The thesis behind this book is that American industry cannot compete in the marketplace because their organizational structure and management style has become pathologically narcissistic. The theory is illustrated with real-life examples such as the DeLorean automobile business failure.
Howard S. Schwartz shows how American industry is in a process of decay unable to cope with foreign competition and stagnant in technological development. He attributes this Organizational Decay to a reluctance in the part of corporate members to deal with reality.