> isn't there a sociological theory that basically says that an organization tends to be controlled by the people who care about the continuity of the organizat

> isn't there a sociological theory that basically says that an organization tends to be controlled by the people who care about the continuity of the organization, instead of the goals it represents? Yes, what you describe is the Iron Law of Bureaucracy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle#Iron_Law_of_Bureaucracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle#Iron_Law_of_Bur...