Learning Process Model of Community-Based Enterprises for Sustainability: A Case Study of Urban Communities in Bangkok

Abstract

An entrepreneur is not effortless, specifically individuals lacking managerial mastery but planning to operate their local enterprises sustainably. This investigation uncovered the learning process model of sustainability in community-based enterprises among four urban community-based enterprise winners in Bangkok. To develop the model, the local enterprise employees were purposefully chosen to represent their learning process on how to sustain the community’s businesses. The key informants as experts were invited to affirm the developing sample, and then another local enterprise was chosen to evaluate the model based on its own management experiences. The model comprises three crucial parts: firstly, the conceptual structure (personal well-being, community benefits, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit), which adopts a sufficiency economy philosophy (morality, knowledge, moderation, reasonableness, and self-immunity); secondly, informal management function (creativity, marketing strategies, innovative products/services, operation, new performances, evaluation, and reflection) requires self-directed learning and participatory learning among members, collaborative learning with private and public agencies, and a sufficiency economy philosophy. Thirdly, sustainability (community economy, social responsibility, and green operations) shows the local business management goals. It is suggested that all local business parties create their learning platforms, both online and offline, and choose the best local business learning center for their local business learner guests. Meanwhile, private and public agencies can launch the course using the sufficiency economy philosophy principles, showing how to manage community business for sustainability in the Thai context.