An Analysis of the Sustainable Operations of San Na Meng Subdistrict Saving for Weaving Production Group Community Enterprise, San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

 The recent economic crisis in Thailand was quite severe. But there were still some community enterprise groups that have been able to continually operate sustainably. Hence, it is interesting to know how these community enterprises operate their business sustainably. Therefore, this research was aimed to analyze the current conditions, the sustainable operations, and factors relating sustainable operations of San Na Meng Subdistrict Saving for Weaving Production Group Community Enterprise, San Sai district, Chiang Mai province. Data were collected using interview schedule including focus group discussion technique with 150 community enterprise members. Obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, structural equation model analysis with AMOS program, and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient.

The results reveal that most of the members (69.30 percent) were female with 52.62 years of average age, married (67.30 percent), and reached primary school (34.00 percent). They had 8,393.33 baht in average annual income. Most of them had never attended any training about sustainable development (56.00 percent) and promotion from government agencies regarding sustainable operations (63.30 percent). They had been a member of the community enterprise group for 3.67 years on average. The members believed in the high level ( =4.47) on leadership of the enterprise group’s executives. However, they had high level on knowledge and understanding (98.00 percent) and attitude ( =3.98) in terms of the sustainable development, and they had a moderate level ( =2.68) of satisfaction with welfare received for the community enterprise group, while the members had high level in sustainable operations ( =3.76) as a whole. In terms of AMOS analysis, the results shown that the structural equation model of support factors, and socio-economic factor, influence the sustainable operations. Besides, the study found 3 variables correlating the sustainable operations as a whole namely: age, attending the training about sustainable development, and the promotion from government agencies regarding sustainable operations. In this regard, members of the community enterprise group are getting older, receive regular training and promotion from government agencies, it will result in a higher level of sustainable operations.