ORGANISATIONAL SUBCULTURES IN THE SINGAPORE CIVIL SERVICE : SOME TENSIONS AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Organizations have conventionally been studied as instruments of policy. This means that organizations were studied in terms of their structures i.e patterns of differentiation, specialization etc. The organizational culture perspective marks a departure from this conventional view as it perceives the organization as a social system with its own set of values and norms. This A.E would adopt this perspective, in explaining the organization of the Singapore Civil Service. The A. E would argue that as with social systems within society, social systems within the organization are comprised of many units each with its own characteristic values. The values of one subunit may differ from that of another subunit, resulting in tensions between these subcultures. To illustrate how this argument will be developed, below is a thematic review of chapters found in the A.E. REVIEW OF CHAPTERS: CHAPTER l: This would serve as an introductory chapter tracing the rise of the two subcultures defined in the Introduction. By discussing the historical and environmental factors that affected the structure of the SCS and its personnel system; an appreciation of how these subcultures came about. CHAPTER 2: This would discuss the specific attributes of each of these subcultures and how members of each subculture are socialized. It will be broken-up into two parts. The first would deal with how the elite culture' is inculcated in Administrative Officers of the Singapore Administrative Service. Second half of the chapter would deal with how street-level bureaucrats are socialised both formally and informally. ln its conclusion the chapter would seek to establish the presence or absence of tension between these cultures. CHAPTER 3: This chapter would deal with the specific points of tension between two subcultures and elaborate each one of them. CHAPTER 4: This would describe the methods undertaken by the government to manage these cultures so as to reduce the possibilty of frictions between them. Chapter 5: This chapter would serve as a concluding chapter where the main strands of the arguement are tied together and made explicit. In addition the A.E would attempt at speculating the prospects for the future.