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ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLE: A FIVE‐STAGE EMPIRICAL SCALE

Donald L. Lester (Arkansas State University Donald L. Lester, Associate Professor & Chair, Center for Entrepreneurial and Family Business Studies. College of Business, Arkansas State University, P.O. Box 59. State University, AR 72467–0059. E‐mail: dlester@.astate.edu)
John A. Parnell (University of North Carolina‐Pembroke)
Shawn Carraher (Texas A&M University‐Commerce)

The International Journal of Organizational Analysis

ISSN: 1055-3185

Article publication date: 1 April 2003

5376

Abstract

Adapting a concept from the biological sciences, organizational researchers have proposed a life cycle of organizational development from birth to death. Several distinct models have been postulated, ranging from three to ten stages. This paper proposes a five‐stage model and tests it empirically to assess the specific stage of the life cycle of any organization. Results of a twenty‐item scale that captures managers' perceptions of their firms' position in the life cycle are discussed. Knowledge of an organization's present position or stage of development can aid top managers in understanding the relationships between organizational life cycle, competitive strategy, and performance.

Citation

Lester, D.L., Parnell, J.A. and Carraher, S. (2003), "ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLE: A FIVE‐STAGE EMPIRICAL SCALE", The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 339-354. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb028979

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited

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