Good Management and Learning Routes to Enhance the Career Capacity and Better Life of the Community Enterprises in Samut Sakhon Province in Progression of their Community Economy Using the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

Abstract

This research was comprised of 4 main objectives. First, the study aimed at examining the status of good practice management, production, sales promotion and career capability of the community enterprises. Using the purposive random sampling, the data were from an interview with each leader of 131 community enterprises in Samut Sakhon province, officially registered with Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Second, it focused on an investigation of health behavior which reflected a good life quality from 296 representatives of the community enterprises, using the stratified random sampling. Third, it was also to study a customer behavior of Thai and foreign visitors who purchased the community products. The data were obtained from 368 travellers using the accidental sampling. Finally, the emphasis of the study was to investigate solutions in promoting learning activities in order to enhance a career capability of the community enterprises based on the efficiency economy philosophy. The research findings were then reflected to the public stage at which it allowed criticism from community entrepreneurs and shared assistance in drawing learning guidelines together. Likewise, it included a good production and sales management in order to promote a career capability and good life of the community enterprises in succession of their economy according to the efficiency economy philosophy. Research techniques and instruments applied in this study included 3 sets of questionnaires (reliability value at .89, .81 and .88), in-depth interview forms and public hearing. The data from questionnaires were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, whereas a content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.

The findings revealed that there were only 76 equal 58 percent of the total community enterprises which were operated in a cooperative status as described in the Community Act. The management status was found at the satisfactory level, whilst a career capability and good life were found at the satisfactory level too with mean= 4.05 and 3.71, respectively. Solutions in promoting learning activities and a good management to enhance a career capability and good life of the community enterprises based on the efficiency economy philosophy were varied. On the first hand, the government should support the community enterprises with proper knowledge and learning activities leading to a good production and marketing management suitable for their products. To do this, educational institutions should be given a role to promote learning activities, including research and development process to boost their product quality. On the other hand, relevant government sectors should carry out the community enterprises' concerns on a basis of integrated support to avoid duplication. In the meanwhile, Community enterprise organizations should create a cooperative network to strengthen a mutual support where is needed. A application of neutral guideline to be used in the community management focuses on cooperation, participation and fair trade.