Crafted culture: governmental sculpting of modern Singapore and effects onbusiness environments

The Singaporean government has enjoyed an astounding record of success base d on its ability to attract MNCs and corresponding capital. Government-led development has involved crafting a culture that will adapt to MNCs' needs and to fast-changing global environments in a restructured economy. The soc ially re-engineered Singaporean culture appears hierarchical, disciplined, authoritarian and a showcase for technocratic management. Yet, further craf ting of the Singaporean culture along the top-down, technocratic model seem s to result in a diminishing ability to produce creative, innovative and pr oductive workers for the knowledge economy and the MNCs that dominate it. T he authors sketch the ideological bases for Singapore's crafted culture and explore Singapore's distinctive characteristics as well as governmental po licies that have molded this culture. They proceed to highlight specific go vernmental policies that are designing Singapore for the restructured, glob alizing and fast-changing knowledge economy; and discuss the competing mode l offered by Taiwan. Finally, the authors propose some implications for civ ic society and cultural change in Singapore.