Since coming back from spending two weeks abroad in Singapore, I’ve taken some time to reflect on my experience of immersing myself in Singaporean culture and society. As a business major, I especially noticed the differences in workplace environments between Singapore and the United States, specifically in how professionals conducted themselves in regards to company culture and teamwork. Singaporean companies place a far larger emphasis on maintaining a collectivist culture, while traditionally, workplaces in the United States tend to lean more individualistic. Each of the companies we visited in Singapore mentioned some notion of team success – for example, when visiting Maybank, our speaker kept attributing both his and Maybank’s success to the work of his team as a whole, regardless of the fact that he was a high-ranking individual within the company with a high degree of decision-making power. This is in contrast to the United States, where I feel as though individuals tend to place focus on their personal successes and accomplishments, so seeing this mindset in action was truly interesting.
Another key difference I noticed was that Singaporeans placed a high degree of importance on cultural diversity and inclusion than the United States does. A reoccurring theme throughout the entirety of this trip was that Singapore is a beautiful melting pot of cultures and nationalities, something that was clear both inside and outside of the workplace. Each company we visited had a deep appreciation for their employees’ varying cultures, whether that was through making efforts to uphold DEI initiatives or ensure employees had time off for every religious holiday. Outside the workplace, the appreciation that Singaporean citizens have for each other’s cultures was even more apparent – every sign would be written in multiple languages and many people had vast knowledge of other cultures’ traditions.
As I reflect on this trip to Singapore, I feel as though I’ve deepened my understanding of what it means to do “global business”, as well as my appreciation for other cultures. Although I’ve learned much about international business practices throughout college, I truly enjoyed this opportunity to immerse myself in them.
