The Community Product Development and Sustainable Management of Community Occupation Groups

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to study the current situation of the community occupation groups in Tambon Tha Muang, Selaphum District, Roi Et Province, 2) to develop community products according to the creative economy using wisdom as a basis, and 3) to propose management guidelines for community occupational groups by using a spatial research model. The participants in this study were totally 60 people who were from 3 occupational groups in the community by using purposive sampling method. The research instruments for collecting data were interviews, surveys, focus groups, and questionnaires. The data were analyzed into percentage, mean, standard deviation. The results showed that the community products were firstly in common, no brand and package, lack of professional and product development, and traded in the community market and only in the province. Secondly, the development of prototype community products by applying the knowledge-based on creative economy concept with intellectual property and linking to culture as well as the community knowledge on technology and innovation such as Nanglet dessert, Dok Chok dessert, and purple sweet potato-sweet potato powder for drink, and 3) the guidelines for managing the community occupational groups such as occupational group establishment, brand and packaging design, and group structure and account management. Moreover, this study was also found another important factor which was in the process of product development revealed the community could apply the traditional knowledge with new knowledge as well as learn technology and innovation for the modern production.