centraliseerd

Centraliseerd is the Dutch term for the state or process of centralization, referring to the concentration of authority, decision‑making, or resources in a single, often higher, level of an organization or system. It is the opposite of decentralized or distributed structures and is applied in a variety of contexts, including government, economics, and technology.

In public administration, centralization typically involves the transfer of powers from local or regional authorities to a central government body. Classic examples include the consolidation of administrative functions in the early 19th‑century French Napoleonic reforms or the post‑World War II re‑centralization of many European states to streamline governance and rebuild economies. Critics argue that excessive centralization can reduce local responsiveness and increase bureaucracy, while proponents point to the efficiencies and uniformity it can provide, especially in crisis management.

Within the private sector, centralization often appears in corporate governance when a parent company consolidates subsidiaries under a single board or when executive functions are unified. The trend toward central corporate service areas (e.g., finance, human resources) can reduce duplication but may also limit local innovation.

In information technology, centralization describes architectures that rely on a single server or data center to host applications and store data. Centralized systems can simplify maintenance and security but may become points of failure if not designed with redundancy. Decentralized alternatives, such as distributed ledger technologies, aim to mitigate these risks by spreading data across multiple nodes.

Overall, centralisatie is a strategic choice that balances the benefits of coordination and standardization against the risks of reduced flexibility and increased complexity. The decision to centralize or decentralize depends on the specific goals, resources, and context of the organization or system in question.