integration is one of the charges most frequently leveled against organizations. As J. Child had mentioned in page 81 “The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing”, is an often-heard complaint of clients and customers. It is relatively easy to state the need for adequate integration, but it is not
References: 1 . “Organization Contemporary Principles and Practice” by John Child 2. “Management Integration” by Lawrence and Lorch 3. “The Relationship between Organizational Structure and Integration” by Rafael Teixeira, Xenophon Koufteros, Xiaosong Peng, Roger Schroeder.