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This investigation explores theories of motivation, conflict, and social exchange to assess the state of traditional culture competitions in Northeastern Thailand. First established as political and social tools for creating national unity, cultural competitions are now maintained to conserve and disseminate traditional culture. Judges use their own scoring standards and subjective global impression assessment, which causes conflict between judges and ensemble members. Research revealed that these are resolved quickly due to traditional cultural values in Thai education. The researchers interviewed a variety of people involved in the production of traditional "pong lang" competitions to examine their reasons for participation. Findings indicate that the main motivations for personnel within the education system and folk artists were experience and prestige. For sponsors, the primary motivations were financial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]