empire-building

empire-building (uncountable)

1. The practice of obtaining more power, responsibility or staff within an organisation for the purpose of self-aggrandisement.
   • 1960 March, “A transport manager's view of B.R. freight services”, in Trains Illustrated, page 179:

     This increase has not been caused by empire-building on the part of transport managers, who have to convince such hard-headed men as accountants and boards of directors of their arguments.

• “empire-building”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.