The stage hypothesis revisited: An EDP professionals' point of view

Abstract The stage hypothesis is one of the models proposed for explaining the evolution of MIS and of its management in organizations. Several attempts to validate the concept empirically have brought mixed and sometimes disappointing results. In this article, the stage hypothesis and the empirical studies are reviewed from an EDP professional's point of view, our approach is to consider the empirical studies as experiments for testing an hypothesis according to a specified experimental protocol. The experiments are reviewed first, then the protocol is discussed, and finally the hypothesis is re-examined. This process leads to some suggestions for revising the assumptions underlying the model and for defining the concepts of stage and of transition more accurately.