Causal Model of Work Behaviors in the Narcotics Control Board, Thailand

Abstract

This mixed methods research aimed to compare the factors influencing work behavior of staff working at different offices of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand, and to also understand the antecedents related to the efficient work behavior. In the quantitative stage data was collected using  5-scales with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from .69 to .96.  The 547 respondents were selected through proportional stratified random sampling. In the qualitative stage, in-depth interviews with 10 officers were employed. Data was analyzed by LISREL and content analysis. The results indicated that, 1) gender, family status and work place location significantly affected work behaviors (p < .01); 2) the causal model of work behaviors was consistent with the empirical data; and 3) the psychological characteristics, work environment, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior had positive correlation with, and could reliably predict work behaviors at 93 percent. The psychological characteristics had the highest influence on work behaviors (β =.47). The qualitative findings confirmed that the antecedents of efficient work behavior included personal factors and environmental factors. The suggestions to enhance the efficiency of work behaviors emphasized on an application of the psycho-social antecedents. The practical implication of the findings and some issues for future research are discussed.