Batik Fabric: A Buddhist-Inspired “Nawatwithi” Community Model for Enhancing Community Product Standards and Creating Competitive Advantage in the Urban Community of Pak District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

            This research article aimed to: (1) diagnose structural constraints in the batik production system of the Muang Pak community, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, (2) examine the process of product upgrading through a Buddhist innovative community approach, and (3) develop a Buddhist-based community innovation model for batik products to enhance the community’s competitive advantage. The study employed an Action Research design following a four-step cycle. The population consisted of stakeholders involved in the batik industry in the Pak community, with a purposive sample of 50 participants. Key informants included batik producers, experts, and community leaders. Research instruments comprised interviews, observations, training activities, and evaluation forms, with content validity verified using an IOC value of 0.67–1.00. Data were analyzed through content analysis, comparative analysis, and descriptive synthesis.

            Findings indicate that the production system is constrained by deficiencies in skills and labor capacity, quality standardization, resource management, and technological capability, leading to inconsistent product quality, elevated costs, and limited value creation. Despite possessing substantial Buddhist cultural capital, the absence of systematic governance mechanisms impedes sustainable advancement. Product upgrading emerged through the strategic integration of cultural capital, Buddhist principles, reinterpretative spiritual framing, and modern management practices. This integrative process converts cultural capital into strategic capabilities, reinforcing identity-based differentiation and value enhancement within the BCC–SCA Model framework. The study further proposes a three-layer concentric innovation model that links foundational value systems to product, process, and storytelling-driven marketing innovation. The model strengthens distinctiveness, branding, and social capital accumulation, thereby generating inimitable competitive advantage and fostering long-term economic sustainability at the community level.