Project Presentation and Best Paper Award at the Sino-ASEAN Conference

 Our team presented the findings of this project at the Sino-ASEAN International Conference hosted by Siam University from 15-16 June 2016, The conference was also co-hosted by Guanxi University of Finance and Economics from China.

Amidst all these conferences organized, significant topics are drafted, presented, and researched on the national interest of Thailand in being part of the ASEAN. Thailand as the third largest economy among her ASEAN compatriots inclined to take measures in the adaptation of ideas from different perspectives from scholars and academic elites who deliver speeches on the benefits of China-ASEAN relation. Due to this gradual progress, programs are planned, projected and achieved to inform the people of Thailand about the forthcoming ASEAN integration.

The focus of our presentation is on how mining MNCs affect socio-economic status of women in Thailand and Laos. More importantly, we tried to compare our findings from both countries to discuss potential impact from the forthcoming AEC in the region.

Siam University has made known to the public that one of its preserved lofty goals is to ensure that the ASEAN integration comes to its fulfilment in any possible means.

Below are the topics that were presented by the professors on that day, in case of necessity if any further research would be consulted on the same topics;

Dr. Vijit Supinit: ASEAN Financial Integration – a linkage to ASEAN plus countries;

Hai Yuan Gan: Empirical Study of Constructing Nanning Regional Financial Center under New Circumstances – A Comparative Research among Nanning, Kunming and Guiyang;

Ying Li & Xing Fang: A Study on Credit System of Cross-broader E-commerce from the Perspective of the Game Theory;

Nutthorn Kongthon & Pornpong Sakdapat: 1970’s China’s Banking Reform: Lesson learn from Thai banking sector;

Huang Rongzhe: Research on Innovative Development on Risk Control of the Third-Party Payment Platform Cross-Broader RMB Business;

Qin Qiang: The Equalization Effect of Different Categories of Intergovernmental Transfers in GuagXi of China;

Hataikan Nikornpongsin: Thai Economy, LTF/RMF are Sustained Investment within Fiscal and Monetary policy as Mechanism of Micro Economics;

Dr. Nattavud Pimpa & Dr Timothy Moore: Gender and Mining: How Mining Multinational Corporation Promote Women?

Nuttapol Vongchavalitkul, Busaya Vongchavalitkul& Teerayuth Pusanthank: Employee’s Motivation and Commitment in one Thai public Organization;

Huang Wufeng: The Study of the Application of E-commerce System in Sino-Thai Tourism Industry;

Noppawan Siriphol: Driving Growth in Thailand’s Tourism Sector: Strategic Benchmarking and Policy Recommendations;

Teetima Piyasirisilp: Achieving the ASEAN Economic Community 2015: Opportunities for Thai Hotel Industry;

Kimtao Ten: Linkage Between Chi Phat Community-based Ecotourism and Agriculture in Sustainable Tourism Development;

Lavanchawee Sujarittanonta: Potential of ASEAN Culture for the Chinese Market: Perspective of Young ASEAN Entrepreneurial Minds;;

Dr. Toni Momiroski: ASEAN Integration: The Folly of Bigness;

Yhing Sawheny: Dream for Future of ASEAN.

At the end of the conference, we are delighted to share with you that we have been awarded "Best Paper Award" from the committee of the conference. This is a true honour for our team to be acknowledged by the scholar community in the region.

Our presentation: Asia@RMIT

Asia@RMIT: Nattavud Pimpa on Australian-Thai Mining MNC: a business lesson in failed community engagement

Presenter: Assoc Prof Nattavud Pimpa
School of Management, College of Business
Date and Time: Wednesday 10 June 2015, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Place: 80.11.09

Title: Australian-Thai Mining MNC: a business lesson in failed community engagement

Abstract: In February, the Thai Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Mines ordered the 30-day suspension of activities of Akara resources, a Thai gold mining subsidiary of Australia’s Kingsgate Consolidated Limited. The suspension followed a protracted dispute between Akara and local villagers. The locals claimed – and this was voiced predominantly by women – they had been adversely affected by the mine’s activities. Based on our fieldwork in this mining community, this presentation will discuss key management and CSR issues that led to the current dispute among various stakeholders.

The project has been funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the AusAID Development Research Award (ADRAS).

A light lunch will be provided.

When	Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:30pm – 1:30pm Eastern Time - Melbourne, Sydney
Where	80.11.09 (map) Please come and join our project presentation.

Mining and Development: Our paper has been accepted at the 2015 Academy of...

Mining and Development: Our paper has been accepted at the 2015 Academy of...: Our paper on 'mining MNCs and gender equity in Mekong countries' has been accepted to present at the forthcoming 75th Academy of Man...

Our paper has been accepted at the 2015 Academy of Management

Our paper on 'mining MNCs and gender equity in Mekong countries' has been accepted to present at the forthcoming 75th Academy of Management annual meeting in Vancouver.

Key points from this paper will include findings from our fieldwork in both Laos and Thailand regarding power and relationships among Mining MNCs, women and their community. It is our hope that the findings from this project will promote ongoing dialogue on international business and community engagement.

The 75th annual meeting of the academy of management will be held in August 2015 in British Columbia, Canada. The program theme is Opening Governance which is relevant to our project and paper. This them invites all AOM members to consider opportunities to improve the effectiveness and creativity of organizations by restructuring systems at the highest organizational level, and to try to answer the many questions organizational governance faces in today's digital and informational climate.

In our research project, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we investigate various socio-economic impacts of mining as a powerful international industry in two countries in Mekong area: Laos and Thailand. The impacts of mining industry are multi faceted. Mining activities might be painted as a collective effort of a bunch of rapacious monsters, keen to simply tear up the land, clear cut forest, extract all the minerals from the earth and runaway. That old picture needs to change when we think of developmental aspects of the industry.

