Relational coordination and performance1999

This paper develops the concept of relational coordination, defined as coordination carried out with mindfulness of one's relationship to the overall process and to other participants in that process. I develop the concept from interviews and observations in two airline sites, then test its robustness and its impact on performance using a survey of 315 frontline competence for organizations whose processes are highly complex and interdependent, carried out under conditions of uncertainty and time pressure. Relational coordination draws on the rich history of coordination theory but pulls it in a new direction to address a set of conditions that are of increasing relevance to managers.