Legal Form for Establishing Maritime Knowledge Management Organization

Abstract

This article demonstrates methodology and findings of a research on a legal form of
maritime knowledge management organization in Thailand. As each form of state organ
has different legal status and framework, it is then necessary to consider the one most
suitable and effective for maritime knowledge management in the Thai context. By this,
the essential elements leading to the findings include an analysis of objective, characteristic,
and function of a maritime knowledge management organization which Thailand supposed
to have, an investigation on the necessity of establishing a maritime knowledge management
organization both internationally and domestically, as well as background and impediment
encountered during the establishments of past maritime knowledge management
organizations in Thailand. In addition, it is crucial to conduct a comparative study of the
good legal framework of international maritime knowledge management organizations.
The research then studies a possible form of maritime knowledge management organization
under the Thai legal system along with samples of established knowledge management
organization for other affairs. Finally, comments from experts in maritime domain are
integrated into this study.

The findings demonstrate that, at the beginning, the organization should focus
on managing knowledge instead of creating it on their own. Its main function shall be
cooperating, gathering, and integrating knowledge from various organization to support
useful academic reason for decision and policy makers in practice. The most suitable
legal form of organization for such duty is foundation or institute under public university.
In the future, the form of establishment of knowledge management organization could
be improved to public organization, so as to become a more well-rounded organization
in terms of being able to cover more knowledge management competence.