INTEGRATED BUDDHIST-BCG COMMUNITY INNOVATION: A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH ON SOCIAL VALUE CREATION IN COASTAL THAILAND
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Abstract
This research aims to 1) Develop an integrated Buddhist-BCG community innovation framework and 2) Examine the mechanisms of community innovation and social value creation through participatory action research (PAR). The study was conducted in the coastal community of Chonburi Province, centered around Wat Uthokkhep Simaram, comprising 3 cycles over a 3-year period (2024 - 2026), covering 4 stakeholder groups totaling 155 participants, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through a questionnaire measuring consumer satisfaction and marketing capability, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired t-test statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis, together with an assessment of Social Return on Investment (SROI). The findings revealed that: 1) Regarding the integrated Buddhist-BCG innovation framework, integrating the Ditthadhammikattha-samvattanika-attha 4 principles, the BCG concept, and PAR together generated a “multi-dimensional integrated mechanism,” whereby Buddhist principles served as the behavioral-regulation mechanism, BCG served as the resource-transformation mechanism converting resources into value, and PAR served as the mechanism driving community learning and participation; and 2) Regarding the mechanisms for community innovation and social value creation, the three-cycle iterative development process led to a transition from surveying community problems and resources in Cycle 1, to co-creating and deciding on a cockle-shell-calcium-enriched herbal toothpaste innovation in Cycle 2, and elevating digital marketing linkages into a comprehensive community innovation system in Cycle 3. In terms of outcomes, the community's marketing capability increased from 1.16 to 4.08, average income rose by 20%, cockle shell waste decreased by 70%, consumer satisfaction remained at a high level (4.63), and the SROI value equaled 3.5, reflecting strong and measurable social value for money. This research proposes an “Integrated Transformation System” framework that clearly explains the mechanisms for creating economic, social, and environmental value in a concrete and sustainable manner.
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