Thailand’s Digital Economy Transformation: Rectifying the Middle-Income Trap by Leveraging Digital Capabilities in the Agriculture Industry

<p>The Thai government has been attempting to move the country out of the middle-income trap through digital economy strategies. Among these strategies, digital innovation is the most central. Leveraging digital capabilities in the agriculture industry, a sector that a large number of low-income farmers work in, conveys digital innovations to farmers. Digital innovation is expected to increase farmer incomes and ultimately help the country step out of the middle-income trap. This dissertation aimed to 1) identify the major challenges of digital economy transformation, 2) develop a model that explains digital agriculture innovations, 3) apply the model to real use cases of digital transformation, and 4) identify a set of lessons learned from the entire research model that can guide policymakers to leverage digital capabilities to advance the agriculture industry. The dissertation identified how digital capabilities might improve farmer welfare by using multiple case studies. Three cases were studied individually and then synthesized into a data model. The participants covered five groups of stakeholders: developers, government officers, mid-tier employees, user farmers, and non-user farmers. The findings provide a data model explaining the practices of digital agriculture innovations. Moreover, the results guide policymakers to invest in and implement digital strategies to advance the agriculture industry and help lift the middle-class economy. Digital policies, strategies, and investment programs can be implemented in the agriculture sector and applied to other industries such as automobile, healthcare, and tourism.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Information Systems and Technology, PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Center for Information Systems and Technology

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Suksa-ngiam, Watanyoo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lorne Olfman
• Sonya Zhang
• Pakdee Manaves

• Agriculture
• Digital Capabilities
• Digital Economy
• Digital Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Thailand
• Economics
• Public Policy

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/611

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-1633