Chapter 14: The Commonality of Perceptual Error in the Evaluation of Interunit Task Interdependence: Implications for Dysfunctional Coordination

Research on coordination among interdependent organizational units or departments represents an area with important implications for managers in large, complex organizations. In general, research on interdepartmental coordination (i.e., integration) has been largely fragmentary, crossing several paradigms in organizational theory (Denison, Hart, & Kahn, 1996; Sherman & Keller, 2011). One of the central problems in this research literature has been a failure to understand why there is commonly a suboptimal fit between levels of interdepartmental task interdependence and the modes of integration utilized. Typically these modes of integration include: standard operating procedures, programmed decisions, integrated databases, the organizational hierarchy itself, managerial direct contact (e-mail, phone, meetings), liaison positions, temporary cross-functional teams and matrix structure. Surveys of managers indicate that high proportions believe that they are implementing the optimal modes when observations show that what is implemented deviates from theoretical predictions (Sherman & Keller, 2011). The net result is reduced coordination performance.