Organizational Life Cycles: Growth or Development? Cases from Textile & Clothing Industry in Kazakhstan

The paper raises the issue of small business owners’ attitudes to treating their businesses’ mode of operation during different life cycles stages of their companies. The paper also considers if there is any difference between organizations growth and development in relation to the OLC theory. A thorough literature review on the OLC models is appended by two case studies of Kazakhstan local firms of different age of both - the companies and their owners. The research implemented the qualitative approach to understand the stage of life cycles passed by the firms. The interviews with the companies’ owners are supported with the results of the questionnaire that helped revealing the stages of the firms’ life cycles. The study determined that age of the owners as an important factor. The research also found that the relationship between the age of business owners and their attitude to company’s mode of operation was significant especially when it related to choosing a strategy and in understanding the way of conducting a business.