Development of the potential to operate according to the principles of the village headman in umong subdistrict, mueang district, lamphun province

Abstract

This article aims to 1) study the level of operational potential, 2) the relationship between the principles of Baladharma and the development of operational potential, and 3) to propose guidelines for developing the operational potential of village headmen in Umong Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lamphun Province. The research used a mixed-method approach. For the quantitative research, the population included 386 people aged 18 and over in Umong Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lamphun Province. A questionnaire with a reliability score of 0.897 was used. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation coefficient. For the qualitative research, interviews were conducted with 12 individuals/images. The sample group used in the research consisted of 386 people. Data analysis was conducted using content analysis techniques based on the context.

The research found that:

1) The level of operational potential of the village headmen, overall, was at a high level. When considered by aspect, all aspects were at a high level, with skills ranking first, followed by desirable behaviors, and knowledge ranking third.

2) The relationship between the principles of Baladharma and the development of operational potential of the village headmen showed a statistically significant positive correlation at the 0.01 level, with a relatively high level of correlation.

3) The guidelines for developing the operational potential based on the principles of Paladhamma for subdistrict chiefs and village headmen found that there should be training programs promoting paññā-bala (strength of wisdom) through modern learning activities to develop analytical thinking and problem-solving skills; enhancing vīriya-bala (strength of effort) by organizing experience-sharing forums and motivating through honor and recognition systems; developing anavajja-bala (strength of blamelessness) through establishing ethical standards and mechanisms to ensure transparency in operations; and promoting saṅgahabala (strength of social cohesion) by organizing community service projects and public benefit activities that encourage public participation, along with establishing community leader networks.