The business world has so far presented many challenges to several organizations and the 21st century is promising not to be an exceptional. Mergers and acquisition has been one of the strategies employed by organizations in order to survive in the competitive global world. Though challenging and complex, organization integration has been another strategy employed by organizations. Organizational integration is the tendency of organizations to breakdown units within an organization to ensure that they pursue uniform objectives and interact effectively with each other.
However, organizational integration is normally hard to achieve because of some functional territories which are resistant to change. These territories act as barriers to the flow of information within the supply chain. Conflicts between various units within an organizational may also hinder integration (Kerber, Buono, 2004). For instance, the production department has an obligation to cut down on the costs by ensuring that there are no deficits or surplus within the supply chain. On the other hand, the sales department aims at responding to the demands of customers which are unpredictable.
Communication breakdown which arise from too much bureaucracy also create barriers to organizational integration. The vertical bureaucratic procedures do complicate the decision making process which is necessary for integration. The other problem associated with integration is the complex analysis of the competitive advantage versus the cost of implementing the integration. Lack of effective leadership through the integration process is also barrier. Leadership is essential in that it sets out patterns on how the integration process is to be achieved.
Absence of clear operating structures within organizations hinders the integration process. Many organizations do have passive communication plans which are normally inform of newsletters and circulars. This is another barrier to the integration process. To facilitate the integration process, the top management should engage staff of the lower cadre in a one to one session which will give a sense of direction through the integration process (Chapman, n.d.). Lac of effective team work also acts as barrier to effective organizational integration. Through teamwork the functional barriers can be broken.
Alternatives
Competitive advantage within organizations can be achieved using other strategies, other than organizational intregration. First, developing proper organizational capability ensures that the vision and mission of an organization are achieved.
Automation of operation within organization has been a strategy to have an edge over the competitors. However, this has not worked well since they technique is always subject to imitation. It is recommended that organizations should invest in process innovation which will ensure that new patterns which respond easily to change are adopted. Establishing solid foundation is also a strategy to having a competitive advantage. Though the costs associated with internal service processes should be minimal, they should be customized to suit the needs of customers (Chapman, n.d.). For instance, companies like Orange U.K which is one of the best performing companies have infested much on customer care and this has enabled it to be a dominant service provider despite having a volatile market. The organization image is also important. Organizations should cultivate a good image to their customers. For instance, if an organization claims to be approachable this should be evident in service delivery. Organizations should also utilize the public relation department. For instance, organizations should organize seminars for both existing and potential customers. Product differentiation is also a strategy to have a competitive advantage in that, through re-branding consumers assume that there is a new product in the market which they should try out.
However, organizational integration is normally hard to achieve because of some functional territories which are resistant to change. These territories act as barriers to the flow of information within the supply chain. Conflicts between various units within an organizational may also hinder integration (Kerber, Buono, 2004). For instance, the production department has an obligation to cut down on the costs by ensuring that there are no deficits or surplus within the supply chain. On the other hand, the sales department aims at responding to the demands of customers which are unpredictable.
Communication breakdown which arise from too much bureaucracy also create barriers to organizational integration. The vertical bureaucratic procedures do complicate the decision making process which is necessary for integration. The other problem associated with integration is the complex analysis of the competitive advantage versus the cost of implementing the integration. Lack of effective leadership through the integration process is also barrier. Leadership is essential in that it sets out patterns on how the integration process is to be achieved.
Absence of clear operating structures within organizations hinders the integration process. Many organizations do have passive communication plans which are normally inform of newsletters and circulars. This is another barrier to the integration process. To facilitate the integration process, the top management should engage staff of the lower cadre in a one to one session which will give a sense of direction through the integration process (Chapman, n.d.). Lac of effective team work also acts as barrier to effective organizational integration. Through teamwork the functional barriers can be broken.
Alternatives
Competitive advantage within organizations can be achieved using other strategies, other than organizational intregration. First, developing proper organizational capability ensures that the vision and mission of an organization are achieved.
Automation of operation within organization has been a strategy to have an edge over the competitors. However, this has not worked well since they technique is always subject to imitation. It is recommended that organizations should invest in process innovation which will ensure that new patterns which respond easily to change are adopted. Establishing solid foundation is also a strategy to having a competitive advantage. Though the costs associated with internal service processes should be minimal, they should be customized to suit the needs of customers (Chapman, n.d.). For instance, companies like Orange U.K which is one of the best performing companies have infested much on customer care and this has enabled it to be a dominant service provider despite having a volatile market. The organization image is also important. Organizations should cultivate a good image to their customers. For instance, if an organization claims to be approachable this should be evident in service delivery. Organizations should also utilize the public relation department. For instance, organizations should organize seminars for both existing and potential customers. Product differentiation is also a strategy to have a competitive advantage in that, through re-branding consumers assume that there is a new product in the market which they should try out.
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