Factors affecting the selection of female leaders in Sangkha Subdistrict Municipality, Sangkha District, Surin Province

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) study the factors affecting the election of female leaders; 2) investigate the relationship between these factors and the election of female leaders; and 3) propose guidelines for the development of these factors. This study employed a mixed-methods approach. For the quantitative phase, data was collected from 345 samples, derived from a population of 2,521 people aged 18 and over using Yamane's formula. The research instrument was a questionnaire with a reliability of 0.962. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression. For the qualitative phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 purposively selected key informants, and the data was analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that:  1. The overall level of factors affecting the election of female leaders was high (Mean = 3.70).  2. The relationship analysis showed a high overall correlation (r = 0.945). The four factors (female candidate factors, socio-cultural factors, political and institutional factors, and communication and public relations factors) collectively explained 61.80% of the variance in the election of female leaders (R² = 0.618). 3. Guidelines for developing these factors were proposed, including: 1) promoting leadership potential and skills; 2) government agencies should provide training and incentives for women to enter politics; 3) using social media to disseminate informative and positive content; 4) campaigning to establish new, open-minded values that honor women leaders; and 5) developing a mentorship system for knowledge transfer from senior to new female leaders.