Factors Predicting the Success Regarding Promoting Grassroots Economy Development of Community: Case Studies of the Border Provinces of Northern Region, Northeastern Region and Southern Region

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to: 1) conduct lesson learned to capture factors that were successfully influenced on the grassroots economy development of community; 2) develop and verify the structural equation model that predict the success of grassroots economic development in community; and 3) investigate the direct and indirect effects among factors in the model.                                                              Mixed research methods that include qualitative and quantitative approach were utilized in this study. With the qualitative approach, focus-group discussion technique was employed to gather information from participants who were at that time leaders and members of successful community enterprises and unsuccessful community enterprise in Chiang Rai province. Regarding the quantitative approach, self-administrative questionnaires were distributed to 424 respondents residing in the bordering province of Northern region (Chiang Rai province), Northeastern region (Nakhon Phanom province) and Southern region (Songkhla province).                                                                                                                                                           The findings of qualitative approach revealed that natural, human, society, political and policy, trading, infrastructure, culture, economic and communication were important factors that promoted grassroots economy development and well-being in community. However, the results of quantitative approach partially confirmed that political, policy, trading and communication factors yielded positive indirect effects on the well-being among people in community. Moreover, financial factor had a negative indirect impact on economic system and well-being of people in the community.