Managing Telecommunications by Steering Committee

The increasing need for integration and the rapid growth of online systems have made telecommbnications a vital part of management i formation systems (MIS). In search of competitive advantage, organizations make significant in. vestments in telecomunications. Telecommunications management is becoming a top priority of information systems executives. The MIS fiterature suggests that steering committees are effective means of managing information systems. However, there is no information on how steering committees impact the management of the telecommunications function. Drawing on organizational theory and MIS literature, a framework is presented that relates firm size and telecommunications teering committees to planning practices and organizational recognition and support. Using a survey of 137 organizations, this framework is examined. The results of this exploratory research suggest that use of a telecommunications steering committee is associated An earlier version of this adicle was presented at the DSI National Conference in Miami, Florida, November 1991.