CHINESE AND JAPANESE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN SINGAPORE : A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE CONCEPT OF FAMILY

Abstract

Two particular modes of inquiry are utilised to investigate the role of indigenous culture in management practices in Singapore. The first mode of inquiry is a theoretical discussion on the Chinese and Japanese concept of family. The Chinese emphasize on patrilineal principles in contrast to the Japanese who emphasize on the ie (household) as a corporate unit. The Chinese concept of family is thus basically different from the Japanese concept of family. The second mode of inquiry is an empirical research carried out to investigate whether these concepts of family are actually expressed in the management practices in Singapore. To the extent that they are, distinctive styles of Chinese and Japanese management would emerge. The first objective of this paper is therefore to explore the extent to which the concept of family, a basic component of culture, influences management practices in Singapore. The second objective of this paper is to assess the validity of the Convergence Theory. It is often argued that convergence between societies are greatest along these dimensions of social structures which are closest to technology. Thus, a necessary step to the assessment of the Convergence Theory is to understand the attitudes and behaviour of the workers who are closest to the machines and production processes in the factories. It is a challenge to one's intellectual curiosity to explain why workers in different factories tend to have different degree of social involvement and attachment given the same basic factory technology associated with the process of industrialisation.