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The objectives of this research are to (1) study the clusteros progress, strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, threats, and the guidelines to solve problem of the cluster, (2) study the clusteros potentials which include factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, and context for firm strategy and rivalry, and (3) suggest the guidelines for potential development of the cluster. Purposive sampling was used in this research. The samples of the first objective were selected from the clusteros committee representatives. The second objective were selected from the clusteros members. And the third objective were selected from the clusteros committee, the clusteros members, the related government and private sectors. The research tools include questionnaire and interview guides which were examined on the content validity and reliability. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.946. Data were collected fromconducting interviews the focus groups, which were later analyzed by content analysis. The data used were collected from the questionnaire that was analyzed by descriptive statistics. The first finding revealed that the cluster created cooperation, assistance, activities for increasing thevalue added and competitiveness. On the clusteros strengths, it was concluded that (1) the members were producers v exporters, (2) farmers had many specializations and experiences, (3) the members had mangosteen plantations, (4) the cluster had a few outside competitors, (5) the clusteros mangosteens were marketable products, (6) each of the small groups had the potentials to be the cluster, (7) there were markets for some products, (8) the clusteros mangosteens could transfigure, and (9) the exporters set up the buying points in Chanthaburi areas. The weaknesses derived from (1) the members missed information for planning, (2) the cluster couldnot identify the right quantity of products, (3) the products werenot in line with the markets (4) the clustercouldnot make the confidence for collectors and exporters, (5) the members didnot have the confidence together, (6) the cluster couldnot fix a price by itself, (7) the cluster couldnot distribute products to everywhere, (8) the cluster couldnot export by itself, (9) the members didnot have the knowledge of marketing and mangosteen selection, and (10) the cluster was short of money for mangosteen collection. And the opportunities could identify that (1) consumers interested in mangosteenos quality, (2) there was an upward trend in foreign markets, (3) there were a few competitors, and (4) the government supported to be cluster cooperation. But it was found that the threats of the cluster were (1) some mangosteens were low in quality, (2) the budget and supporting fund were deficient, (3) trade system was a semi-monopoly market, (4) thecluster lacked the unity to development, and (5) some mangosteens werenot in agreements with the importers. Finally, the guidelines led the cluster to solve problems, we concluded that (1) the cluster should handle production data to be the unity, (2) the government should support the cluster consecutively, (3) the production should be of quality, (4) the cluster should plan the productos distribution, (5) the members should have activities consecutively, (6) the cluster should motivate members to participate in formal and informal meetings, and (7) the committee had competency in management, (8) the cluster should receive supporting budgets from relevant organizations The second finding revealed that 46.90% of samples recognized and understood differences between the cluster and the other cooperation in Chanthaburi province, the other cooperation differed from the cluster in production and marketing assistances. Additionally, 43.80% of samples recognized and understood that the other cooperation differed from the cluster in objectives of settlement and operation target. However, 87.50% of samples recognized and understood that the cluster had objectives to extend products and markets. The 81.20% of samples recognized and understood that the cluster had objectives for sustainable development. The 90.60% of samples recognized and understood that the mangosteenos cluster came from meetings / trainings / seminars was arranged by government sectors. The 68.80% of samples recognized and understood that the government was important role and leader of the cluster. The 81.20% of samples recognized and understood that there were the clusteros leaders, the clusteros objectives and the clusterosproject initiations. The 71.90% of samples recognized and understood that the cluster had cooperated in a period of time, usually met and initiated some projects together. The 90.60% of samples recognized and understood that the cluster had benefits. The 50.00% of samples ready agreed and cooperated. The 84.40% of samples recognized and understood that government or private sectors had coordinated activities and there were the related and supporting industries. The 62.50% of samples recognized and understood that there was the cooperation moderately. The 46.90% of samples recognized and understood that there was the information changing in a small group.The third finding revealed that 84.40% of samples cooperated is ready to develop for the commongood. The 43.80% of samples entered the formal meetings more than 1 month. The 71.90% of samplesentered the informal meetings more than 1 month. The 68.80% of samples had participated the clusteros activities every time. The 93.80% of samples recognized that the developments of knowledge and experience were benefits from the cluster. The 100.00% of samples recognized that the most of members were producers. The 93.80% of samples recognized that there were the activities together. The 87.50% of samples recognized that the activityos participations of government and private sectors were factors of the clusteros cooperation. The 59.40% of samples recognized that the marketing issues were the encouraging factors. The 71.90% of samples recognized that the clusteros leaders were devoted persons. The fourth finding revealed that the clusteros factor conditions had the potentials at the highest level in the bountiful resources. But the cluster had the potentials at the high level in the supply and plenty of local factors, the capacity to approach the factor sources, the local physical infrastructures, the abilityand fullness of members, the local wisdom using for the production developments. However, the potentials were at the medium level in the tools, the machines and the modern technologies using for the mangosteen production, and the capacity to approach the capital sources. The clusteros demand conditions had potentials at the high level in the quality and the identity of the clusteros mangosteen when compared with competitors. The potentials were at the medium level in the average growth of mangosteen sales, the penetration of domestic markets and overseas markets, and the mechanism to protect consumers. Furthermore, the potentials of related and supporting industries were at the high level in the cooperation of each member group, and the changing of information. The potentials were at the medium level in the clusteros supply chains, the support came from education or specific organizations, related and supporting industries. Finally, the potentials of context for firm strategy and rivalry were at the high level in the leader group, the cooperation characteristic, the competition of external producers. The potentials were at themedium level in the management, the characteristic and procedure of activities, and the power ofnegotiation to suppliers. On the other hand, the potentials were at the lowest level in the power of negotiation to middle merchandisers / fruit collectors / exporters. The fifth finding revealed that the guidelines for potential development of the cluster in factor conditions inferred that the cluster should (1) increase the memberos production efficiency, (2) support factors, (3) develop off v season production technique for mangosteen (4) have learning and development together (including the cluster, government and private sectors), and (5) develop data base system together (including the cluster, related organizations). In domestic demand conditions, this research suggested that the cluster should (1) set up buying points of mangosteen, (2) promote and support the distributions of mangosteen to other provinces, and (3) campaign for mangosteen consumptions in Chanthaburi province. And the suggestion for oversea demand summarized that the cluster should (1) set up the productos distribution, (2) support the budget and the opening of new markets, (3) keep and enlarge the former markets, (4) campaign mangosteens in the oversea markets, and (5) ask for government to negotiate tradeos obstructions. Moreover, the related and supporting industries found that the cluster should (1) make the driving to stimulate the efficient connections, (2) connect the transfigurationos entrepreneurs, (3) cooperate with exporters and logistic entrepreneurs, (4) cooperate with education or research organizations, and (5) join hand with education or research organizations to educate the members. The last guideline was the context for firm strategy and rivalry, we suggested that the cluster should (1) develop vigorousness, (2) agree with the qualitative production and selection of mangosteen for exporting, (3) eliminate unnecessary cost of production, (4) set up funds for development and management, and (5) make strategies to increase export values. |
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