top‑down decision making
/ˈtɒp daʊn dɪˈsɪʒən ˈmeɪkɪŋ/ · top·down·de·ci·sion·mak·ing
noun
- A hierarchical approach to decision making in which authority resides at the upper levels of an organization and choices are passed down to lower levels. The company's top‑down decision making meant that the new policy was implemented without consulting frontline staff.
adjective
- Describing a process or system that follows a top‑down decision‑making model. Their top‑down decision‑making style left little room for employee input.
Synonyms
centralized decision makinghierarchical decision makingauthoritative decision makingtop‑down approachdirective decision makingcommand‑driven decision makingtop‑down managementtop‑down control
Antonyms
Did you know? The phrase "top‑down decision making" surged in popularity during the 1970s as corporations adopted more formalized hierarchical structures, and it later crossed into computer science to describe top‑down algorithm design.