grid⋅lock
[grid-lok] 
| 1. | the stoppage of free vehicular movement in an urban area because key intersections are blocked by traffic. |
| 2. | the blocking of an intersection by vehicular traffic entering the intersection but unable to pass through it. |
| 3. | any situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction: a financial gridlock due to high interest rates. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| grid·lock (grĭd'lŏk') n.
|
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Gridlock
A government, business or institution's inability to function at a normal level due either to complex or conflicting procedures within the administrative framework or to impending change in the business.
Investopedia Commentary
In business as in traffic, little to nothing gets done when gridlock happens. This can be highly problematic and costly for a company or industry. For example, gridlock can occur if there is infighting within a company, with two groups competing to gain control of the company. This infighting can effectively create a situation in which business transactions cannot be completed until the problem is solved.
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See also: Agency Problem, Black Knight, Hostile Takeover, People Pill, Proxy Fight, Suicide Pill
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