The Evolving Information Systems Strategy Information systems management and strategy formulation: applying and extending the ‘stages of growth’ concept

Introduction For some time, reason has held that the organizational growth with respect to the use of Information Technology (IT) and the approach organizations take to the management and planning of information systems could be conceived of in terms of various, quite clearly defined, stages of maturity. Whilst there has been some criticism of the models that have been postulated, many view the various ‘stages of growth’ models as being useful in designating the maturity (in IT terms) of organizations. Four such ‘stages of growth’ models are described briefly below, i.e. those postulated by: (a) Nolan (1979); (b) Earl (1983; 1986, as amended by Galliers, 1987a, 1989*); (c) Bhabuta (1988), and (d) Hirschheim et al. (1988).