Partnership among stakeholders such as local and international Governments, mining multinational corporations (MNCs), community, and educational institutions can improve technical and vocational aspects as well as research delivered in response to mining industry demands. International mining industry can increase employment opportunities for local people and improve local participation in the industry.

Similar to most international industries, benefits from this industry come with some challenges. Stories of gold mining communities in Pichit Thailand and Vilabouly in Laos may sound like a classic story of a typical rural community that is discovered by a gigantic, powerful mining MNCs. Both community face rapid economic changes where employment opportunities, new infrastructure, and new opportunities in life are created by the advent of international mining MNCs.

However, with economic miracle, members of the community also feel 'the air of economic challenges.' The majority of workers of mining MNCs from our study raised a similar concern on uncertain economic future in the community. What can be done to guarantee this constant income in the future, when the end of mining industry approaches the community? In the Laos context, economic miracle from this international industry has long been supporting on-going development in the community. When the land becomes useless for mining industry, community members question their economic future. What should they and mining MNCs do to mitigate this future economic impact in the host counties?

The second challenge we learn from the project is the importance of relationship among mining stakeholders. If we use ‘stakeholder theory’ by  Ed Freeman to explain international mining industry, we understand that the conventional idea that business is about maximizing profits for shareholders is outdated. It does  not work well in modern economy since  the recent global financial crisis has taught us. The 21st Century is one of “Managing for Stakeholders.” The task of mining executives is to create as much value as possible for stakeholders without resorting to trade-offs.

With the serious (and notorious) circumstance in Thailand where the Thai Government commanded a mining MNC to shut down its operation, due to its potential contribution to public health concerns in the community, we learn that the failure to manage different demands from various stakeholders can be one of the key issues contributing to this problem.

Rural community may benefit from various levels of engagement among mining stakeholders that can potentially bring tremendous economic and technical benefits to community members. However, when various stakeholders involve, most mining MNCs may fail to respond to different demands from all stakeholders. That can potentially lead to management failure as one of the challenges in international mining industry.

In summary, benefits of mining industry can prevail over negative impacts if mining MNCs work very closely with and listen to all stakeholders in the host country. If community development is seen as an important element of international mining industry, it is important that mining MNCs must move beyond the point of being an industry where people engage purely for monetary benefits. The industry must speak out loud as an industry for sustainable development.

Capacity Building at the National University of Laos

ADRAS project is unique from any other research schemes in the sense that we need to focus on the developmental aspect of the project.  In the previous month, our team focused on building research capacity and skills with partners from Rajabhat, Burapha and Thammasat Universities. At this phase of the project, we visited the National University of Laos to work with our team and their students on the capacity building on research and communication of research in developmental studies.

We value the contribution of this project from both developmental and educational perspectives. Hence, our capacity building activities will focus on strategy to use education as a key tool to work with delegates from various developmental agencies in Lao PDR and countries in Mekong region.

                                                                            Patuxai

In early March, our team organised a workshop on research and communication in developmental studies, base on our fieldwork in Vilabouly (Lao PDR) and Pijit (Thailand). The workshop participants are 17 postgraduate students in the master of sciences in community development from National University of Laos (NUOL).

All of them are experienced workers from various international NGOs, Governmental agencies, business owners, and officers form international organisations in Lao PDR and the region. They were interested in conducting an individual community development project and keen to discuss and share their research experiences with our team. In particular, delegates who are currently working on gender, mitigation of natural disasters in Laos, and mining for development were keen to share with us their work and experiences from the fields.

Workshop was conducted by Associate Professor Kabmanivanh Phouxay from NUOL and Associate Professor Natt Pimpa from RMIT University. The key foci of the workshop include methodology for research in community development, how to identify impacts of your research, and communication techniques for researchers in this discipline.

                                                             Activity/Brainstorming

One important discussion among participants at the workshop is how to make the most of modern social media and electronic platforms to create impacts of our research in community development. Issues on modern platform such as open-access journal, linkedin, and webinar concept were debated among participants from NUOL.

                                               Photo with some delegates from NUOL

At the end of the training session, the delegates reflected upon their experiences at the workshop. For them, the most important learning aspect was their comprehension on communication strategies and techniques for research. It is commonly known that research in community development or economic development tend not to be well and strategically communicated, due to lack of skills and proper understanding of communication concept. It is our hope that this capacity building program, funded by DFAT, will be useful for all participants from Laos.

Our Project Article in 'The Conversation'

Kingsgate’s Thai mine a lesson in failed community management

In mid January, the Thai Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Mines ordered the 30-day suspension of activities of Akara Resources, a Thai gold mining subsidiary of Australia’s Kingsgate Consolidated Limited.

The suspension followed a protracted dispute between Akara and local villagers. The locals claimed – and this was voiced predominantly by women – they had been adversely affected by the mine’s activities.

Despite the concerns raised by villagers, Akara continued to issue environmental impact studies that failed to address the concerns.

But when the Thai government assessed the mine’s impacts on the environment and health, arsenic and manganese were found to exceed acceptable levels in 282 villagers living near Kingsgate’s Chatree gold mine in Pijit Province.

Kingsgate responded by arguing that “arsenic and manganese are not used or stored at the Chatree Mining operation now or at any time in its history". Indeed, it is cyanide rather than arsenic or manganese which is used to leach gold from ore.

Following a public hearing of key community stakeholders in February, the Department of Primary Industries and Mines announced it would lift the suspension order if Akara Resources were to prove its operations do not pose a threat to health. Apparently this did not happen to the government’s satisfaction, as an additional 45 days suspension has been applied.

How could things have gone so wrong?

Read full article at: https://theconversation.com/kingsgates-thai-mine-a-lesson-in-failed-community-management-37588