Achieving productive synergy: Integrating departments into a company

Collaboration between departments and divisions is critical for companies to use their resources successfully. Many executives are experimenting with liaison officers, project teams, and matrix designs. However, groups must believe that their goals are cooperative to use these procedures. Common tasks, shared rewards, supportive attitudes, and shared values develop motivating cooperative goals for organizational units. Case studies illustrate how cooperative goals and coordination devices integrate departments into a company.The author thanks the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for its financial support.