LITERATURE REVIEW
2.4 Concepts of Integration
2.4.1 Definition of Integration
The word of “integration” that was a vocabulary root from Latin language
“integrate” means all combinations and no missing parts. For the word in English language, it is “integration” that means doing things that are missing to be a completeness by adding a missing piece or combining over two sub-components into one bigger part (Benjawan Timsuwan & Rachanee Sunsern, 2012). According to the literature reviews, it found that it generated the content in identifying the meaning of integration into two points. For the first point, the conceptual or knowledgeable integration that combines knowledge or scattered sciences has been used in one situation to create new knowledge and innovations or concepts. For the second point, it is the integration in terms of administration or working that combines the
components of working, operation or resources into the model of process, holistic operating directions and sharing resources or potentials in order to reach the objectives or purposes together.
In the part of conceptual or knowledgeable integration, it was created in the study based on educational base by mixing the existing knowledge into a new concept. For example, Beane, Toepfer, and Alessi (1986) proposed the integration that means building knowledge and new experiences by combining all together in order to be consistent with the requirements and real life conditions. Importantly, it is necessary to combine together rather than separate into many parts. Additionally, Chanathip Pornkul (2000) mentioned about the integration that means connecting knowledge from each location and sector together in order to achieve the Buddhist domain, psychomotor domain and affective domain. Also, Professor Dr. Chai-Anan Samudavanija mentioned about the integration than means connecting knowledge, seeking knowledge, studying and using limited resources in order to maximize the most benefits in driving the strategies of national development (Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, 2003).
In another part of integration, it is a concept in terms of science administration, public administration and political science. Additionally, it is mentioned about public administration or organizational management and human resource development regarding the implementation or operation by gathering sub- parts in order to fulfill more efficiently and exchange the benefits each other. Many academicians and public sectors provided various definitions. For instance, H. J.
Johnson (1965) defined that it is the effort merging with the performance and ideas of two separated organizations into one as well as the philosophical perspective of operating business, management, objective, policy, process and working procedure, leadership, human resource, organizational structure and so on. In addition, Walenciak (1991) defined that the integration means gathering over one separated operation in each organization into one part in the same direction for potentials and occurred benefits by using resources, creating a portfolio and collaborating in complicated duties together as well as sharing organizational cultures. Also, Phra Brahmagunabhorn (Por. Oar. Payutto) (1997) provided the translation of integration that means making a completeness. This would mean that it is viewed the integration
condition as considering things in terms of holistic view that will appear when there are three main factors. For the first factor, it is a sub-unit or element. For the second factor, it is the relationship of sub-unit that connects to rely on each other. For the third factor, it is a completeness derived from gathering sub-units harmoniously as well balanced. Therefore, it was mentioned that the integration is a holistic sufficiency and perfection after gathering. Importantly, it must operate very well and must have their own conditions and qualifications that are separated from conditions and qualifications of elements and sub-units (Tippawan Lorsuwannarat & Sookyuen Tepthong, 2015).
Office of the Higher Education Commission (2002)provided the definition of integration in the educational quality assurance guide of Thailand that means a harmony of the plan, information process, allocation, resources, implementation, innovation, results and analysis for supporting important objectives of organization.
Obviously, efficient integrations are more than consistency in the same direction because of combining operations of each element inside the management system and operating result that completely connects into one. In addition, Delmotte (2003) viewed that the integration is a combination of organizational work consistently and harmoniously into one by using beneficial results to encourage resources and knowledge and then lead the organization to the defined purposes.
The study of Barki and Pinsonneault (2005) demonstrated more about the meaning of integration in terms of organization. Then, it was mentioned that the integration means a combination of various organizations into the center by using the strategy, management, organizational theory, production management, operation and information system. In addition, these are the procedure derived from combination of sub-units and collaboration harmoniously for achieving expected obligations that have a same direction with public sectors of Thailand. For instance, Office of the Public Sector Development Commission indicated that the integration means a teamwork that contains leadership and shares visions together as well as has clear missions and strategies, management skill, responsibility reliability that are in the same direction.
As a result, the national strategies or policies of the government in Thailand and overseas can implement and manage connectedly. Additionally, Committee of Distribute Prosperity to the region and local policy defined the integration that means
a combination of development in areas through the cooperation process of development party that related in the operating plan, financial plan, human resource and implementation based on strategy, policy, plan or co-structure in target areas or target group as a mission, duty and responsibility of all development parties for achieving defined objectives and purposes (Vinai Pooprachatrakool, 2006).
At present era, there are a huge number of academicians provided the meaning of integration in cooperation perspective between organizations that fulfill the capabilities or potentials. For example, Hendron (2008) mentioned that the integration means having interaction, participation, combination of individuals inside and outside the organizations, connection for achieving purposes or objectives depended on potentials that one party facilitates to the operation, strengthen information and fulfilled missing things as holistic. In addition, Thomas (2009) indicated that integration means the operation or management that can decrease the complication and ambiguity in the process through connecting lots of outstanding factors to fulfill and support the work efficiently. Additionally, Kriengsak Chareonwongsak (2011) proposed the meaning of integration that means a combination of one thing with another thing in order to increase the existing thing completely, be beneficial to each other and connect one thing or many things into dependent components for gaining the highest completeness. Moreover, Tippawan Lorsuwannarat and Sookyuen Tepthong (2015) proposed the meaning of integration as same as many academicians earlier that means the combination of sub-parts that have the relationship each other by coordinating consistently as well balanced in order to generate the completeness.
Lastly, Nguyen (2018) mentioned that the integration means the combination of operating system between two sectors into one, supporting potentials each other and using resources together for gaining competitive advantages, operating efficiently, decreasing the costs in operations, increase bargaining power and so on.
Nevertheless, Pramual Rujanaseree mentioned the meaning of integration that is different from academicians above. Also, it means an working system that is considered as a management model derived from gathering opinions of government, private sectors and population as well as gathering assets and cooperating that emphasized on collaboration and teamwork. Moreover, the implementors were
provided the authority clearly to be responsible to the achievement by conducting visions and strategies as driven operations Chailerd (2012).
Because the word of integration is widely used in various contexts, there are many meanings of integration based on the expertise of academicians in each department. However, there is a main idea can be concluded that the integration means a system or working feature of people, sectors or organization that coordinate with other people, sectors or organizations as a holistic or same team depended on potentials and capabilities of sectors or co-organizations that are expert and professional for the administration in order to reach the most achievement of organization’s defined purposes.
However, no matter what the definition of integration is. Finally, building the integrated implementation system is considered as one part of reliability in creating a good governance of the government as well as promoting the integrated collaboration between central, regional and local areas in order to achieve the results and maximize the highest benefits for the nation (Office of the Higher Education Commission, 2002;
Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, 2003; Tippawan Lorsuwannarat & Sookyuen Tepthong, 2015). To clearly understand in academics and connections to the integrated policy implementation, the next topic mentions about the context of integration and the integrated implementation in related researches.