Leadership Based on the Four Principles of Saṅgahavatthu of Administrators of Child Development Centers under Local Administrative Organizations in Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) study the leadership practices and 2) explore approaches to leadership based on the Four Principles of Saṅgahavatthu of administrators of child development centers under local administrative organizations in Khon Kaen Province. The study employed a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected from 186 administrators and teachers and 9 key informants using questionnaires and interviews. Data analysis involved frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, descriptive statistics, and content analysis. The research results were as follows: 1. The leadership practices of administrators based on the Four Principles of Saṅgahavatthu were rated at a high level overall and across individual aspects. Among these, Samānattatā (equality) was the most practiced, while Piyavācā (pleasant speech) was the least practiced. 2. The approaches to leadership based on the Four Principles of Saṅgahavatthu are as follows: Administrators should demonstrate kindness in various aspects, be polite and gentle, maintain impartiality, respect subordinates, distribute tasks or responsibilities equitably, and evaluate the performance of personnel with fairness and equality.