The Six Sigma Handbook, Revised and Expanded, 2nd Edition

15.7. PROJECT MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION

15.7.1. Management support and organizational roadblocks

15.7.1.1. INTERNALROADBLOCKS

Most organizations still have a hierarchical, command-and-control organizational structure, sometimes called "smoke stacks" or "silos." The functional specialists in charge of each smoke stack tend to focus on optimizing their own functional area, often to the detriment of the organization as a whole. In addition, the hierarchy gives these managers a monopoly on the authority to act on matters related to their functional specialty. The combined effect is both a desire to resist change and the authority to resist change, which often creates insurmountable roadblocks to quality improvement projects.

It is important to ...