Bureaucratic Inertia definition

Bureaucratic inertia refers to a position in which the bureaucratic principles and operations of an institution become so complex and time-consuming that they prevent the efficient operation of the company’s core activities. In other words, bureaucratic organisations perpetuate themselves and their focus turns to abiding by established protocol rather than core activities and goals.

The endpoint of bureaucratic inertia is a point where the organisation expands separately from its core growth areas. For example, a law firm may open new offices in existing areas for the purpose of ‘growth’ without considering whether there’s demand for their core services in that area.