Organizational Coordination Research Articles

Communication and coordination in the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes

The interaction between communication and coordination is central to mobilizing response operations, but the processes vary under critical time constraints, creating disparities in complex operations in practice. To explore conditions that facilitate or hinder the interaction between these processes, we identify networks of organizations engaged in communication and coordination that functioned in response to the 6 February 2023, Kahramanmaras earthquakes in Turkey. Framed in the theory of complex adaptive systems, this study focuses on decision-making among organizations that operated during this event and the flow of information within and among organizations that guided collective action. Using exploratory case-study methods, we undertook four tasks to: (1) characterize the context in which the earthquakes occurred—public awareness, policies, and practice to reduce seismic risk; (2) identify technical communication networks that functioned during the first 3 weeks of response operations; (3) identify organizational coordination networks and flow of information that guided technical networks, including principal nodes of connection and missing links in the process; and (4) identify gaps between knowledge and action as organizations struggled to operate in a disaster-degraded context. Study findings revealed limits in both technical and organizational networks and offer insights into how these sociotechnical networks could be scaled and strengthened to function more effectively in large-scale, extreme events.

Assessing impact risk to tropical marine ecosystems from human activities with a Southeast Asian example

Abstract Society relies on intact marine ecosystems for ecosystem services such as nutrition, livelihoods, health and well‐being. Yet, to obtain these benefits, we carry out activities, introducing pressures to ecosystems, damaging and degrading habitats and reducing their capacity to optimally provide ecosystem services. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are consequently being lost globally but impact chains from these activities are poorly understood, especially in tropical marine ecosystems. We identified for the first time impact chains linking activities with pressures they introduce in five tropical coastal and marine habitats, specifically through application in four Southeast Asian case study sites. Using expert elicitation based on existing evidence, we weighted each impact chain according to pressure extent, frequency and persistence, and habitat resistance and resilience. Assigning each impact chain an impact risk score allowed identification of activities and pressures introducing most risk, and habitats most under threat. Of 26 activities we considered, we found fishing activities, specifically trawling, gill nets and seine nets introduce most risk, along with tourism and recreation. Litter and pollution were among the greatest pressures on habitats, with coral reefs being most vulnerable overall. Destructive fishing practices were associated with physical pressures like abrasion, smothering and siltation and total habitat loss, while tourism activities were associated with organic enrichment, litter and pollution. The risk levels depended on the habitat and on local case study context. Synthesis and applications: A contextualised risk‐based approach can help to prioritise sustainability issues for management in data‐poor regions by making use of a range of knowledge types from local experts to broader scientific knowledge. A multisectoral, and ecosystem‐based risk assessment can help decision makers to consider trade‐offs in marine resource management and highlight priorities transparently, where coordination of multiple administrative organisations, sectors and local actors is required to meet multiple sustainability objectives. Physical pressures from fishing activities combined with pollution from tourism indicate effective management requires a multi‐use zoning approach that not only considers impacts at the site of activities but also integrates regional coordination to tackle dispersive pressures from pollution or sediment disturbance that occur at a distance from the source.

Team behaviour in interprofessional collaboration during trauma alerts: A critical incident study from the perspective of radiographers.

