What is the term for when departments pursue success at the expense of others?

The term for when departments pursue success at the expense of others is suboptimizing. This occurs in organizational settings when individual departments or teams focus solely on their own goals and objectives, often neglecting the broader goals of the organization as a whole. When departments suboptimize, they may engage in behaviors that lead to short-term gains for themselves but, in the long run, harm overall organizational performance.

In many cases, suboptimizing illustrates a lack of cooperation and alignment among departments, which can result in inefficiencies and conflicts. For example, one department might prioritize cost-cutting measures that negatively impact another department's ability to operate effectively. This behavior can create a silo mentality, ultimately hindering the organization's ability to work toward shared goals and diminish overall effectiveness.

The other terms do not accurately capture this scenario. Collaboration refers to working together toward common goals, synergy describes the positive outcome that arises when combined efforts result in a greater effect than individual actions alone, and consolidation typically involves combining resources or entities rather than creating conflict among them.