The Introduction of the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy and Its Application to Consumer Context

Thailand was one of the potential causes of the 1997 East Asian economic recession due to its lack of readiness in dealing with globalization. In fact, globalization can generate double-edged effects on a country’s economic condition. While it can mitigate global inequality and poverty, it can also be considered as the determinant of trade imbalances, income inequality, and deterioration of natural resources. In order to enhance a balanced and sustainable development at society and country level, we believe that the well-being of each individual should be taken into consideration. This article introduces the concept of Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy (PSE) which highlights foundation building, enhancing immunities, and resilience in a globalized and modernized economic condition with the objectives of generating self-realization and resilient and sustainable development. Moreover, PSE consists of three intertwined concepts that are moderation, reasonableness, and self-immunity, together with two basic conditions, which are knowledge and morality. This concept of PSE can offer individuals a moderate “way of life,” as well as an ability to protect and defend themselves from any unfavorable factors associated with the rapid changing economic conditions

Relationships Between Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and Business Performance Using Balanced Scorecard: A Case Study of Logistics Business in Southern Thailand

This study aims to investigate to what extent logistics service providers in southern Thailand have implemented the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), as well as to examine the relationship between the practice of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and business performance, as measured by a balanced scorecard. Descriptive analysis and multiple regression are used for data analysis. The study found that logistics service providers in southern Thailand have applied the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy to their business operations at a high level. Relatively high scores were also seen for all individual components and conditions in the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. Practicing the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy has a significant impact on most perspectives of business performance measured by a balanced scorecard. Customers, internal business processes, as well as learning and growth processes score at a high level. Only the financial perspective scores at a moderate level, implying that logistics service providers in the southern region do not focus on financial issues. These positive impacts can be interpreted using the stakeholder theory which mainly concerns the corporative stakeholders. Corporate plans are carefully made considering customers, employees, and shareholders, as well as society. Considering the relationships between each component of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and the balanced scorecard, the study reveals that the application of moderation, self-immunity, knowledge, and integrity in the business operations of logistics service providers (LSPs) can lead to high values in the focal business’s balanced scorecard. Results of the study are useful for business operations development and corporate decision making in logistics service providers

Public Reform: Thaksin Shinawatra’s Apparatus for Power Consolidation, Thailand’s Experience

The purpose of this study is to provide the reader with a detailed analysis of the drives and forces which influenced the administrative reforms implemented during Thaksin Shinawatra‟s premiership. Crippled from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Thailand felt the necessity to find the right leader who could help Thailand rebuild its economy. Thaksin Shinawatra was chosen. To a lot of people, the man‟s pioneering socio–economic policies as well as many administrative reform programs were tremendously successful and beneficial; therefore Thaksin became very popular, particularly among the poor. Not only that his executive power was legally enhanced by the 1997 constitution, but the ideas of New Public Management and the concept of good governance were also intensively incorporated to various administrative reforms to further strengthen the power of the prime minister. The fact that Thaksin became much more powerful was threatening to some because the privileges that once were traditionally shared by the senior bureaucrats and high–ranking military officials were shifted largely to the hands of the prime minister which he abused for private gain. To study such drives and forces, the thesis applies Christopher Pollitt and Geert Bouckaert‟s model of public management reform to the study. By using the model, the thesis presents why and how various features of the New Public Management ideas and the concepts of Good Governance were adopted as well as it presents the reform process and results. The model is used to offer an explanation of the author‟s argument that New Public Management and the concept of Good Governance were used not only to enhance administrative efficiency, but also to redistribute bureaucratic power to the political executive.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Availability of literature on social entreprenureship for sustainable wealth creation in internet

Social entrepreneurship has been the key discussed issue for the last few decades. This paper examines relative availability of materials related to social entreprenureship for sustainable wealth creation in order to develop hands-on, professional, ethical, which is promoted by the various organizations around the world. The main objective of this study was to examine the relative frequency of social entreprenureship and sustainable wealth creation by the organizations and other related concepts that are available in the Internet search engines. The study attempted to assess the availability of materials on social entreprenureship for sustainable wealth creation on the Internet. The Internet was accessed on 03 April 2012 from 11:05 a.m. – 13:05 p.m.; 2.30 p.m. – 4:30 pm. Duration: 240 minutes, [Gombak Time] and 04 April 2012 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.; 11:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Duration: 180 minutes [Hulu Langat Time]. Ratios are expected to reflect more statistically meaningful indices. The study is very significant for theoretical development of social entreprenureship in sustainable wealth creation for companies in Malaysia. The Internet search engine provides instant information on social entreprenureship for sustainable wealth creation that can developed further

Contextualising fisheries policy in the Lower Mekong Basin

Development policies for fishery resources within the Mekong River Basin are increasingly divided between aquaculture and capture fisheries. The modern production orientation of aquaculture has been adopted by government and NGOs and justified by the rhetoric of poverty alleviation and rural development. In contrast, capture fisheries has been subjugated as an activity that reaffirms the dependency of the rural poor on natural resources. This paper critically analyses the division between aquaculture and capture fisheries in Cambodia, Thailand and Lao PDR by tracing the emergence and influence of `development narratives¿ used to justify contemporary policy and practice

