BUDDHA METHOD FOR PROMOTING PUBLIC SERVICE RENDERING OF CHANTHABURI PROVINCIAL PRISON

Abstract

This research article aimed to: 1. study the level of public service quality of Chanthaburi Provincial Prison; 2. examine the relationship between the Four Sangahavatthu principles and the public service quality of Chanthaburi Provincial Prison; and 3. propose Buddhist approaches for enhancing public service quality. This study employed a mixed-method research design. The quantitative data were collected from 200 service users using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with nine key informants and analyzed using content analysis.

The research findings revealed that 1. the overall public service quality of Chanthaburi Provincial Prison based on the Four Bases of Social Solidarity (Sangahavatthu 4) was at a moderate level ( = 3.13, S.D.= 0.78) When considering each aspect individually, Piyavaca (kind speech) had the highest mean score, followed by Samanattata, Atthacariya, and Dana, respectively, followed by Piyavaca (kind speech), Samanattata (consistency/equality), and Atthacariya (helpfulness). 2. the Four Sangahavatthu principles had a very high positive relationship with public service quality (R = .856**) at the statistical significance level of 0.01, and all dimensions showed a high positive relationship; and 3. the Buddhist approaches for enhancing public service quality and the new body of knowledge derived from this study can be synthesized into the “SLFD Model,” which integrates the Four Sangahavatthu principles with four dimensions of public service, namely Service Development, Listening and Participation, Facilitation, and Decentralization, in order to enhance public service quality effectively and sustainably.