Processes and Strategies for Problems-Solving of Hat Yai Entrepreneurs Reflected Through Story: A Linguistic Analysis

Abstract

          This research aims to study the processes and strategies in solving problems faced by entrepreneurs in Hat Yai. In-depth interviews were employed to allow the entrepreneurs to freely narrate their stories by addressing the context of Covid-19 and to interpret and explain meanings by implementing linguistic analysis tools. The interviews were conducted on a total of 14 businesses from commercial and service-oriented enterprises. The results found four key business operational processes: firstly, Business Foundation or Starting Points in Business, including familial backgrounds, work experiences, individual work preferences, market location preferences, and market survey or similar to conducting a research; secondly, Inspirations or Pivotal Points in Business, including workplace change, problems or obstacles encountered, and business perspectives or niches discovered by entrepreneurs; thirdly, Business Operation Methods, including core values in operating business, target groups or customers, customer negotiations, and business management; and fourthly, Challenges or Problems in Business Operations. Moreover, the findings revealed four problem-solving strategies and action plans in business operations, including: solving lifestyle-related problems; solving business-related problems; perspectives on problems and finding solutions; and planning for future business operations. This research, leveraging linguistic analysis tools on insights from entrepreneurs' lived experiences, contributes to a deeper understanding of local business operations, perspectives on problems and problem-solving in business and future business plannings.