A qualitative case study of the introduction of strategic management into Thailand's Division of Occupational Health

This research addresses the lack of knowledge concerning the use of strategic management (SM) by nonprofit government organizations in a developing country. The investigation attempted to uncover previously undescribed phenomena related to the use of SM, a management philosophy and system of decision-making that may make organizations progressively more responsive, effective, and efficient in mission achievement and vision attainment.

As the study developed, a more specific need was defined, the need to identify obstacles and facilitators of introducing SM into a developing country's public health organizations. In the spring of 1992, the Thailand Division of Occupational Health (DOOH) began to implement an SM program, and agreed to allow this investigator to conduct a qualitative case study on this implementation.

This research used personal observations and transcript data from 14 interviews and two focus groups with Thai participants in the DOOH's attempt to adopt SM, to begin answering the preliminary questions: (a) What were the strengths and weaknesses of the DOOH's attempt to introduce SM?, and (b) How might the DOOH diminish the weaknesses and build on the strengths of its attempt to introduce SM?

The hypotheses and recommendations generated from this exploration are significant because they can help those interested in evaluating SM's transferability from a developed country's governmental context to public health organizations existing in rapidly developing countries or newly industrialized countries. The research addresses the current lack of knowledge about what happens when SM is used by public health organizations in Southeast Asia. It also provides public health officials and academicians with information about problems and possible solutions concerning a Southeast Asian public health organization's attempt to use SM. More directly, this dissertation can be useful to Thai public health officials as they introduce SM into their organizations.