What is the difference between coordination and cooperation in management?

Coordination is the orderly arrangement of group effort to provide unity of action toward common goals. It is a deliberate, conscious function performed by managers to synchronise the activities of different departments. Cooperation is the voluntary, willing effort of people to help one another; it is an attitude, not a managerial function. The key difference is that cooperation without coordination is incomplete. For example, if all workers willingly work hard (cooperation) but pull in different directions without proper timing and sequencing, the goal is still not achieved. Coordination integrates their efforts toward one direction. Coordination is called the essence of management because it runs through all functions: planning, organising, staffing, directing, and controlling all require coordination. Cooperation strengthens coordination but cannot replace it. A manager must deliberately coordinate, while cooperation is given willingly by employees.