The Roles of Local Leader in Managing Natural Resource and Community Environment : A Case Study in Prachaksinlapakhom District, Udonthani Province.

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to study and compare the role of a Local Leader in managing natural resource and community environment : a case study of Prachaksinlapakhom District, Udonthani Province. For this study two dimensions of local leaders’ characteristic were studied : leaders by structure and leaders by nature ; the aim was to present a model and strategic guidelines for developing local leader in managing natural resource and community environment. The sample population for this research were 382 local leaders in Prachaksinlapakhom District, Udonthani. The instrument for this research were a questionnaire and the statistics used in analyzing the data were percentage, mean and standard deviation while the hypothesis was tested by using t-test and ANOVA. 

            Findings of the study were as follows:

             (1) The overall role of local leaders in Prachaksinlapakhom District, Udonthani were found at the high level, and the role regarding each of the specific aspects were also found at the high level. In addition, the overall need regarding local leaders’ roles in managing natural resource and community environment was found at the high level, and the needs for leaders’ roles in specific areas were also shown at the high level.

               (2) Regarding the two dimensions of leaders’ characteristics, leader by structure and leader by nature, the study revealed that the overall characteristics of their roles were found at the high level. And when specific aspects were studied, it was found that the aspects regarding protection of natural resource and community environmental were statistically different at the .05 level of significance. As for the needs of local leader, the study revealed that the overall needs for role development of the two groups in managing natural resource and community environmental were statistically different at the .05 level of significance.

            These research finding can provide guidelines for setting strategies for developing local larders’ role, which can into three categories as follows : Strategy for developing knowledge and understanding managing of natural resource and community environment ; Strategy in local leaders’ participation in managing of natural resource and community environment, and Strategy for regulating and monitoring managing of natural resource and community environment.