noun

mismanagement

mis-MAN-ij-muhnt/ˌmɪsˈmænɪdʒmənt/

Poor or incompetent handling of affairs, resources, or responsibilities.

The spoiled produce and disorganized deliveries reveal the supervisor's mismanagement.

Supervisor stands perplexed among spoiled produce and tangled delivery boxes left disorganized, wasted resources evident; no labels.

Etymology

misOld Englishbadly, wrongly

+manageEnglishto direct or handle

+mentEnglishact or process

Management meant the act of directing or handling something, and mis- marks that activity as badly done. The word thus names faulty handling of affairs or resources, rather than simply an unfortunate outcome.

In context

Legislative Assembly of Ontario39:04

STRUGGLING TO DELIVER PATIENT CARE BECAUSE OF YOUR WASTE AND MISMANAGEMENT.

2017-03-21 Question Period

More examples

The audit reveals years of mismanagement at the company.
Poor planning and mismanagement of staff cause long delays.
Residents blame water shortages on the city's mismanagement.

Forms

mismanagement

mismanage verb — Handle affairs, resources, or responsibilities poorly.

Similar words

maladministration: Specifically poor handling of official or administrative duties.
incompetence: Emphasizes lack of ability rather than poor management itself.