Departmentalism

/dɪˈpɑrtmɛntəlɪzəm/ noun

Definition

The practice, principle, or problem of dividing organizations excessively into separate departments, often at the cost of unified operation.

Etymology

From department + -al + -ism (noun suffix denoting a system, practice, or doctrine). A critical term describing departmental fragmentation as a systemic problem.

Kelly Says

Departmentalism is the disease that comes from departmentalization—it describes the moment when dividing an organization becomes *too* effective at creating separate fiefdoms that refuse to cooperate, making bureaucracies notoriously slow to innovate.

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