Technological capability development after privatization : case studies of two telecommunications service providers | |
| Author | Abeysinghe, Dhammika Padmakumari |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.SM-05-02 |
| Subject(s) | Privatization Telecommunication--Customer services |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Many telecommunications service providers in the world are in the midst of undergoing technical and structural changes, whilst at the same time experiencing major growth. Privatization, competition and rapid technological advancements drive the present telecommunications industry. There are number of reported theoretical and empirical studies on the impact of privatization and technological development in the telecommunications sector. However, no work on the question of how privatization leads to technological capability development of a telecommunications firm has been reported so far. Thus, this dissertation examines the extent of technological capability development in two telecommunications firms after their privatization. In order to examine the technological capability development a framework has been developed. The framework is based on the value chain concept, which identifies the primary and support activities of a telecommunications service provider, and uses a three-step procedure to analyze the technological capability needs in these activities and to develop indicators to measure the extent to which such technology capabilities have developed after privatization. The components of each capability, its elements, and indicators for assessment of each indicator have been developed with three complementary research processes: extensive research of the technology, processes and management of telecommunications films; literature review of technological capabilities; and in-depth interviews with experts at International Telecommunication Union and senior experts cum practitioners at two leading telecommunications firms in Thailand. The research identifies the following technological capabilities in the primary and support activities: creation, design and engineering, marketing and selling, servicing, acquisition, human resources development, information technology and strategic planning. The elements of each capability and indicators for assessment of the elements were determined from a thorough and in-depth understanding of the technical, managerial and operational processes in telecommunications firms. The framework outlined above was then applied to Sri Lanka Telecom and Telstra Corporation. Information on technological capabilities in both the service providers were collected through in-depth interviews with top and middle management personnel. This information was then analyzed for comparison of technological capabilities before and after privatization. Based on the comparison, it was found that technological capability development in Sri Lanka Telecom and Telstra Corporation progressed quite significantly after privatization. The research concludes with how the framework and procedure developed could be applied in other contexts in identifying the technological capability needs, and the capability elements and indicators for their assessment. |
| Year | 2005 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management (SOM) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Master of Business Administration (MBA) (Publication code=SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Paul, Himangshu;Islam, Nazrul; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Tang, John C.S.;Ahmed, Kazi M.;Sushil; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Development Bank;Science and Technology Manpower Development Project; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2005 |