Week 8 Post

What are some of the possible barriers to internal collaboration in organizations? (Tags = blogpostwk8, blogpostwk8n1)

There are several possible barriers to internal collaboration within the structure of an organization. One of the first, is the general structure of an organization. Some organizations can be very fluid, with resources and personnel being moved around easily to meet the needs of a project, but most organizations tend to be more rigid. Organizations tend to be more compartmentalized, however. Resources tend to be limited to control under specific section heads and managers. The result is that attempts at cross-departmental internal collaboration require a lot of scheduling and agreements among managers. Communication is extremely important in this respect, but also somewhat difficult due to the requirements for organization.

Personal issues are also always a major barrier to internal collaboration as well. Though we ideally hope to have our personnel act in the most professional behavior at all times, sometimes reality sets in and it simply isn't possible. Personal issues and professional rivalries can and sometimes do get in the way of work.

Differing skill levels in various talents, most notably in regards to technology is also a major barrier to internal collaboration as well. The use of tools such as twitter, wikis, and sharepoints can prove to be great ways to share information and expertise. However, ut it can also be very challenging if staff members are not all equally capable in the use of technology, as it is the basic platform for most if not all forms of internal collaboration in the present age.