Resource Allocation is apparently a very difficult thing. Let's say a company has a person with expertise in subject A who wants to continue to work in subject A, and they have enough work for several people in subject A. But for some reason [read: quarteritis, where you have to meet targets for "time sold" on each person], they decide to send that person to learn subject Z and then decide they need to hire a new person for A b/c there's so much work in subject A. Hello? Leave the expert in subject A and go hire someone for the Z. Everyone will be much more happy.

On the other hand, oh paranoid conspiracy theorists, this is a nice ploy to use to force someone out of the company.