Decline is a change over time from previously efficient to inefficient organizational functioning, from previously rational to non-rational organizational and individual decision-making, from previously law-abiding to law violating organizational and individual behavior, from previously virtuous to iniquitous individual moral behavior. Note: The word decline should not be confused with the word obsolete. Decline refers to the degenerating of something whereas obsolete refers to the outdating of something or that it is no longer in use

Social decline or moral decline is typically characterised as reduced adherence to cultural or social norms or values and widespread lapses in ethical behavior.

Entities and organizations may enter a state of decline if they fail to respond effectively to changes, which may be the result of:

• inability to recognize change in the organizational environment
• insufficient resources to respond to change in the organizational environment
• refusal to respond to change in the organizational environment because organizational leaders benefit from organizational decline

See also

• Decline of the Roman Empire
• Social disintegration
• Societal collapse
• Declension (grammatical change)

References

• Albert O. Hirschman. 1970. Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-27660-4 (paper).