What do inter and intra mean?

Inter means existing between, while intra means within or on the inside. Inter and intra are both prefixes, or words that are placed before a stem word to change the definition. For example, you probably recognize words like:

• Interstate
• Intramural
• Intersection
• International
• Intrapersonal
• Internet

How do inter and intra apply in business?

The concepts of inter and intra play a huge role in almost every aspect of a business. Some examples of how inter and intra can be applied in the workplace are:

Employee engagement

You can measure an employee’s engagement in two different ways:

• Intra-engagement:This is the measure of an employee’s engagement with their job. In other words, it’s how committed an employee is to working hard and performing well in their role.
• Inter-engagement:Inter-engagement refers to an employee’s relationship with other departments and how willing they are to collaborate and cooperate with their team members.

A person can be engaged with their specific role, but lack engagement with other departments and teams. Identifying and measuring an employee’s type of engagement can help you address issues in the workplace more effectively. For example, if a member of your staff is obviously invested in their work but their inter-engagement is suffering, you should examine how their role interacts with other divisions and departments rather than whether the job function is a good fit for them.

Departmental communications

In a company, there are interdepartmental and intradepartmental communications. Intradepartmental interactions are the communications that occur within a single department, while interdepartmental communications occur between personnel in different departments. In order for your company to function efficiently and effectively, it’s important that organizational processes are mapped out for employees that regularly need to communicate. Doing so can ensure that you are able to identify and address potential issues by building strong connections within and between departments.

Related:Making an Organizational Structure for a Business

Group conflict

When conflict arises in your company, it can take the form of intra-group conflict, meaning it happens between members of a single department or team, or inter-group conflict, meaning it takes place between two different departments or teams. Regardless of the type of group conflict, they are often rooted in things like:

• Goals:Workplace conflicts can be the result of a misunderstanding over specific goals or objectives. The best way to address this is to clarify the primary goal, outline strategies to reach the goal, assign clear tasks to teams and team members and develop deadlines.
• Different personalities:Groups and their members can experience conflicts as a result of differing personalities. Most of the time, these types of conflicts resolve themselves.
• Implementation styles:Sometimes workplace conflicts are the result of disagreements about the best strategy and execution for a project. By encouraging communication, training your staff in mediation and limiting sharing to only constructive criticism, you can often resolve these types of issues.

Related: Changing the Organizational Culture of Your Business

Frequently asked questions about inter vs. intra

What is an intercompany transfer?

An intercompany transfer is any transfer of indirect or direct ownership from a company to one of its subsidiaries.

What is the difference between intercompany and intracompany transactions?

Intercompany transactions are the buying or selling of assets between a company and one of its separate legal entities or subsidiaries. Intracompany transactions involve different subsidiaries within a single legal entity, such as a cost center, warehouse, manufacturing plant or profit center.

What is an example of intercompany operations?

If a parent company purchased 10 tools for $50 each and sold them to their subsidiary for $60, this would be considered an intercompany transaction.

What is an example of intracompany operations?

An example of an intracompany transaction is when a supplier sells a product to a retailer, both of which are subsidiaries of the same company.