Management Practices in Singapore

1. Management Practices in Singapore Anna Smith Paige Perry Devon Dyer Chandler Cruse Sandy Tang Tammy Nguyen Angela Scioli

2. Top 25 most competitive countries in the world. Singapore ranks 3rd behind Switzerland and the United States.

3. Out of 183 countries, Singapore ranks fifth as one of the least corrupt countries in the 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index where the United States ranks 24th.

4. In the 2011 Bribe Payers Index, Singapore ranked eighth (out of 28), and the United States ranked tenth as countries least likely to take a bribe.

5. Employee/Employer Relations • Managers take a paternalistic attitude to their employees • Bosses are treated with the same respect one shows their parents

6. Employee/Employer Relations • May demonstrate a concern for employees that goes beyond the workplace and strictly professional concerns • This may include involvement in their family, housing, health, and other practical life issues

7. Importance of Personal Relationships at Work • Personal relationships are the cornerstone of all business relationships • Business is a matter of being tied into the proper network • Relationships take time to develop

8. Importance of Personal Relationships at Work • This is a group-oriented culture, so links are often based on ethnicity, education or working for the same company • Once you are recognized as part of the group, you will be accepted and expected to obey the unwritten rules of the group

9. Typical Management Style • Most corporate leaders in Singapore prefer to stick to tried and tested management styles and policies • The majority of both government-linked companies and private sector groups have a top-down management style, which, critics argue, has stifled creativity and innovation in the workplace

10. Typical Leadership Style • A typical Singaporean leader tends to be performance-driven and authoritative, and reactive rather than pro-active • Described as intellectual, but not intellectually stimulating • A recent poll found Singapore chief executives, especially those from the private sector, to be uninspiring in general, and poor at developing talent and grooming successors

11. Decision Making Practices • Singapore is a hierarchical culture, so the boss is considered to be superior to their subordinates • Subordinates do not ask their boss questions, as it would indicate that the boss had not done a good job of explaining what was necessary. • Subordinates will canvas other workers and come to a group consensus of what should be done and how it should be accomplished

12. View of Authority • The group is regarded as more important than the individual • A strict hierarchy is always observed, with respect and deference shown to older and more senior people • Age implies wisdom

13. Primary Means of Motivating Employees • Respect, type of work and career potential are more important than variable pay and bonuses in Singapore when it comes to getting employees to give their best • Getting respect from the boss comes close to matching basic pay as the single most important driver in motivating Singapore workers

14. Common Types of Organizational Structure • As in all Asian countries, organizational structures tend toward the hierarchical • Many Singaporean companies originated as family-run businesses; this adds weight to the push for respect for seniority • Within traditional Singaporean organizations, all key decisions will be made at the very senior levels, with those decisions being delegated down the chain of command for implementation

15. Role and View of Women in Business • Singapore's female managers are still fewer in number despite of their rising educational level and attainments when compared to male managers • Statistics show that Singapore women are more likely to drop out of the labor force after marriage and childbirth

16. Working Women in Singapore: The 3 Paradoxes • The first paradox refers to the call to women to be productive employees while still retaining their traditional roles in the family • The second paradox discusses the conflict between work and family • The third paradox presents the barriers that hinder women from moving up in their careers

17. Appropriate Business Dress • Men wear suits only for the most important business meetings because of the tropical humidity and heat; a shirt and tie is acceptable • Women should wear blouses with sleeves and skirts or pantsuits • Avoid complimenting the appearance of a business person of the opposite sex

18. Work Schedule • As a general rule in Singapore, office employees work from Monday through Friday from 9.00am to 6pm or 7pm, depending on the company policies • It is not uncommon for Singapore employees to work 9-10 hours during the weekdays and half-day on Saturdays

19. Compensation Schedule • Your salary must be paid at least once a month (not necessarily on the first day of a calendar month) and within the first 7 days of each salary month • You cannot be forced to sign a contract of service • If your employer ends your contract of service, you should be paid within 3 days of the end of your employment. If you end your employment, you should be paid within 7 days of the end of your employment

20. Benefits for Employees • Sick/annual/maternity leave • Incentives & bonuses • Relocation assistance • Healthcare benefits • Retirement fund contributions • Housing allowance • Allowance for children’s education • Childcare benefits • Transportation reimbursements, etc.

21. Business Meeting Etiquette • DON’T discuss religion or politics • DON’T show anger or raise your voice DON'Tschedule appointments during Chinese New Year • DON'T be late • DON'T disagree with someone who has a higher rank than you • DON'T sit until told where to sit

22. Business Meeting Etiquette • DObe very direct when communicating • DO expect business to be conducted formally • DO take time to build personal relationships • DO make appointments at least two weeks in advance • DO be patient throughout negotiations • DO exchange business cards using both hands and treat them respectfully

23. References • Bala, S. (2005, February 15). Singapore needs to think outside of the box. Retrieved from http://www.singapore-window.org/sw05/050217ft.htm • Business culture in singapore. In (2012). World business culture CDA Media. Retrieved from http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Singaporean-Business-Structures.html • Employee hiring guide for singapore. In (2011). GuideMeSingapore.com Janus Corporate Solutions Pte Ltd. Retrieved from http://www.guidemesingapore.com/incorporation/hr/employee-hiring-guide • Employment rights and conditions. (2012, February 06). Retrieved from http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/employment-rightsconditions/employment-act/Pages/default.aspx • The law society of singapore. (2008). Employment law. Retrieved from http://www.lawsociety.org.sg/public/you_and_the_law/employment.aspx • Ming, C. (2008, January 14). Bosses' respect almost matches pay for motivating staff: Poll. Retrieved from http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/ Office/Story/ A1Story20080117-45385.html • Royal Thai Embassy, Business Information Center. (2009). Labour and employment. Retrieved from website: http://bic.thaiembassy.sg/node/13 • Singapore: Cultural etiquette. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_sg.htm • Women in singapore. In (2011). The three paradoxes: Working women in Singapore. Singapore: Aware. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Singapore