Creating the collaborative organisation: the promise of relationship management

Collaboration within an organisation can be said to be subject to the effective management of relationships. This study focuses on one such relationship, that between the business and IT sides of an organisation, which need to communicate and coordinate their activities for the successful development of working systems. The management of this key organisational relationship has been given increased attention with the set-up of 'Relationship Management' programmes, envisioned to mediate and improve organisational relations, strategy and performance, by bridging activities between the business and IT. To investigate the potential efficacy of such an initiative, this study looks at Relationship Management within a major UK bank, with the aid of a communication framework. Interviews with 29 individuals from the mid-high management level of the retail business and IT departments revealed mixed perceptions of the efficacy of such a programme. The merits of such an initiative in creating a one-team culture within this organisation are debated against the backdrop of the underlying problems that this particular organisation faces.