Management Basics
Criticism of Scientific Management
April 3, 2025
Co-ordination is an orderly arrangement of efforts to provide unity of action in the fulfillment of common objective whereas co-operation denotes collective efforts of persons working in an enterprise voluntarily for the achievement of a particular purpose. It is the willingness of individuals to help each other.
Co-ordination is an effort to integrate effectively energies of different groups whereas co-operation is sort to achieve general objectives of business.
Though these two are synonymous but they are different as below:
Differences between Co-ordination and Co-operation
| Basis | Co-ordination | Co-operation |
| Meaning | It is an orderly arrangement of group efforts in pursuit of common goals. | It means mutual help willingly. |
| Scope | It is broader than co-operation which includes as well because it harmonizes the group efforts. | It is termed as a part of co-ordination. |
| Process | The function of co-ordination is performed by top management. | The functions of co-operation are prepared by persons at any level. |
| Requirements | Co-ordination is required by employees and departments at work irrespective of their work. | Co-operation is emotional in nature because it depends on the willingness of people working together. |
| Relationship | It establishes formal and informal relationships. | It establishes informal relationship. |
| Freedom | It is planned and entrusted by the central authority it is essential. | It depends upon the sweet will of the individuals and therefore it is not necessary. |
| Support | It seeks wholehearted support from various people working at various levels. | Co-operation without co-ordination is fruitless therefore it may lead to unbalanced developments. |
Therefore, existence of co-operation may prove to be effective condition or requisite for co-ordination. But it does not mean that co-ordination originates automatically from the voluntary efforts of the group of members. It has to be achieved through conscious deliberate efforts of managers, therefore to conclude we can say that co-operation without co-ordination has no fruit and co-ordination without co-operation has no root.