What they're really doing is taking their divisions and shrinking their number in a de facto way.

One of the rationales is that if you can have a number of divisions then occasionally one of them can miss a beat and the company as a whole can still grow strongly.

How much of this is post facto rationalization?

We have entered a new phase. We have been forced out of obscurity because the number of grants is shrinking. There is more competition.

Surprisingly, Utah is the second highest in the nation in the number of eighth-graders taking algebra, but we are still low in achievement. Our state math core only goes through linear equations.

[Taking the argument one step further, Sharper said Favre sounded suspiciously like he was a de facto member of the Packers' front office.] You're siding with management, ... It makes me wonder, 'Who's in your ear? Who's standing behind you telling you what to say?'