GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING OPERATIONAL COMPETENCE OF THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to: 1) study the condition and problems in improving human resource and the operational competence of the immigration officers, 2) compare the difference of the operational competence of the immigration officers with different characteristics, 3) study the human resource development factors affecting the operational competence of the immigration officers, and 4) study the guidelines for improving operational competence of the immigration officers. The data were collected by using a questionnaire. The samples were 386 personnel, consisting of the commissioned police officers and the civil servants working for the Immigration Headquarters, selected by using a stratified random sampling method. And, an in-depth interview was also used for collecting data from 17 key informants, selected by using purposive sampling method, consisting of administrators, specialists or scholars, and operators. The data were analyzed by using mean, standard deviation, t-test, F-test, One-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis, including content analysis. The research results were as follows: 1) the personnel’s morale in work performance should be enhanced and the training should be organized to improve body of knowledge and to stimulate the personnel for regular alertness, more efficiency, and coping with the changing world nowadays, 2)the operational competence of immigration officers with different gender was overall not different, whereas the operational competence of those with different level of education, level of rank, position, and duration of work was different in overall and in each aspect was different with statistical significance at the .05 level, 3) human resource development factors accounted for 30.30 percent of the change in the operation of immigration officers (Adjusted R2 = 0.303). The factors on human resource development, evaluation, and method and technique application, affected the operational performance of immigration officers with statistical significance at the .01 level, and 4) there were 4 guidelines for improving operational competence of the immigration officers in 4 aspects as follow: (1) personnel, commanders, and officers, (2) technology, (3) organizational culture, and (4) budget and equipment.