verb
- dividing a region or organization into smaller, often hostile or competing units; fragmenting into separate groups
Usage: present participle of balkanise (British spelling); also balkanizing (U.S. spelling); often used in political or geopolitical contexts; derived from the historical fragmentation of the Balkans region
Examples
- The breakup of the empire resulted in balkanising the region into dozens of small nations.
- Critics warned that the new policy was balkanising the company into competing departments.
- The political tensions were balkanising the country along ethnic lines.
- Economists feared that protectionist measures would be balkanising the global market.
- The organization's leadership was accused of balkanising the workforce by creating isolated teams.