Crossing functions above the cross-functional project team: The value of lateral coordination among functional department heads

Lateral coordination among department heads is an overlooked aspect of project management research. Our research addresses this issue by examining the effects of the amount and quality of coordination among department heads on 60 cross-functional project teams. The results of this study reveal some interesting findings. First, better quality of coordination among department heads is associated with lower boundary conflict between the cross-functional project team and department heads and also improved project efficiency. Our results also suggest that early definition of project goals is positively associated with better quality of coordination among department heads. Implications and future research are discussed.