The Evolution of Singapore Business: A Case Study Approach

This paper is the result of a pilot study conducted to track, explore and analyse various aspects of the evolution of Singapore business within a holistic framework using case study methodology. Following the Introduction in Section 1, Section 2 provides the backdrop against which the evolution of business organisations is viewed, i.e. a brief overview of the evolution of the Singapore economy from an entrepot in the mid-1960s to a globally connected manufacturing and services hub at the turn of the millennium. Section 3 provides an outline of the scope, methodology and rationale of this study. Section 4 contains summaries of the observations based on the case studies (refer to volume 2) for the three categories of business organisations in respect of the specified aspects of their business development. Section 5 contains notes and comments based on findings from existing studies and statistics relating to the size, composition and performance of Singapore companies to provide supplementary perspectives. The Concluding Remarks in Section 6 make a preliminary attempt to address questions raised on issues concerning Singapore’s businesses and specified aspects of their evolution based on the perspectives gained from the case studies covered and some of the relevant existing literature and statistics. The advantages and limitations of the methodology adopted in the study and possible areas for further research are also outlined. The Appendices contain detailed explanatory notes on concepts, indicators and benchmarks relevant to the analysis in the study. [Working Paper No. 10]