چالش های مدیریت برای اپراتورهای مخابراتی: چارچوبی برای شناخت فرایند برنامه ریزی استراتژیک ارتباطات از راه دور در مورد سازمان مخابرات تایلند (1954-1996)

This research explores new ground by providing the first detailed study of strategic planning and practices of the Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT) during its first 42 years (1954–1996). A conceptual framework for a Telecommunications Strategic Planning Process (TSPP) is developed to study the underlying TSPP strategies at play in the TOT. It does this by investigating the relationships between the organisation, the TSPP, and the environment for the development processes of a Telecommunications Strategic Plan (TSP). The central thesis of this study is based on the assumption that unless an appropriate TSPP can be installed, the organisational TSP cannot succeed. The results of the study provide sufficient support to validate the central thesis. The study addresses the questions about how to develop the TSPP and how do the managers go about developing the TSPP. Furthermore, the study identifies that there are significant gaps between the theory of strategic planning and theory in strategic planning that can be classified as normative and descriptive aspects of the strategic planning theories. Research findings also suggest that it is now time for the Thai telecommunications, and in particular the TOT, to establish a formal TSPP for building a general consensus among the key executives involved in strategic planning. This is to ensure sustaining their organisational growth as well as to maintain the competitive status of the Thai telecommunications industry in the global marketplace.

The Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT), a state owned enterprise under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), was established according to the Royal Decree on February 24, 1954. Since then, the TOT's main objectives are to operate and develop national telephone services for the benefit of the state and the public. It also serves to carry out all business relating or beneficial to telephone activities in Thailand. At present, the TOT is responsible for the domestic services, international services to Laos and Malaysia, and, leased circuits for domestic point-to-point transmission of voice, telegraph, radio, and television. The TOT established its corporate planning division in the early 1970s. Since then, the TOT has actively participated in the organisational and national telecommunications planning processes and developed its corporate plan. At present the TOT has declared and submitted its fourth corporate plan (1997–2001). This has been developed in accordance with the recommendations from the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), and is incorporated into the eighth National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) of Thailand (1997–2001). Over the years, the TOT has also undertaken several major initiatives to provide basic telephone access to rural Thailand. The TOT selected villages with 5,000 inhabitants and developed the survey instrument with an emphasis on 30% for society; 20% for security; 15% for economics; 15% for techniques, and 15% for the benefit. However, there is no indication or clarification made on these types of selection procedure. For the study of the geography and terrain, the TOT considered the areas and their nature for the radio-relay system concerning radio wave propagation (Srestasathiern, 1991). In considering stage three, the TOT put the emphasis on selecting and arranging the frequency for the rural telephony. A detailed field survey was conducted to see the economical, technological and other facilities for the possibility of expansion of the TOT's existing network. During 1991, the TOT was serving the rural area with public telephones (local and long distance calls) for about 3,000 villages. According to the TOT's third corporate plan and the seventh national economic and social development plan (1992–1996), it was planned to provide the remaining villages with basic telephone accessibility by the year 1996. Table 1 provides a brief summary of the historical development chronology of the TOT.

This research also demonstrates the need for the normative–descriptive approach for exploring the TSPP strategies at the TOT. The normative–descriptive dichotomy of strategic planning theories has provided the insights on Thai telecommunications planning practices. It can be generalised that the strategic planning and practices for the Thai telecommunications planning are an informal act of the executives. On the contrary, the advancement of the telecommunications technologies changes in government regulation and policy and changes in the international marketplace, in fact, require a more sophisticated approach to strategic planning. The comprehensiveness of the TSPP is required not only for building the consensus among the key decision-makers, but also to facilitate the cost effective and reliable network expansion capability. It is also observed for the developing nations telecommunications planning practices that the irregular expansion of a network with lack of compatibility in the interconnection equipment as well as other hardware can, in fact, hinder the teleco to create the network economies of scale. The end result can be seen from the cost, quality, reliability, and accessibility of the telecommunications services. Considering the consequences of the Thai telecommunications and in particular, the TOT, it can be argued that it is now time for the Thai Government to develop a certain level of policy mechanisms, which will aid the consensus building process.