Challenges in mutual awareness in interprofessional collaboration (IPC) along with relational and cultural barriers among professionals disrupt flow and delay decision-making in trauma care. Thus, this study explores team behaviours within IPC in trauma teams during trauma alerts from the perspective of radiographers. A qualitative approach was used with a critical incident technique (CIT) design applying interviews with radiographers within three hospitals in Sweden from May 2022 to May 2023. CIT analysis was conducted with an abductive approach, applying an IPC core competency framework. The results present collaborative requirements in trauma care from radiographers' perspective narrating a distribution of team behaviours within trauma team collaboration and fundamental skills in IPC. Behaviours within interprofessional values and ethics were the most reported incidents related to valuing radiographers' contributions to IPC in acute trauma care. Exploring behaviour through critical incidents associated with core competencies of IPC highlights the importance of interprofessional values as a foundation for successful IPC in the trauma team. The results show deficiencies in inclusive behaviour, influenced by the hierarchical environment of IPC. Power imbalances in this setting are traced to differences in perceived value and shared understanding among team members, possibly rooted in professional identity and culture. A dedicated leader is argued, as the recognition of radiographers' scope of practice in trauma imaging, emphasising the significance of shared decision-making. The findings highlight organisational and relational coordination challenges for optimising competencies in IPC. IPC's success requires reinforcing values and ethics by empowering members' contributions and shared decision-making. This involves clarifying and recognising responsibilities, particularly for radiographers, ensuring their role in trauma imaging is respected and integrated into decision-making.

Preparedness for and collaboration during regional outbreaks with multidrug-resistant organisms

Abstract Background Outbreaks with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are a significant burden on the healthcare system and the wellbeing of affected patients and carriers. Cross-institutional MDRO outbreaks require a concerted multidisciplinary effort for effective outbreak management. This presents challenges regarding cooperation, coordination and communication between stakeholders. In this study, we investigate collaborative structures and coordination roles in Dutch outbreak response networks and how Dutch healthcare professionals engage in preparedness activities relating to MDRO outbreaks. These findings form the basis for the development of a stress test exercise for improving professional and organizational collaboration and coordination during MDRO outbreaks. Methods Using a mixed-methods design, an online survey and qualitative interviews are conducted among healthcare professionals in two healthcare regions in the Netherlands. Social network analysis is used to gain insight in collaborative structures and brokerage roles. To investigate preparedness activities, the survey is combined with qualitative interviews to explore respondents’ experiences, preferences and needs regarding preparedness activities for MDRO outbreak management. Results During the workshop we will show the cross-organizational network structures, the strengths and weakness of the mutual connections and provide insight in positions in networks, roles and responsibilities. Also, we provide insight in how the use of and experience with training and exercise activities, such as stress tests, contribute to preparedness for MDRO outbreaks in vulnerable patient populations. Conclusions This study shows how healthcare professionals from different organizations collaborate during MDRO outbreaks, and how they engage with preparedness activities. This provides valuable input for development of a stress test specific to MDRO outbreak management, and other interventions to improve outbreak preparedness.

Project management, process control and organizational coordination of construction projects: Basis for construction project performance framework

Project management, process control and organizational coordination of construction projects: Basis for construction project performance framework

Traditional clans and environmental governance: Evidence from China

This study combines genealogical data before 1990 and corporate pollution data in 2007 to empirically examine the impact of clan density on environmental governance. Our findings suggest that regions with strong clan power tend to suppress companies’ pollution. The use of historical wars as an instrumental variable strengthens our results. Preliminary analyses suggest that clans engage in environmental governance through organizational coordination and cultural education. Moreover, our study indicates that clans’ environmental governance effect can complement formal power in regions where it is lacking. Overall, as an informal organization, clans have a profound and important impact on environmental governance.

'More like a partnership': A qualitative evaluation of Communication Coaching for Sonographers (CCS) in obstetric ultrasound.

Sonographers are required to deliver unexpected news to expectant parents in real time during obstetric ultrasound scans. The complexity of these interactions requires sonographers to conduct the clinical task while communicating their findings and managing the expectant parent's response within the designated appointment time. Communication coaching for sonographers (CCS) is a tailored intervention that has previously been associated with improvements in confidence and news delivery practice. The current study explored the views and experiences of sonographers who completed CCS to evaluate and inform future delivery of this intervention. Nine sonographers participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews after completing CCS. We analysed data using a Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) approach. Participants reported CCS to be valuable and informative. The key themes identified included (1) innovating the path: tailored and novel training for sonographers, (2) humanising care: honouring the self, service-users and relevant others in the delivery of compassion-focused care and (3) making space: considerations for successfully delivering coaching. Participants said the coaching provided practical suggestions and was experienced as a 'safe space' for reflective practice that helped to enhance their capacity to identify and respond to emotion in others. There were practical challenges to taking part in CCS and organisational factors could act as a barrier; managerial championing of the intervention was crucial to uptake and completion. Participants viewed CCS positively. To implement CCS, there needs to be organisational coordination. Further controlled studies will be needed to establish the effectiveness of CCS.

