Decline 1871471 216222362 2008-05-31T17:42:08Z 69.140.152.55 This article does not include the meaning of "decline" as a verb. Adding {{wiktionary}} link. {{template:wiktionary}} '''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. '''Social decline''' or '''moral decline''' is typically characterised as reduced adherence to [[culture|cultural]] or [[norm (sociology)|social norms]] or [[Value (personal and cultural)|value]]s and widespread lapses in [[ethics|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). [[Category:Organizational studies and human resource management]]