After returning from Singapore, I’ve had time to reflect on the similarities and differences between the cultural and business practices in Singapore and the United States. The most striking difference between conducting business in Singapore and the United States is collectivistic versus individualistic thinking. In American culture, it is common for individuals to be more concerned about their own success rather than the success of others, however, in Singapore many individuals are more concerned about the success of their teams. Regardless of the company we visited in Singapore, every speaker would attribute their success and their company’s success to teamwork rather than their personal accomplishments. It is very important to understand these cultural differences when conducting business in Singapore in order to ensure the efficient communication and delegation of responsibilities within a company.
One similarity I noticed between Singapore and the United States was the diversity of the people who lived there. Similar to the United States, Singapore is a place where people from all over the world immigrate to for better opportunities. One of the best representations of this diversity was in hawker centers. In hawker centers you could find Chinese, Malay, and Indian cuisine just a few stalls apart. With Singapore being such a multinational city, many of the companies we visited emphasized the importance of creating a strong company culture in order to ensure that employees from different backgrounds were able to effectively work together. This ensures that whether the employees are from Singapore or the United States, they are able to effectively communicate and collaborate with each other regardless of their cultural differences.
As I look back on my trip to Singapore, I truly appreciate this unique opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture and familiarize myself with the business practices from this region of the world.
