Version 1.0, October 2026. 98 constructs in 18 families across 7 eras, with 18 imported theories below. Selecting a cell reveals its family, era, block, tier, and anchor works, each anchoring reference linking to the publisher’s page. Explore the 18 Family Deep Dives for granular sub-tables, or visit Resources to use the four interactive analytical tools.
Each cell: number, influence pips, block code, then symbol, construct, and anchor works
open frontier position
← Swipe to explore all 18 families →
Detached series · Theories imported from adjacent fields, each set near the families it feeds
Series
T
Imported Theories
2FC
Lc
Product Life Cycle
Family
2. Competition and Timing (I · Strategic Choice)
Era
Period 1: Foundations, to 1969
Block
FC · Formulation, content
Tier
Major
Cell card
Description
Levitt turned the product life cycle from a descriptive curve into a planning tool, arguing that introduction, growth, maturity, and decline call for distinct strategies and that managers can anticipate and extend the cycle.
Managerial Implications
Every offering ages, so plan the next stage before the current one peaks. Use the life cycle as a planning prompt: in introduction, invest in trial; in growth, lock in distribution and scale; in maturity, defend margin and extend use; in decline, harvest or exit deliberately. The practical discipline is to fund renewal while cash flow is strong, not after revenue has turned.
How to read. Down a column follows one research stream through time. Across a row shows what the field studied in an era. Color marks the strategy domain, after Morgan et al. (2019). Pips give an influence tier. Numbers run by era, then family. Placements, anchors, and tiers are editorial judgments, and anchors are entry points rather than a complete record of any stream. Anyone who uses or adapts this table is responsible for verifying its contents against the original works.
