The Causal Factors for the Management of Digital Technology of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry in the Future

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to study the problems and obstacles in digital technology management of automotive industry entrepreneurs today 2) to study factors influencing digital technology management of automotive industry entrepreneurs and 3) to propose a causal model of digital technology management of automotive industry entrepreneurs in the future. The research employed a mixed-method study. For the quantitative research part, the samples were 400 automobile company owners and executives. For the qualitative research, the key data providers were 1) Five automotive company owners 2) Five automotive company executives 3) Five high-level officers of government agencies including those from the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Office of Industrial Standards, the association’s executive board, and the institute related to the automotive industry and 4) Five academicians related to automotive industry—all of which are 20 participants in total.

          The results respond to the first objective of the study which is to explore the problems and obstacles in the causal factors of digital technology management of automotive industry entrepreneurs today since the government has set the policy to focus on developing Thailand into the Thailand 4.0 era, which is a national agenda that is important for increasing the competitiveness, upgrading quality, and developing international work standards by applying innovative technology in business to promote management in the automotive industry.

          For the objectives 2) to study factors influencing digital technology management of automotive industry entrepreneurs and 3) to propose a causal model of digital technology management of automotive industry entrepreneurs in the future,  it is found that the causal model of digital technology management of the future automotive manufacturing industry proposed to make the management more efficient in the whole system consists of 4 aspects: 1) strategic leadership 2) organizational change, 3) digital technology and innovation and 4) causal factors of digital technology management of entrepreneurs in the automotive manufacturing industry in the future.

          The causal model of digital technology management of the future automotive manufacturing industry is listed based on the order of importance of each component as follows:

1. 1. The influence value of digital technology and innovation is 0.438 consisting of 3 components: 1) Technological innovations in products and services (0.687) 2) Innovations in process technology (0.627) and 3) Innovations in management technology (0.613).
2. 2. The influence value of strategic leadership is 0.398 consisting of 3 components: 1) Change-oriented Leadership Model (0.690) 2) Transformational Leadership Model (0.655) and 3) Creative Leadership Model (0.709).
3. 3. The influence value of organizational change is 0.291 consisting of 3 components: 1) Policy (0.702) 2) Organizational structure (0.710)  and  3) Human resources (0.698).

In terms of causal factors, digital technology management of future automotive manufacturing industry operators consists of 4 components as follows:

1. 1. Research, development, and innovation in the automotive manufacturing industry in the future with an influence value of 0.788
2. 2. Competition in the automotive manufacturing industry in the future with an influence value of 0.795
3. 3. Related and supporting industries in the automotive manufacturing in the future with an influence value of 0.741
4. 4. Operating results with an influence value of 0.737

          The causal factors of digital technology management of the automotive manufacturing industry in the future will clearly take into account the key issues related to production and marketing goals. They also create the balance between supply and demand, focus on adding value and market demand in line with the National Economic and Social Development Plan that aims to use highly effective digital technology to be a high-value and sustainable industry.