Phase I: In-depth Elite Interview

This section presents the research design for Phase I that aimed to examine the issues surrounding Thai automotive industry development.

5.2.1 Research Objectives and Questions for Phase I

This research uncovered developing issues in the automotive industry in the Thai context. As mentioned in Section 1.2, in order to examine the role of government policy affecting this development, the research question for Phase I was “What government policies were used

to develop technological capability in the Thai automotive industry from 1960-2009?”

Figure 5.2 Stages of the Research Process for Phase I

Developing Capability Literature Research Context Research Question for Phase I Research Method for Phase I Data Analysis for Phase I Conceptual Framework

90 The research question explored in Phase I, which is indicated above, was derived from documentary research including background information about the Thai automotive industry (see Chapter 2), and emerging discussions and themes in developing technological capability literatures (see Chapter 3). The Phase I findings were used to improve the relevance of research question (see Figure 5.2). The results from this phase, together with the review of the relevant literature, aided development of the conceptual framework of the research presented in Section 4.2 in Chapter 4.

5.2.2 Data Collection Method for Phase I

The research question of the development of the Thai automotive industry side of the study was explored using qualitative methods. In Table 5.9 in Section 5.5.2, the qualitative method can be seen to have its strengths. Due to the exploratory nature of this phase of the research, in-depth structured elite interviews were the primary data collection method used. Participants were encouraged to discuss the issue as freely as possible and in their own terms. The nature of the in-depth interview provides rich and in-depth information with respect to the issues involved. This research technique involves a set of pre-prepared guiding questions and prompts to encourage elaboration in an exploratory manner. Thus, the in-depth semi- structured elite interview seemed to be suitable for exploring this area. Further reasons for choosing the in-depth interview for Phase I are described in Section 5.5.1.

Before the interviews were executed, the researcher posted a letter issued by the Excise Department to the automotive company managers and government officials explaining the research objectives and providing some information about the people involved in the research and the institution where the research was being executed. After confirmatory feedback had been received, interviewing times were arranged. The interviews were carried out at the head offices of the companies and government agencies involved in the study. They were audio- recorded for later analysis and usually lasted from 45 to 60 minutes.

5.2.3 Interview Instruments for Phase I

The interview questions were prepared with the aim of collecting data and analysing the development of the Thai automotive industry in general and for understanding the role of government policy in the development of technological capability in particular.

91 The key areas delineated for discussion were:

1) The reasons for the generation of the automotive industry in Thailand. 2) The government role in the development of the industry.

3) Government policies enhancing the development of the industry. 4) Government policies hindering the development of the industry.

5) The difficulties of developing technological capability in general and in the automotive industry in particular.

6) The current level of technological capability in Thai auto part firms. 7) Future plans for developing technological capabilities in the industry.

From these key areas, the researcher built two sets of questions, one for government officials and another one for company managers. The first set of questions for government officials were introductory questions regarding the responsibilities of the interviewees in the government agencies. The next set of questions covered issues regarding government policies in general. It was intended that these questions investigate the main motivation behind the development of the Thai automotive industry as well as the problems the Thai automotive industry has so far faced. The subsequent two questions, by contrast, were aimed at exploring specific policies that have enhanced the development of the Thai automotive industry and particularly to explore the effect of government policies in developing technological capability therein. The subsequent two questions were about the current status of the Thai automotive industry’s technological capability. The last question was about the direction of government policy for the next ten years.

Regarding the company manager questions, the first question was intended to explore management perception of key government policies that have enhanced the development of technologies in the Thai automotive industry. The next three questions were intended to gain an understanding of the current technological capability level in the Thai automotive industry. The subsequent question intended to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the Thai automotive industry compared to that of Korea, China, and Malaysia. The last question concerned the industry’s recommendations for government policy in the near future.

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5.2.4 The Sample for Phase I

In-depth elite interviews were conducted with a total of five experts. Two were automotive company managers operating two of the largest automobile companies in Thailand: Isuzu and Thai Rung Union Car. The other three were government executives responsible for regulation, taxation and incentive policies for the Thai automotive industry. Those executives were working in three different government agencies, the Thailand Automotive Institute (TAI), the Excise Department, and the Office of Industrial Economics. The study therefore used expert sampling, a subcategory of purposive sampling. Purposive sampling is employed to identify a particular type of case for detailed investigation and involves the selection of members of a specialised population to do so (Neuman, 2003). The government executives and company managers that were interviewed for this study are experts on the Thai automotive industry as they are not only key authorities within their organisation but are also actively involved in developing it. For this reason, reliability and validity are preserved despite the small sample size.

Table 5.1 Participant List for Phase I

Participant Firm/Organisation Position

A1 Thai Rung Union Car Managing Director

A2 Isuzu Company Board of Directors

G1 Thailand Automotive Institute Director

G2 Excise Department, Ministry of Finance

Deputy-Director General: Tax Policy

G3 The Office of Industrial Economics, Ministry of Industrial

Automotive Industry Specialist

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5.2.5 Data Analysis for Phase I

The data collected for Phase I were subjected to qualitative analysis by the researcher. Analysis of relevant literature and documentation, along with the findings of the interviews conducted in Phase I, allowed for the creation of a new conceptual approach to government policies in this study (see Section 4.2).

After the interview process was completed the recorded interviews were transcribed to complete the analysis. This process also included the translation of the recorded material from Thai to English. Next, the qualitative data analysis of Phase I was employed. This comprised of three different stages: data reduction, data organisation and interpretation (Sarantakos, 1993). In the data reduction stage, the text was reviewed to identify and summarise the main themes of the interviews. In the data organisation stage, identified themes were presented cohesively in the context of the interview questions. In the interpretation stage, the results were discussed and evaluated in relation to conclusions related to the research questions.