THE TRANSFORMATION OF AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITIES IN THAILAND CAUSE, PROCESS, RESULTS AND FACTORS TOWARD SUCCESS

Abstract

The research on transformation of autonomous universities in Thailand: causes, process, results and factors toward success aimed 1. To study on the causes of transformation into autonomous universities; 2. To study on the process and acts against transformation of public university into autonomous universities; 3. To study on the satisfaction of universities’ personnel toward the university management pre and post to the transformation from public university into autonomous universities; 4. To study on the factors facilitating toward successful public university transformation into autonomous universities. This study conducted the qualitative research together with quantitative research. Thus, the researcher collected data from five universities for example, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Kasetsart University, Burapa University, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, and Suan Dusit University. According to the study results, it was found that 1) There were two reasons to transform into autonomous universities; first, it was the internal factors that were driven by the university management and; second, the external factors such as government policy that wanted to reduce the costs of government and for the universities to have more freedom in their management 2) Processes and anti-changes, where all changes in the university were slightly and it may take long time to completely shift into autonomous universities. Since anti of changes in any universities was not found to be violence; there may be some groups that disagreed with transformation into autonomous universities. 3) Satisfaction of university’s personnel toward university management pre and post to the transformation into autonomous universities had found without difference from pre to post transformation. 4. Factors facilitating toward success in transformation into autonomous universities were divided into (1) management (2) organization personnel, and (3) government policy. Factors facilitating toward success as autonomous universities were personal related factors such as management and personnel.