A former Google manager says the tech giant is rife with fiefdoms

I’d say this is the case in all large organizations — and only natural.

You bring in people to shape a certain area and equip them with resources. Their incentives are towards this one focus area (+ personal career goals). It is easier and more comfortable to work in a silo. People tend to form groups with insiders and outsiders. All of this (and probably some more) creates a drive for fiefdoms.

There’s only a few leaders who are capable of breaking the fiefdom cycle at the very top. And it takes continuous work to maintain that spirit.

Unfortunately, I believe this is a common problem across most, if not all, tech giants.