{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,1]],"date-time":"2025-11-01T02:30:35Z","timestamp":1761964235751,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2009,10,30]],"date-time":"2009-10-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1256860800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,10,30]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to show how stages of growth models have been applied to a number of organizational phenomena in management research. One class of models consists of maturity models for IT outsourcing relationships. There is a need for an improved theoretical foundation for stage models.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>Based on a literature review of theory research as well as stage research, a stage of growth theory is proposed in this paper. Also, a procedure for stages of growth modeling is suggested.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>A theoretical foundation for stages of growth models enables trust worthier modeling.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Future research modeling organizational phenomena can follow the suggested modeling procedure. This paper can be used in teaching by discussing industrial management phenomena along stages of growth by applying dominant problems and benchmark variables.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>In strategy work, this paper helps in providing a framework for assessing current stage as well as determining future strategic direction for an industrial organization.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>Theory development in this paper includes four important propositions on which this theory is based.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/02635570911002315","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,11,7]],"date-time":"2009-11-07T07:13:15Z","timestamp":1257577995000},"page":"1264-1273","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Towards a stage theory for industrial management research"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"109","author":[{"given":"Petter","family":"Gottschalk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Hans","family":"Solli\u2010S\u00e6ther","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022030720484906400_b1","unstructured":"Byers, C. and Byers, W.A. 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