Up or out

In a hierarchical organization, "up or out", also known as a tenure or partnership system, is the requirement that each member of the organization must achieve a certain rank within a certain period of time. If they fail to do so, they must leave the organization.

Private sector
"Up or out" is practiced throughout the industry in North America, most notably at the  accounting firms, which also practice this policy in other countries.

Up or out is commonly regarded as "a sign of the consulting industry's hard-nosed approach to doing business" with and  being the two consultancies most closely associated with the approach. According to Leslie Perlow, up or out is also employed at.

Among many other s, 's so-called "" historically expected s to achieve status within ten years of being hired or to leave the firm.

U.S. entrepreneur has argued that engineering in Silicon Valley is also "an 'up or out' profession: you either move up the ladder or face unemployment".

Military
In the, the 1980 mandates that officers passed over twice for promotion are required to be discharged from the military. It has been criticized as "arbitrary and bad management" that forces out "many fit, experienced officers...because there were only so many slots into which they could be promoted". Paul V. Kane, a veteran of  and a former fellow at 's, has argued that the "archaic 'up or out' military promotion system should be scrapped".

within the plays a similar role.

Diplomacy
The United States Foreign Service has used an up-or-out system since 1980. The, which is the professional organization for foreign service officers, has criticized this system, on the grounds that it penalizes otherwise dedicated officers who do not wish to enter Senior Foreign Service.

Academia
in the are usually subject to an up-or-out system. Newly hired professors, most often with the rank of, must impress their department with their accomplishments to be awarded tenure, usually but not always combined with promotion to associate professor. Those not awarded tenure within a fixed time may be terminated. This first promotion may be required for and further promotions are neither guaranteed nor necessary.

Discussion
Despite widespread use in certain industries, a 1988 textbook by noted that the system's effects on  have not been studied in depth.