A Potential Development Framework to Support Provincial Tourism-Sports Office Managerial Personnel in the Digital Economy

Abstract

       The study key aims are 1) to identify potential knowledge and skills needed, which would become the components of the potential development model of management-level personnel under Provincial Tourism-Sports Office in the digital economy, and 2) to create a user manual that provides guidelines relating to the topic. The combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods was applied. The study sample for qualitative data was represented by 7 individuals comprising administrators working at Thailand’s Provincial Tourism and Sports Office along with public and private sectors’ professional experts whose areas of expertise are the sports-tourism industry. The target groups for quantitative study encompassed 277 members of management level from Thailand's 77 provinces. They were then classified into Provincial Office’s top-level and middle-level executives, together with managerial personnel associated with Provincial Tourism Association and Provincial Sports Association. Research instruments involved a semi-structured in-depth interview form, a record of group discussion sessions and a survey form. Qualitative analysis was performed using content analysis and content validity whereas frequency distribution, percentage, standard deviation and exploratory factor analysis were used for quantitative analysis.

       As results, the explored competency framework for personalized performance development is made up of three essential components along with their ten subcomponents as follows: 1) Knowledge competence, with three subcomponents (local identity and related laws, organizational and human resource management practices, and digital savviness);  2) Skills, with four subcomponents (skills in learning, building sports tourism-based partnership networks, management skills, and implementation of digital technology in that sector); 3) Desirable features, with three subcomponents (career success, interpersonal skills in the workplace, and  leadership skills).

       According to the assessment, the panel of experts provided a unanimous consent in favor of the potential development model and the developed manual with respect to their acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.