Q. 2 What do you understand by co-ordination why is it considered as essence of management? Explain.

Coordination is the orderly arrangement of group effort to provide of action in pursuit of a common purpose, It is the orderly arrangement of effort by which a manager synchronizes the activities of different departments  individuals working in these departments towards the achievement of a common goal.

Coordination is required at all levels of management:

(i) The top level management has to take care that there is coordination between the organisation's goals and goals of different departments,

(ii) The middle-level management, i.e., the departmental managers have to   coordinate their departmental plans in order to relate them to the plans of other departments.

For example, the work of Production Department and the Sales  Department have to be coordinated because unless there is timely production of goods, the Sales Department cannot achieve its sales  targets.

(iii) At the lower-level management. Coordination between the workers and top  as well as the middle-level management is required.

In short, coordination is a function performed not only by the top  managers of the organisation, but by all the managers at various levels.