After experiencing the environment in Singapore for two weeks, I have witnessed how a “melting pot of cultures” is handled when conducting business. Every company we had the chance to visit emphasized the importance of respecting all ethnicities and cultures. I heard the words “diversity is power” many times during my conversations with locals. When conducting business, Singaporeans prioritize respect and understanding of other cultures which is something that is not usually seen in other parts of the world.
In addition to the respect they give when conducting business, I have noticed the overall collectivist attitude. Our first company visit was at Maybank and this was when I realized this attitude. The speaker began by introducing the company and showing all of the awards that Maybank received which was a normal procedure in my eyes. However, when we asked the speaker questions about his career, he avoided speaking about himself and directed the answer toward Maybank or his team. I found this intriguing because business in America is quite different where individuals jump at the chance to speak to their accomplishments.
My initial impression of Singapore was that they were very sophisticated and professional and that proved accurate. Based on some experiences with locals, Singaporeans were so sophisticated that they seemed cold and closed off through the eyes of an American. I noticed that the louder our study abroad group was, the more looks we got from the locals. This confirms my initial impression that Singapore has different social norms than Americans. It is important to be mindful of the cultural switch when traveling abroad.
Two weeks in Singapore has made a major impact on my perspective of the world outside of America. Living in America for so long, I was not aware of how other countries were run and how different they were from each other. I have grown so much during this trip to Singapore and I look forward to continuing learning through traveling.