Konsep Administrasi Pendidikan

This paper explains the concept of educational administration which is a support for achieving educational goals effectively and efficiently. Administration in education that is orderly and organized is needed to improve the ability to manage education for principals and teachers. The purpose of this paper is to explain the meaning, urgency, purpose, function, process and scope of educational administration. The research method used in this research uses the library research method, namely research based on processed manuscripts (manuscript studies), facts and primary and secondary data (supporting data) related to the focus of the research. The results of this study indicate that educational administration is essentially a tool to achieve optimal educational goals. Because the school is a sub-system of the national education system. The educational administration process includes the functions of organizational planning, coordination, communication, supervision, financing supervision, and evaluation. All these functions are very closely related to each other.

Research on the path of industrial revitalization to promote rural revitalization

Industrial revitalization is the premise, foundation and key to achieving the rural revitalization strategy. Industrial revitalization is the primary task and central issue of the rural revitalization strategy. The Chinese medicinal materials industry covers the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, with a long industrial chain, high added value and strong driving force, and plays an important role in promoting rural economic and social development. Bozhou City is rich in Chinese medicinal resources, has a good foundation for the Chinese medicinal materials industry and distinctive characteristics. It is a dominant and characteristic industry and a people-enriching industry in Bozhou City and even Anhui Province. This paper investigates the development status of the rural Chinese medicinal materials industry in three counties and one district in Bozhou City, analyzes the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and challenges of the Chinese medicinal materials industry in Bozhou City in promoting rural industrial revitalization. On this basis, a systematic and specific implementation path and guarantee system for the Chinese medicinal materials industry in Bozhou City to help rural industrial revitalization are designed, including top-level design, improving infrastructure construction, cultivating modern business organizations, integrating the development of Chinese medicinal materials industry, and strengthening the construction of various industrial chains of rural Chinese medicinal materials production, processing, warehousing and logistics, and brand marketing, etc., and building a guarantee system in four aspects: organizational coordination, financial support, talent training, and scientific and technological support.

Analysis of Green Intellectual Property Issues and Countermeasures from the Perspective of International Law

As an advanced form of productivity driven by green technological innovation, there exists a natural fit and close connection between new quality productivity and green intellectual property rights. Legal protection is the cornerstone of the development of new productivity, in which the comprehensive protection of intellectual property rights is particularly crucial: green intellectual property rights, as a key force to adhere to sustainable development and promote scientific and technological progress and economic growth, has a central role to play in incentivizing environmental protection as the core of independent innovation, thus becoming an indispensable institutional guarantee for the development of new productivity. This institutional guarantee ensures the legitimate rights and interests of innovation achievements, and is a powerful driving force and a long-term solution for the continuous progress of productive forces. At present, the field of intellectual property cooperation is encountering diversified challenges and problems: the unilateralization caused by some developed countries, the rigidity of international rules on intellectual property, the stagnation behind the digital age, and the imbalance in the distribution of existing international benefits of intellectual property, which should be paid close attention to. In order to effectively promote green technological innovation and escort the green intellectual property protection system to a stable and far-reaching future, countries and enterprises should face the current challenges rationally, correctly understand the differences and conflicts between green intellectual property rights and ordinary intellectual property rights, gain a deeper understanding of the existing relevant international law foundations, and promptly solve the green intellectual property rights issues, improve the relevant international conventions and treaties, strengthen the coordination and cooperation of international organizations, and establish a fair and reasonable green technology patent protection mechanism. fair and reasonable patent protection mechanism for green technology. Only when countries join hands to improve the green intellectual property protection mechanism, jointly combat transnational infringement and maintain a fair market competition environment can the legitimate rights and interests of innovators be safeguarded.

