Managed decline
Managed decline is a phrase used to describe the careful handling of a situation where something is slowly coming to an end. The goal is to reduce costs, damage, or harm during this final phase.
The idea first came from the business world. It was used when companies or industries were going out of business. Now, the phrase is also used in other areas of life.
Governments and businesses can manage decline in many ways. For example, they might offer job training programs to help workers learn new skills.
Examples
Some real-life examples of managed decline include:
- The closing down of the textile, shipbuilding, coal mining, and steel industries in North America and Europe during the 1980s.[1][2]
- The slow drop in postal service use in Europe and the United States in the early 2000s.[3]
- The fall in the number of people going to traditional churches in Western Europe since the 1970s.[4]
- Helping people maintain their quality of life in old age or during terminal illness.
Use in politics
The term "managed decline" has also been used in politics. Some people have used it to describe the United Kingdom’s economy after the year 2000.
In 1981, after riots in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, British politician Geoffrey Howe gave private advice to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.[5][6] He said the government should not invest in Liverpool, and instead let the city go through a managed decline. These documents stayed secret until they were made public in 2011, 30 years later.
Related pages
References
- ↑ Coen, David; Grant, Wyn; Wilson, Graham, eds. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of Business and Government. Oxford University Press. p. 332. ISBN 978-0199214273.
- ↑ Zan, Luca; Zambon, Stefano; Pettigrew, Andrew M., eds. (1993). Perspectives on Strategic Change. Springer. pp. x. ISBN 978-0792393269.
- ↑ Independent Review of the UK Postal Services Sector: 7529. HM Stationery Office. 2008. pp. 59-60. ISBN 978-0101752923.
- ↑ Martin, David (2005). On Secularization: Towards a Revised General Theory. Routledge. p. 162. ISBN 978-0754653226.
- ↑ "Thatcher urged 'let Liverpool decline' after 1981 riots". BBC News. 30 December 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ↑ Travis, Alan (30 December 2011). "Thatcher government toyed with evacuating Liverpool after 1981 riots". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2025.