Final answer:
Management writers often use the term 'sprinklers' to describe an organization in which autonomous business units operate with their own agendas and minimal horizontal interdependence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Management writers often use the term sprinklers to describe an organization in which autonomous business units operate with their own agendas and a minimum of horizontal interdependence.
When an organization is described as a 'sprinkler,' it means that the business units operate independently, similar to how water sprinklers work independently in different areas of a garden.
This term indicates that each business unit operates with its own goals and strategies, with minimal coordination or interdependence with other units within the organization.