Investigating the Influence of Social Media on Youth Engagement in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance Protests in Nigeria

Social media has emerged as a significant platform for political, economic, and social dialogue worldwide, acting as a vehicle for self-expression and a means to hold political leaders accountable. In Nigeria, platforms such as Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and Instagram have played a crucial role in the organisation and mobilisation of protests. This study explores the impact of social media on youth participation in the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria. Using the public sphere theory, the research adopted a quantitative survey approach, collecting data from 300 respondents across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The results reveal that social media was instrumental in mobilising and engaging young people during the protests. Prominent themes discussed on social media included the high cost of living, reversal of the fuel subsidy removal, investigation of the fuel subsidy regime, reduction in electricity tariffs, high cost of governance, corruption, deficiencies in educational and healthcare systems, unemployment, insecurity, and widespread poverty. This study highlights social media's dual function as both a catalyst for mobilisation and a tool for organisational coordination. It is recommended that public training on the responsible use of social media be implemented to maximise its effectiveness in civic engagement.

Eastern Health, Box Hill Hospital and Maroondah Hospital. Melbourne, Australia.

Box Hill Hospital has approximately 750 stroke presentations per annum and in 2023, 99 patients received thrombolysis and 40 were transferred out for thrombectomy. Thrombolysis rates, for patients with ischaemic stroke that present within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, was at 37%, with a median door-to-needle (DNT) of 41 minutes, 86% of cases being treated under 60 minutes of arrival and our fastest DNT being 16 minutes. Meidan DIDO was 47 minutes with the fastest recorded 17 minutes. Reperfusion time metrics have improved significantly over the years with the biggest impact being from a direct to CT protocol, organisational coordination and the presence of an Acute Stroke Nurse (ASN) for patients receiving thrombolysis.

Using boundary objects and methodological island (BOMI) modeling in large-scale agile systems development

AbstractLarge-scale systems development commonly faces the challenge of managing relevant knowledge between different organizational groups, particularly in increasingly agile contexts. Here, there is a conflict between coordination and group autonomy, and it is challenging to determine what necessary coordination information must be shared by what teams or groups, and what can be left to local team management. We introduce a way to manage this complexity using a modeling framework based on two core concepts: methodological islands (i.e., groups using different development methods than the surrounding organization) and boundary objects (i.e., artifacts that create a common understanding across team borders). However, we found that companies often lack a systematic way of assessing coordination issues and the use of boundary objects between methodological islands. As part of an iterative design science study, we have addressed this gap by producing a modeling framework (BOMI: Boundary Objects and Methodological Islands) to better capture and analyze coordination and knowledge management in practice. This framework includes a metamodel, as well as a list of bad smells over this metamodel that can be leveraged to detect inter-team coordination issues. The framework also includes a methodology to suggest concrete modeling steps and broader guidelines to help apply the approach successfully in practice. We have developed Eclipse-based tool support for the BOMI method, allowing for both graphical and textual model creation, and including an implementation of views over BOMI instance models in order to manage model complexity. We have evaluated these artifacts iteratively together with five large-scale companies developing complex systems. In this work, we describe the BOMI framework and its iterative evaluation in several real cases, reporting on lessons learned and identifying future work. We have produced a matured and stable modeling framework which facilitates understanding and reflection over complex organizational configurations, communication, governance, and coordination of knowledge artifacts in large-scale agile system development.

