Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP): Thailand’s Emic Approach to Governance and Development as Evidence of an Asian Value-Oriented Inclusive Leadership Management Philosophy

Thailand has been at the core of the Asian Values debate since the 1992 World Conference on Human Rights. Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) is a concept developed by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej to consolidate his approach to governance and development. Integrating values borrowed from Theravada Buddhism such as benevolence, emphasis on the middle way and on the public good. This article explores the development of SEP focussing on the role of values and leadership styles. SEP provides evidence of an Asian value-oriented inclusive leadership style, which is practiced in both the private and the public sectors. A model of SEP as a management style is presented and subjected to critical analysis.