Researcher
Shah Baig
Institution
Georgetown · McDonough
Released
v2.0 · April 2026
License
CC-BY 4.0
Methodology

Show your work. Every score has a citation behind it.

RAPID is a five-dimension diagnostic for enterprise GenAI maturity, developed as a Georgetown McDonough capstone using Design Science Research methodology. Each dimension is grounded in established management and information-systems theory, then validated against 44 verified enterprise deployments. The headline finding: ROI gaps are organizational, not technical.

§ 01

About the researcher.

SB
Shah Baig
Capstone · MPTM 900

Shah Baig

Capstone author · Georgetown McDonough MPTM 900

RAPID started as an attempt to answer a question I couldn't answer for my own work: how do you tell if an enterprise GenAI program is actually working? The framework, the assessment, the 44-case dataset, and the methodology PDF are all open.

Released under CC-BY 4.0. If it's useful, cite it; if it's wrong, write to me — corrections, missing cases, and construct critiques are the lifeblood of v3.0.

§ 02

The RAPID framework.

Five dimensions, each anchored in peer-reviewed theory and calibrated against the case dataset. Click through to /sources for the full source map per dimension.

R
Readiness
Data & Technical Readiness
Data infrastructure, technical capability, MLOps maturity, and AI/ML talent depth.
UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance)
Venkatesh et al. (2003)
Benchmark median 58%
A
Alignment
Strategic Alignment
How GenAI investments are tied to measurable business objectives with executive sponsorship.
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Davis (1989)
Benchmark median 62%
P
Portfolio
Portfolio Balance
Diversification across risk levels, time horizons, and the discipline to kill or scale.
Portfolio Selection Theory
Markowitz (1952)
Benchmark median 42%
I
Impact
Measurement Maturity
KPI definition, baseline establishment, and ROI review processes for GenAI initiatives.
DeLone & McLean IS Success Model
DeLone & McLean (2003)
Benchmark median 45%
D
Diffusion
Organizational Adoption
Change management, user training, and cross-functional collaboration for GenAI adoption.
Diffusion of Innovations
Rogers (2003)
Benchmark median 48%
§ 03

Dataset composition.

44
Total cases
71%
Success rate
23%
Failure rate
7%
Partial / mixed
Top industries
  • Financial Services (26%)
  • Retail/E-commerce (13%)
  • Technology/Software (8%)
Dataset details
Period:
2018-2025
Top failure:
Data Quality/Bias (43%)
Sources:
Gartner, MIT, NBER, HBS, Forrester, McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte, AWS, Google Cloud
§ 04

Scoring methodology.

Fifteen Likert questions (three per dimension) on a 4-point scale, plus a five-element adoption audit. Per-dimension score = sum / 12 × 100. Overall score = average of the five dimensions. Range 0–100%.

Maturity bands
§01 · 0–25
Nascent
Minimal capability. Foundational investment required.
§02 · 26–50
Developing
Emerging but inconsistent. Structured approach needed.
§03 · 51–75
Established
Solid practices in place. Targeted improvements drive better outcomes.
§04 · 76–100
Advanced
Mature, optimized capability. Industry benchmark.
§ 05

Theoretical grounding.

Each dimension is anchored in peer-reviewed theory. The models below inform construct definition and scoring criteria.

1989
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Davis · Alignment

Key insight: Strategic alignment with business needs drives perceived usefulness, which is the strongest predictor of adoption.

2003
DeLone & McLean IS Success Model
DeLone & McLean · Impact

Key insight: Measurement maturity requires tracking all six dimensions, not just technical performance metrics.

2003
Diffusion of Innovations
Rogers · Diffusion

Key insight: Relative advantage, compatibility, simplicity, trialability, and observability account for 49-87% of adoption variation.

1996
8-Step Change Model
Kotter · Diffusion

Key insight: Most change efforts fail at steps 1-3 (urgency, coalition, vision). GenAI deployments follow the same pattern.

1952
Portfolio Selection Theory
Markowitz · Portfolio

Key insight: Organizations that concentrate AI investments in a single use case face concentration risk. Portfolio diversification across risk profiles improves resilience.

2003
UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance)
Venkatesh et al. · Readiness

Key insight: Technical readiness (facilitating conditions) is necessary but insufficient. Social influence and performance expectancy matter equally.

§ 06

What this framework cannot do.

Methodological constraints and their mitigations. Click each item to expand.

§ 07

Selected references — the spine.

Key works cited across the framework. The full bibliography lives in the methodology PDF and on the sources page.

'18
Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence
Agrawal, A., Gans, J., & Goldfarb, A. · Harvard Business Review Press

AI value flows to complements: data, judgment, action, organizational design

'93
Is Information Systems Spending Productive?
Brynjolfsson, E. & Hitt, L. · International Conference on Information Systems

IT productivity paradox; value requires organizational change with 3-5 year lag

'89
Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of IT
Davis, F. D. · MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) - foundation for Alignment dimension

'03
The DeLone and McLean Model of IS Success: A Ten-Year Update
DeLone, W. H. & McLean, E. R. · JMIS, 19(1), 9-30

IS Success Model (6 factors) - foundation for Impact/Measurement dimension

'04
Design Science in Information Systems Research
Hevner, A. R. et al. · MIS Quarterly, 28(1), 75-105

Design Science Research methodology underpinning the RAPID framework development

'25
The Adoption and Impact of Large Language Models
Humlum, A. & Vestergaard, E. · NBER Working Paper

Null labor market effects despite LLM adoption - productivity gains require structural change

'04
Best Practices in IT Portfolio Management
Jeffery, M. & Leliveld, I. · MIT Sloan Management Review, 45(3)

IT portfolio management theory - foundation for Portfolio dimension

'96
Leading Change
Kotter, J. P. · Harvard Business School Press

8-step change model - foundation for Diffusion/Organizational Adoption dimension

'52
Portfolio Selection
Markowitz, H. · The Journal of Finance, 7(1), 77-91

Portfolio diversification theory - foundation for Portfolio Balance dimension

'07
A Design Science Research Methodology for IS Research
Peffers, K. et al. · JMIS, 24(3), 45-77

DSRM methodology followed in RAPID framework development

'03
Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.)
Rogers, E. M. · Free Press

Diffusion categories (innovators to laggards); adoption timing theory for Diffusion dimension

'90
The Fifth Discipline
Senge, P. · Doubleday

Systems thinking and organizational learning - informs holistic RAPID approach

'03
User Acceptance of IT: Toward a Unified View
Venkatesh, V. et al. · MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425-478

UTAUT model explains 70% of adoption variance - informs Alignment dimension

'14
Leading Digital: Turning Technology into Business Transformation
Westerman, G. et al. · Harvard Business Review Press

Digital maturity model framework - informs Readiness dimension design

'25
GenAI Economics Reality Check
Anand, N. & Wu, T. · Working Paper

High variable costs, limited direct revenue; suited to explicit vs. tacit knowledge tasks

Why this work exists — the GenAI ROI gap
$20B+
Enterprise GenAI spending (2024)
McKinsey Global Institute
<30%
Organizations reporting meaningful ROI
McKinsey, Gartner, BCG
95%
GenAI pilots falling short of objectives
MIT, 2025
30%
Projects forecast to be abandoned after POC
Gartner, 2024
14%
AI leaders reporting achieved ROI
Fortune, 2025
66%
CFOs expecting ROI within 2 years
Fortune, 2025
43%
Citing data quality as primary barrier
MIT, 2025
38%
Citing integration complexity
Gartner, 2024
31%
Citing change resistance
Gartner, 2024
28%
Citing unclear business case
Gartner, 2024