Conflict or coordination? The cross-departmental interaction in local environmental governance of China

Organizational coordination has been regarded as a vital factor to determine the environmental governance efficiency of local authority, while existing empirical studies mainly discuss the vertical decentralization but largely ignore the horizontal cross-departmental interaction within single government. Based on the data of 31 Chinese provinces from 2003 to 2017, this paper uses a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) approach, two-way fixed-effect models and dynamic panel regression with system generalized method of moments estimation (SYS-GMM) to investigate the environmental strategic interaction between two representative departments (finance department and environmental protection department) within local governments. The results indicate, on the whole, their environmental governance strategies show a significantly co-directional coordination. However, the cross-departmental interaction obviously varied in different periods and regions (even showed as conflict sometimes), and was synchronized with the dynamic trade-off between economic and environmental targets of China. This research helps understand the inner logic of environmental governance of Chinese government, and can be valuable guidance for other countries to accomplish multi-departmental sustainable development goal.

Inter-departmental dyadic coordination in organizations with reference to human resource and operations management

PurposeWith today’s increasing globalization and associated growing demand for talented operations managers, human resources management (HRM) in operations management (OM) has emerged as a top priority for firms. However, a thorough analysis of HRM issues in operations domain has not been made so far. The study presents current status of interaction, collaboration and coordination between operations and HRM and importance of coordination that helps in improvising the outcomes of the organization.Design/methodology/approachOperations management consists of employees responsible for creating highest level of efficiency and productivity within the organization. The initial studies on HRM and OM put forward strong arguments that the coordination between the departments happens to be at a low level, whereas, strong effective interaction, collaboration and coordination is required between both the departments to positively bring forth the organizational outcomes. A study on sample of 257 with descriptive research design was conducted. Out of 257, the valid 228 responses were used for testing of model and analysis.FindingsThe findings of the study conclude that the operations department employees should be in constant touch with their human resource partner. The overall organizational performance and productivity improve and strengthen when there is good interdepartmental coordination between operations and HRM. Employee job satisfaction and work life balance remains appropriate when there is proper synchronization between the departments. The study recommends organizations should work upon better integrating the team such that there is strong synchronization, mutual understanding, harmony, proper communication and information flow between the HRM and OM.Originality/valueCoordinated efforts and working of both the teams helps in bringing out more productive results, thereby contributing positively to the overall success of the organization, employee satisfaction and better productivity.

Partial organization and economic coordination: The gradual re-organization of Finnish corporatism

Comparative political economy (CPE) scholarship has drawn various insights from organization theory throughout its existence. Organization theory has made more progress than CPE to explicate the organizational processes behind institutional change. In this paper, we draw on theory of partial organization to describe, interpret, and explain change in the coordination of one Coordinated Market Economy: Finland. We show that Finnish corporatism has become gradually re-organized during the last three decades. We argue that the structural and membership dynamics of partial organization explain some key patterns as well as the shape and timing of institutional change in the face of a changing constellation of economic interests. We argue that theory of partial organization complements the interest-based and institutional explanations of change in economic coordination.

Stakeholders’ perspectives on critical success factors for environmental social and governance (ESG) implementation

Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) has emerged as a sensitive issue, attracting the attention of a large audience that could not be ignored. Government bodies continue to pass regulations mandating organizations to comply with ESG principles. However, many organizations have had unsatisfactory results while promoting sustainability ideals due to various challenges. To achieve ESG goals, the present study offers a thorough framework for ESG implementation across organizations based on the critical success factor (CSF) theory and the opinions of diverse stakeholders. Following a literature review and brainstorming with ESG experts and academicians, a survey questionnaire was sent to 400 respondents to evaluate the 20 factors identified as ‘super-set’ CSFs for ESG implementation. This paper represents a novel attempt in ESG research as it conducts a survey supported by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The interactions between the significant CSFs were studied by employing total interpretative structural modeling (TISM) and fuzzy MICMAC approach. ESG implementation is found to be highly driven by firm characteristics, earnings quality, and environmental performance, which can be argued to be the fundamental determinants of ESG implementation. According to these findings, organizations' leadership should (1) focus on effectively structuring firms' attributes to swiftly operate the ESG implementation framework, (2) ensure consistent business earnings that signal improved future performance, and (3) continuously monitor and assess their environmental performance. These efforts should be supported by engaging with diverse stakeholder groups, each playing its respective role in ESG implementation. Consequently, ESG implementation across organizations is anticipated to accelerate with thoughtful organizational coordination, strategic planning, and compliance with authoritative policies. However, rather than solely focusing on creating ESG disclosure laws, policymakers should also focus on creating better ESG outcomes through effective ESG implementation. Therefore, this research offers valuable insights into improving ESG practices, which facilitates the adoption of mandatory ESG disclosure regulations.

