Development of Competencies for Community Entrepreneurs in Doi Saket District, Chiang Mai Province Through Appreciative Inquiry

Pariwat Sirakiatsakul; Phuriwat Cheekham

doi:10.69650/jcdrhs.2026.1504

Authors

Pariwat Sirakiatsakul Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Phuriwat Cheekham Department of Home Economics, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69650/jcdrhs.2026.1504

Keywords:

Appreciative Inquiry, Competency, Entrepreneurs, Community, Chiang Mai

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to propose a competency development process for community entrepreneurs, focusing on new product creation and enhancing community income through digital marketing, using the Appreciative Inquiry approach. Data was collected through interviews with 26 entrepreneurs representing 15 community products in Doi Saket District, Chiang Mai Province. The findings revealed that successful community entrepreneurship was driven by six key success factors: external network support, peer motivation, strong group participation, utilization of social capital, continuous product quality improvement aligned with consumer behavior, and leadership expertise. Essential competencies were classified into three dimensions: knowledge, skills, and attributes. Based on these findings, a four-stage competency development process following the AI 4-D cycle (Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny) was proposed and piloted with two model community enterprises. The results indicate that integrating Appreciative Inquiry with competency-based development enhances entrepreneurs’ ability to create new products and effectively use digital marketing to increase community income. Future research is recommended to quantitatively validate the competency framework and examine its impact on business performance across different regional contexts.

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