Social Well-Being in Thailand 2016 : Survey Report

MEXT-Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities (2014-2018)Forming a Social Well-being Research Consortium in AsiaSince the 1990s, Thailand\u27s development policy has reoriented gradually towards social development. The development policy is currently impacted by political suppression, polarization, lower economic growth, and the mourning of the beloved king. The report shows the situation of social well-being in Thailand. Based on the survey of 1,126 respondents from 11 provinces in 2016, subjective social well-being of Thai people is quite high in all dimensions, with the exception of family economic status and political condition. The results were consistent across subjective social well-being, life satisfaction, and Cantril\u27s Ladder of Life. The urban-rural divide is still relevant for social well-being, with the results showing that social well-being in rural areas is higher than in urban areas. Therefore, the report argues that social capital and equality have a higher effect on social well-being than economic development. Finally, the report concludes that the survey results alone were not enough to understand the social well-being of a society, but rather the context and development values of a society were also necessary

Management Controls for Sustainable Development: Evidence from a Thai Manufacturing Organisation

This thesis aims to empirically investigate the use of management controls in relation to sustainable development within an established manufacturing organisation in Thailand. Situated within the conflicts between formal motivators (e.g., performance measurement and reward systems) which call for economic rationalism and an informally cognitive responsibility for socio-ecological awareness and commitment (Ball and Milne, 2005; Milne, 1996), the existence of formal and informal management controls to support the sustainable development belief and their interplays are examined. An inductive research approach with Laughlin’s (1991) organisational change framework is drawn upon in the analysis of a single case study. The empirical evidence is collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis to investigate the organisation's sustainability discourse. This study makes important contributions to the extant social and environmental accounting literature, especially concerning management controls. Little research directs towards how organisations integrate their management controls with the sustainable development concept (Lueg and Radlach, 2016) due to its subjective and disputable nature (Ball and Milne, 2005; Gray, 2010; Milne, 1996). This research goes further to unveil the change journey in quantifiable and religious-based management controls within a Thai manufacturing organisation that encountered complex sustainability challenges. Furthermore, the sustainability concept has been integrated into corporate strategies, organisational culture and key capabilities for value-added activities and innovation. The internal and external disturbances were managed with proper caution and safeguards. The observed formal and informal management controls worked interdependently in line with the organisation’s core values (i.e., interpretive schemes – Laughlin, 1991). These control tools are shown to be built on “measure what can be managed” or achievable-based outcomes with support from multiple specialist work groups

IT governance for public universities: developing a model

Information technology (IT) has become essential in supporting the growth and sustainability of all types of organizations. Universities are one of those types that are more and more dependent on IT having a technological infrastructure made of heterogeneous technologies that turns IT Governance into a real challenge. The teaching-learning and research processes, nuclear for universities, require effective and efficient IT governance so universities remain competitive. IT governance calls for the definition and implementation of formal practices at the highest level in the organization involving structures, processes and relational mechanisms for the creation of business value from IT investments. However, it is quite notorious the difficulty in defining and implementing those practices from frameworks such as COBIT, ITIL, ISO/IEC 38500, among others. The level of adoption of such frameworks at universities is quite low, superficial or limited in scope. To address these issues, we propose, using design science research, the development of an IT governance model for public universities. The model will be designed having the appropriate mechanisms identified through survey research and case studies involving Portuguese and Brazilian public universities. We expect to contribute with a model having structures, processes and relational mechanisms suitable for the public sector universities with the guidelines for effective and efficient IT governance. Moreover, contributions to the body of knowledge, regarding the adoption of frameworks such as COBIT and ITIL, taking in consideration contextual and contingency factors, are also expected in what particularly relates to Portuguese and Brazilian public universities.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(UID/CEC/00319/2013)This work was supported by CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil Process n.º10415/13-0 and by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, project UID/CEC/00319/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

NEW SILKS ROADS: PROMISES AND PERILS OF THE INTERNET IN THE THAI SILK INDUSTRY

The Internet is often touted as a panacea for perceived deficiencies in economic development. Its space-transcending abilities, which can instantly connect producers with consumers, have the potential to cut out intermediaries and to redistribute economic surplus in a more equitable manner. This dissertation asks whether the promises of the Internet are being realized in the Thai silk industry. The project explores the following questions: (a) At which nodes in the commodity chain is the Internet being used?; (b) How has the introduction of the Internet altered production chains and the flows of capital in the Thai silk industry?; (c) How are these changes altering the socio-economic conditions of actors who are involved in reconfigured production chains?; (d) What are the relationships between contemporary discourses about the economic benefits of disintermediated commodity chains and the actual effects of disintermediated commodity chains?; and (e) Are older local silk making traditions being replaced as producers interact with distant consumers through the Internet? This project uses a textual analysis of websites selling Thai silk to examine discourses being put forth about the effects of the Internet. Surveys and interviews with producers and merchants provide data on changes that the Internet is having on the production chains of Thai silk. Results suggest that in very few cases is the Internet allowing a disintermediation of commodity chains to occur. Internet users are actually more likely to position themselves as cybermediaries: buying from, and selling to other intermediaries. Although disintermediation is rarely occurring in the commodity chains of silk, the Internet is allowing firms to sell to a geographically diverse range of customers. These findings indicate that instead of placing buyers and sellers into copresence in a virtual marketplace, the Internet is rather being used as a tool to open up virtual conduits between those already occupying privileged economic positions in the commodity chains of Thai silk