Coordination and Disaster Response: A Humanitarian Organizational Network perspective in Uganda

This paper examined the relationship between humanitarian organizational network, coordination and disaster response in Uganda. Contextually, most research in the area of disaster management rotates around the entire disaster management process/stages. There is inadequate research that tends to study a single stage in the disaster management cycle especially the response stage. Additionally, there are limited studies that have been conducted in developing countries like Uganda, most studies have been and continue to be conducted in highly disaster-prepared, coordinated and developed states. The study used a cross-sectional survey design in which quantitative methods were applied. Findings indicate that coordination positively influenced disaster response. Based on the literature and findings, the study concludes that disaster response is dependent on coordination. The study recommends that responding organizations should establish clear communication channels, build trust and social capital, and ensure that there is learning and adaptation to complex disaster environments. This will lead to better coordination within the humanitarian organizational networks and in turn successful disaster response operations.

Institutional vulnerability to urban flood risk management: A case study of the 7·20 flooding disaster in Zhengzhou, China

AbstractThe ‘vulnerability’ approach highlights institutional factors as the primary drivers of flooding risk. However, the intricate connections between institutional vulnerability and urban flood disaster risk have not been extensively explored until now. This study aims to address this gap by examining the case of the 7·20 heavy rainfall disaster in Zhengzhou. Employing a hybrid analysis methodology that integrates text coding, fault tree analysis and analytic hierarchy process methods, the study seeks to identify and assess the distinct contributions of various institutional factors and their interplay, culminating in ineffective urban flood risk management. In contrast to previous research findings that emphasize the determinant role of policy‐making and organizational coordination, this study demonstrates that inadequate legislative compliance constitutes the root cause determining the ineffectiveness of urban flood risk management. It is further exacerbated by insufficient policy attention, resulting in inadequate allocation of resources that ensure the legislative quality, risk coping skills and knowledge and stakeholders' coordination and collaboration. By emphasizing the significance of legislative compliance and policy attention, the study offers a fresh conceptual perspective to understand the factors influencing the efficiency of urban flood risk management. It provides valuable insights to develop targeted countermeasures for mitigating similar urban flood risks in the future.

Navigating ADA Compliance

Problem, research strategy, and findings The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, set requirements that public agencies in the United States, which receive federal funds, must remove physical barriers in the public right-of-way that might prevent someone with a disability from accessing goods and services. ADA’s impact on transportation extends from equitable access in public transportation to meeting compliance requirements for curb ramps at intersections. Researchers argue that public agencies are still falling behind in ADA implementation due to scarce funding, inadequate asset inventory development, and limited transition/compliance plans. We asked: What can organizations and practitioners do to improve ADA implementation for infrastructure design and supply? We relied on an online survey (n = 206) and semistructured interviews (n = 36) with transportation practitioners across the United States. The findings revealed that ADA implementation has been thwarted due to three primary themes that make meeting ADA implementation in transportation challenging: 1) political priorities and organizational coordination that limit ADA in practice; 2) limited guidance, resources, and capacity; and 3) challenges with retrofits, new construction, and maintenance. Takeaways for practice Our work suggests that organizations and practitioners wish to expand ADA implementation, but to achieve this, additional monetary resources and employee training are needed. Requiring ADA asset inventories and compliance plans, along with developing a framework to improve accessibility from project conception to postdelivery, could incentivize widespread ADA implementation.