THE PAPER CHASE PHENOMENON IN SINGAPORE : THE CASE OF ADULT WORKING STUDENTS

Abstract

This study is an attempt to understand the Paper Chase phenomenon with regard to the working adult Singaporeans. It focuses on the motivations for the pursuit of an external degree by the working adult students from the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM). The motivations of these students are socially defined and shaped by three social factors :(1) the government's policies and ideology, (2) employment institutions' rules and practices on employment and promotion, and ( 3) the affluent middle class values and aspirations. Though the three causal factors may have unique influence on motivations, they are by no means; exclusive. Our analysis attempts to understand how the motivations and perceptions of the adult working students are defined by the three social factors. For perceptions and motivations of individuals provide a clue to our understanding of the underlying casual factors of the paper chase phenomenon.