An interview with N. Dean Meyer, author of Decentralization Dean, you just wrote a business book on the subject of decentralization. Decentralization isn't really a fad. It's been a popular belief for decades. It seems that just as one corporation struggles to recover from decentralization, another is giving it a try.
Most companies have some degree of decentralization.
In staff areas, the typical configuration is a corporate function plus lots of little splinter groups. Decentralization is quite common in line areas as well. But generally the number of fragments is limited to a few major divisions or business units. The pros and cons of decentralization apply to companies of all sizes. Size doesn't change the fundamental trade-offs.