Role performance of the Tambon Administrative Organization members in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand
Date
2005
Authors
Apirat Udomsup
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Abstract
This study was conducted primarily to find out the perceived role performance of the TAO members in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. It also aimed to determine the association between the demographic characteristics and psychological characteristics with the role performance of the TAO members.
The respondents consisted of 100 TAO members drawn from three districts of Phetchaburi Province, Thailand using multi stage sampling with a ratio of 3:1, by selected provinces, districts and tambons, respectively.
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, means, standards deviations, and ranges), independent t test and one way ANOVA.
Results showed that the TAO members of Phetchaburi Province in Thailand had a mean age of 42.74 years, and the more than one third (37%) of them were 34-42 years old. More than one third (35%) finished only up to the elementary school level. More than one half (65%) had undergone trainings relative to their jobs. However, majority (79%) of them claimed that they never had leadership experiences prior to their becoming Tambon Administrative Organization Members. the largest percentage (38%) of the respondents have spent 3.25 years as TAO members, and more than one third (36%) visited the village about 3 times a month.
Three groups of community activities were identified and the respondents' level of agreement or disagreement was elicited to measure their attitudes or psychological characteristics. These were rural development related tasks, cooperation and coordination of community project related tasks, and tasks related to the publicity of government development programs in the tambons. to each of these, majority agreed with the statements reflective of said tasks. The three groups of tasks had means of 4.12, 4.08 and 4.12 respectively, all of which imply that they had "Positive attitude" towards said tasks.
TAO members had a good role performance both as iniator and as implementer. the role as implementer had highest rating mean belonged. The grand mean rating of the respondents' role performance was 3.61 which is classified as "Good role performance".
As viewed by individual functions of role as an initiator, the function to "Perform other duties as entrusted by the service with a budget allocation or personnel when necessary and as appropriate," while the lowest mean obtained was the function to "Provide public disaster relief".
Role as an implementer, the function to "Proteck, look afetr and maintain property that is domain public of State" obtained the highest mean while the function to "Provide markets, berths or dock fro vessels and fording places" obtained the lowest rating.
Age, trainings, attended and frequency of visits were found to be significantly different with regard to the role performance of TAO members.
In terms of age, the role performance of the respondents' age of 25 to 33 years old did differ from the respondents age of 53 to 76 years old specifically, in the function to "Seek benefits from property belonging to the Tambon Administrative Authority", and the function to "Business concerning commerce." The TAO members with age range of 25 to 33 years old had a low performance compared to the TAO members with age range 53 to 76 years old.
In terms of frequency of visits, the TAO members who never visit their villages was found to differ significantly in their role performance from the one who visit villages 5 to 6 times per month in the function to "Provide public disaster relief", and function to "Seek benefit from property belonging to the Tambon Administrative Authority" and the function to "Business concerning commerce". In addition, the role performance of the TAO members who visit their villages 3 to 4 times per month did differ from the TAO members who visit their villages 3 to 4 times per month did differ from the TAO members who visit their villages 5 to 6 times per month. This was because the TAO members who visit their villages more often perceived that they had high role performance than the one who occasionally visit their villages.
No significant difference was found between the psychological characteristics of the respondents and their role performance.
Differences existed in the role performance of the TAO members when classified according to age, trainings attended, and frequency of visits was found.
Therefore, the hypothesis that there are no significant differences in the role performance of the respondents when classified according to the selected demographic characteristics (age, trainings attended and frequency of visits) was rejected.
No difference in the role performance of the TAO members when classified according to their psychological characteristics (attitude) was found. Therefore, the hypothesis that there are no significant differences in the role performance of the respondents when classified according to the selected psychological characteristics was accepted.