Had the original company stayed in contact, or it was common practice to stay in contact wether it's a hire or no hire, the hiring companies wouldn't have to deal with the extra competition created by no contact.
I would say no - it's not part of the "process". Every company swears they are against ghosting (and are "shocked" when it gets publicly exposed), but they all keep doing it anyway. It's a reflection of the cynical, emotionally immature nature of this industry.
Or any of the other tokens of gratuitous unpleasantness, carelessness and plain one-sided-ness that these companies routinely rub in our faces, as if we're desperate to work for them.
It just depends how much FY money you're sitting on at the moment. Like anything else in this industry.
Milliennials now being in positions of power are 100% to blame for this. They see no difference between the conversation with a job candidate and that of the girl you fucked last week.