ABSTRACT
Malone and Crowston (1990, 1994) proposed coordination theory as a framework for understanding and promoting smooth working in settings with multiple actors (and those in which a single actor may perform actions with complex interrelationships). They offer as models a winning basketball team and a smoothly functioning assembly line. They provide a broad definition of coordination, “the act of working together harmoniously,” and a narrower one, “managing dependencies between activities.” Coordination theory offers an understanding of the nature of various kinds of dependencies among activities and how they can be managed to avoid problems, such as unsatisfied prerequisites for important tasks.
