The role of information technology governance in achieving competitive advantage in the Yemeni telecommunications sector

Ahmed M. AL-Hadri; Jamal N. AL-Kumaim

doi:10.31893/multirev.2026484

Keywords:

Abstract

This study aims to explore the role of information technology governance (ITG) in achieving competitive advantage in the Yemeni telecommunications sector. The study adopted a quantitative approach using analytical and descriptive methodologies. The study population, with a total of 806 individuals, consists of six organizations representing the sector of the Yemeni telecommunications industry, and the data were collected via a questionnaire tool distributed among a sample of 271 participants selected through stratified random sampling on the basis of the Krejcie and Morgan model. To ensure the accuracy of the collected data, validity and reliability tests were conducted for the study tool (the questionnaire) to verify its suitability where Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for each dimension of the ITG and the Competitive advantage and the overall score of the variable; the Cronbach's alpha test was also performed. The The key findings indicate that the level of ITG in the Yemeni telecommunications sector was high, whereas the level of competitive advantage was fairly high. Additionally, there is a statistically significant role of ITG in achieving competitive advantage in this sector. The study concluded that the Yemeni telecommunications sector is committed to implementing ITG, reinforcing its importance in enhancing performance and gaining a competitive advantage. The study recommends enhancing awareness among leaders in the sector about ITG through practical strategies; establishing a specialized committee under the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology to develop a guide for ITG implementation; and reviewing and implementing existing policies and strategies to support sustainable competitive advantage within the sector.
References
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2. Ahmed, O. A., & Al-Saeedi, K. F. K. (2019). The impact of the application of information technology governance practices on strengthening organizational excellence in universities: A comparative study between the University of Public Dhi Qar and Al-Ayen Private University. Journal of the College of Administration and Economics for Economic, Administrative, and Financial Studies, 11(4), 547–569.
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26. Sharab, S. H., Al-Agha, M. S., & Al-Telbani, N. A. (2011). Strategic planning and its relationship to competitive advantage: A field study in drug distribution companies in Gaza governorates (Master’s thesis). Al-Azhar University.
27. Weill, P., & Ross, J. W. (2004). IT governance: How top performers manage IT decision rights for superior results. Harvard Business School Press.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

AL-Hadri, A. M., & AL-Kumaim, J. N. (2026). The role of information technology governance in achieving competitive advantage in the Yemeni telecommunications sector. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 9(10), 2026484. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2026484

[1] Abdo, K. M. F. (2021). The impact of marketing strategy on achieving competitive advantage: An applied study on the General Telecommunications Corporation (Master’s thesis). Yemeni Academy for Higher Studies.

[2] Ahmed, O. A., & Al-Saeedi, K. F. K. (2019). The impact of the application of information technology governance practices on strengthening organizational excellence in universities: A comparative study between the University of Public Dhi Qar and Al-Ayen Private University. Journal of the College of Administration and Economics for Economic, Administrative, and Financial Studies, 11(4), 547–569.

[3] Al-Awadhi, E. A. A. (2022). The impact of risk management on achieving a competitive advantage: An empirical study on Yemeni mobile telecom companies (Master’s thesis). Saba University.

[4] Al-Azab, E. S. A. (2022). The impact of total quality management on improving competitive advantage: A field study of a sample of private universities in Sana'a (Master’s thesis). Azal University for Human Development.

[5] Al-Haimi, A. A. (2019). The role of public relations in achieving competitive advantage: Yemen Mobile as a case study (Master’s thesis). Sana'a University.

[6] Al-Hajji, L. L. A. (2022). The impact of total quality management on competitive advantage: An application on a sample of Yemeni banks from 2010–2021 (Doctoral dissertation). University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences.

[7] Al-Kurabi, M. M. A. G. (2020). The effectiveness of information technology governance application in monitoring accounting performance: A field study in the General Telecommunications Corporation of Yemen (Master’s thesis). Andalus University for Science and Technology.

[8] Al-Makhadhi, T. A. A. (2022). The impact of applying total quality management principles in achieving competitive advantage: A field study in Yemeni pharmaceutical manufacturing companies (Master’s thesis). University of Science and Technology.

