Abstract:
The objectives of this research were (1) to study the public service management of Local Administrative Organizations (LAO) for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community, (2) to study the factors affecting the public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community, and (3) to study the guidelines for public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community. This research employed mixed research methods combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative research was conducted by studying a sample of 400 respondents who were selected from a population of 7,775 LAO Administrators in Thailand. The sample size was calculated using Taro Yamanes formula and the sample was selected by multi-stage random sampling techniques. The tool for data collection was a questionnaire and the data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, one way ANOVA and stepwise regression analysis. The qualitative research was conducted by interviewing 23 key informants consisting of 8 LAO administrators, 5 members of LAO councils, 3 local district officials, and 4 provincial local officials. A focus group discussion was also organized with 20 participants. The data were analyzed by content analysis consisting of translations, interpretations and analysis. The research findings were as follows: 1) The public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community was, overall, at a high level ( = 3.76, S.D. = 0.65). When considering each aspect individually and ranking them from highest to lowest mean, they were infrastructure ( = 3.98, S.D. = 0.69), promotion of art and culture ( = 3.84, S.D. = 0.71), empowerment of quality of life ( = 3.78, S.D. = 0.71), social organizing ( = 3.77, S.D. = 0.75), natural resources conservation ( = 3.76, S.D. = 0.77), promotion of trading and tourism, ( = 3.61, S.D. = 0.80) and human resource development ( = 3.56, S.D. = 0.87), respectively. The aspect of infrastructure was at the highest level because it was the basic factor for living and for further development in the other sectors. The human resource development aspect was at the lowest because the LAO lacked the data base for entering the AEC and there were limitations in the language skills development due to the different cultures involved. 2) The factors affecting the public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community were ranked from high to low using the partial regression coefficient and were as follows: downsizing variable (β = 0.26), adequacy of budget variable (β = 0.25), people orientation variable (β = 0.13), professional administration variable (β = 0.12), economic variable (β = 0.09) and political and security variable (β = 0.07). These variables explained 68.60 % (R2 = 0.6860) of the variation in the public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community at a statistical level of 0.05. These results complied with the qualitative research findings which showed that these five variables were important for improving the public service of LAO in the context of readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community. Furthermore, these results reflected the New Public Service and the New Public Management concepts that affected the public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community. 3) The guidelines for public service management of LAO for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community were summarized using the research findings and synthesized using focus group discussions. They consisted of five aspects: (1) LAO should play a great role in creating awareness in their own people as members of AEC, (2) the LAO should play a great role in building fairness and decreasing inequity in society as pertaining to assets, opportunities, power and human dignity, (3) the LAO should play a great role in the development of human resources because people are the most important factor for readiness preparation for entering the ASEAN Economic Community both at the local and the national level, (4) the central government should decentralize the public services to LAO so that they can promote their own decisions in the area of development and (5) fiscal decentralization should be promoted by enhancing tax base expansions for the LAO, while complying with the roles and authority needed to provide good public service.