The Potential and Strength of Community Enterprises in Ayutthaya Province

Abstract

The objectives of the research on the potential and strength of community enterprises in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province are to study the potential and operational strength of community enterprises in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, and to compare the operations between the community enterprises in the form of cultural and local societies and the community enterprises seeking to make profits and promote careers for the members of the community in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The research methodology starts from the determination of the multistage sampling procedure in sampling from random of the community enterprises at the district level and the sub-district level. The research methodology is in the form of purposive sampling based on the decision of the researchers focusing on the characteristics of the selected group according to the research objectives. The researchers collected data by observing the operational process of the community enterprises, getting involved in the community enterprises, having an in-depth interview with the president of the community enterprises. Ten members of each community enterprise were randomly selected by the accidental sampling method. A total of 160 participants were interviewed by the community enterprise committee. The community enterprise leaders gathered the additional information through the focus group discussion presenting two evaluation forms of strength and potential of community enterprises in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province as the community enterprises conducting cultural and locally social activities, and community enterprises in the commercial nature of community entrepreneurs. The results clearly show the potential and strength of both types of community enterprises. As both types of community enterprises are accepted by community members, there are signs to solve problems and meet the needs of the community very well by using social capital combined with the use of basic resources from the community.