[9] Al-Matari, A. A. N. (2017). The role of knowledge management and information technology in achieving competitive advantage: An applied study on Yemen Mobile Company (Master’s thesis). Arab Academy for Financial and Banking Sciences.

[10] Al-Samman, T. A. S., & Al-Jabouri, M. M. A. (2016). Information technology governance to enhancing service quality: Case study to the Directorate of Electric Production—Salahden. Arabic Journal for Administration, 36(1), 125–141.

[11] Asma, M. (2018). The role of information technology governance in enhancing competitiveness: A case study of the National Organization for Marketing and Distribution of Petroleum Products (NAFTAL) (Master’s thesis). Kassidi Merbah University.

[12] Borja, S., Kim, K., Yoon, H., & Hwang, J. (2018). Information technology governance effectiveness and its influence on innovation product and process. In Proceedings of the 2018 Portland International Conference for Management of Engineering and Technology (pp. 1–8). https://doi.org/10.23919/PICMET.2018.8481752

[13] Chapman, P. (2016). Improving accounting information system performance and achieving competitive advantage through effective information technology governance (Doctoral dissertation). University of Technology Sydney.

[14] Dahy, H. F. (2020). Requirements for developing the competitive advantage of Aswan University in light of contemporary global trends. Journal of Educational Sciences – Faculty of Education in Qena, (42), 98–244.

[15] Deep Root Consulting, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, & Applied Research Center in Partnership with the East. (2021). The impact of conflict on the telecommunications sector in Yemen. https://devchampions.org/ar/publications/policy-brief/Impacts_of_the_War_on_the_Telecommunications/

[16] Fayyad, I. A. H. (2021). The role of strategic thinking in enhancing competitive advantage at the Public Corporation for School Book Printing in the Republic of Yemen: A case study (Master’s thesis). Yemeni Academy for Graduate Studies.

[17] Fletcher, M. (2006). Five domains of information technology governance for consideration by boards of directors (Master’s thesis). University of Oregon.

[18] Grembergen, W. V., & Haes, S. D. (2018). Introduction to the minitrack on information technology governance and its mechanisms. In Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 4877–4879). https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2018.611

[19] Hashim, H. N., & Al-Saeedi, K. F. K. (2020). The effect of using the COBIT 5 framework on the performance of information technology governance. Journal of the College of Administration and Economics, University of Basra, 12(24), 230–261.

[20] Hunaiber, S. A. M. A. (2022). The impact of information technology governance and management according to the COBIT 2019 framework on organisational performance: An applied study in the General Telecommunications Corporation of Yemen (Master’s thesis). University of Science and Technology.

[21] Information Systems Audit and Control Association. (2018). COBIT® 2019 framework: Introduction and methodology. ISACA.

[22] Ismail, E. A. (2011). Characteristics of information systems and their impact on determining strategic competitive options in higher and middle management: An applied study on commercial banks operating in Gaza Strip (Master’s thesis). Islamic University.

[23] Jajekh, F., & Farhat, S. (2018). Information technology governance and its role in crisis prevention. Journal of Financial Banking Economics and Business Administration – Biskra University, (2), 113–124.

[24] Masoud, N. M. S. (2022). Marketing innovation in telecommunications services and its impact on achieving competitive advantage: A field study of telecommunications companies in the Republic of Yemen (Master’s thesis). University of Science and Technology.

[25] Saeidi, P., Saeidi, S. P., Sofiana, S., Saeidi, S. P., Nilashi, M., & Mardani, A. (2019). The impact of enterprise risk management on competitive advantage by moderating role of information technology. Computer Standards & Interfaces, 63, 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csi.2018.11.009

[26] Sharab, S. H., Al-Agha, M. S., & Al-Telbani, N. A. (2011). Strategic planning and its relationship to competitive advantage: A field study in drug distribution companies in Gaza governorates (Master’s thesis). Al-Azhar University.

[27] Weill, P., & Ross, J. W. (2004). IT governance: How top performers manage IT decision rights for superior results. Harvard Business School Press.

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References

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