Synergy is linked to the action of two or more causes that, together, produce an effect greater than that which would be obtained with the sum of the individual effects.
Synergy comes from a Greek word that means “cooperation.” The concept is used to name the action of two or more causes that generate an effect greater than that which would be achieved with the sum of the individual effects.
Synergy is usually considered to involve the integration of parts or systems that make up a new object . Therefore, the analysis of this new object differs from the analysis of each of the parts separately.
Combination of efforts and actions
Two elements that come together and generate synergies offer a result that maximizes the qualities of each of the elements . The concept, for this reason, is very popular in management , marketing and economics , since the advantages of associated work to achieve objectives are highlighted.
When the efforts of two or more companies are combined, each with a different specialty but which complement each other, they obtain much greater benefits than those possible through individual strategies. For example, websites that offer bulk purchase discounts rely on third-party products and services to attract their customers, and these companies' sales increase at a rate they could not achieve through traditional retail consumption.
Synergy implies a maximization of the particular or individual qualities of each element.
Ways to understand or value synergy
There are those who understand synergy as an appreciation of differences . The new result is obtained from an understanding between different elements, which can be transferred to society and human life in general.
It is possible to understand the notion from the functioning of everyday objects such as clocks (whose components separately could not indicate the time), letters (which, together, form words) or companies (whose members alone could not perform tasks productive on a large scale).
The synergistic effect
An interaction between medications or drugs that offers a different result than what is possible if they are supplied independently is known as a synergistic effect . One of the most common examples features vitamins E and C; Both produce an antioxidant effect if consumed separately, but the advantage of combining them is that they considerably reduce the susceptibility of low-density lipoproteins to oxidation, both in smokers and non-smokers.
It is worth mentioning that the effect of combining two drugs is not always much greater than that obtained from taking them separately; It is known as addition synergy when said difference is not considerable and empowerment synergy when it is. It is also possible to appreciate synergy when combining two antibiotic agents, if they generate a more important antimicrobial effect than the combination of their individual actions.
Advantages provided by synergy
The term synergy is usually used in various areas to refer to the advantages of joint efforts over individual ones. In this sense, it is commonly used to construct names of charitable organizations and popular initiatives to address various problems, such as lack of employment and discrimination.
The union of two or more people to fight for the same cause also produces a synergistic effect, given that the richness of variety offers results that are far from the possibilities of a single being. As there are no two identical individuals, it is very likely that the contributions of each member of a given group are unique, that they enhance the actions of the rest and show them new resources. The synergy seen in a case of this nature differs from the combination of two medications in that each part learns from the others and becomes more effective.
Sinergia , finally, is the name of a Chilean rock group created in 1992 and of an Argentine digital magazine founded by the writer and editor Sergio Gautvel Hartman .