Definition
A constraint or requirement that compels a desired behavior or outcome by making alternatives impossible or impractical. It's institutional design that assumes people won't do the right thing unless you remove all other options.
Example Usage
Making code review mandatory before deployment serves as a forcing function for quality assurance.
Origin
Borrowed from physics and engineering in the 1990s, where it describes external forces acting on a system.
Fun Fact
Deadlines are the most common forcing function in business, which is why everything actually gets done in the last 20% of allotted time.
Source: Systems thinking and organizational design terminology
Related Terms
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See “forcing function” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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