ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the effects of two structural features of the Thai civil service on the behavior of its officials. These features include: the distribution of various sorts of power among officials, and the nature of the incentive system of the civil service. The chapter focuses on the stable patterns and explores possible explanations for the differences and similarities among them. It analyzes the behavior of Thai officials from the perspective of "social exchange" theory as developed by Peter M. Blau, George Caspar Homans. Fred W. Riggs and William J. Siffin gave great importance to social exchange in vertical cliques in the informal structures of Thai official organizations, and Edgar L. Shor spoke of the "entrepreneurial strategy" of Thai officials in building their careers. The researchers show the importance in social exchange of major structural factors like the distribution of power based on the control of scarce resources and the incentive system of the organization which determines the actors' goals.
