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Government Policy and Critical Success Factors of Small Businesses in Singapore
Author: Harold Siow Song Teng
Date Of Publication: Nov 2011
Isbn13: 978-1-4438-3352-3
Isbn: 1-4438-3352-5
One of the main economic players responsible for Singapore’s economic success is its small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs. Their overall success has helped propel the country and its people forward. From economic policies to politics, Singapore is a planned and regulated economy. Singapore’s economic success story is actually the result of a form of capitalism carefully calibrated and controlled by the government.

An important element or aspect of good critical success factors (CSFs) emerges from the role being played by the government. The existence of good government or public policies that are pro-business is vital for the success of firms. Despite the fact that government policies and CSFs are widely studied in areas around the world including in Singapore, there is no comprehensive prediction model available to test if firms have potential to be successful or are more prone to failures. Much research investigates the non-financial factors contributing to success versus failure of small firms, but empirical tests of the predictability of these factors are less common. This book, which is primarily quantitative/ positivist in nature will attempt to fill this gap.

Dr Harold Siow Song Teng is Research Fellow and Administrative Manager at the Centre on Asia and Globalization (CAG) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He was Visiting Scholar at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore from 2010–2011. Before embarking on an academic career, he was an entrepreneur and a small business owner, and has worked in both the private as well as public sectors.

He was formerly a Civil Servant in the Singaporean external trade promotion body International Enterprise Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and also served in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore. His research interests focus on ASEAN-China, Sino-Singapore, Singapore-Vietnam, Sino-Vietnam international political economy, economic and trade related issues.

He holds a PhD in Business and Management and a Graduate Diploma in Management Research from the International Graduate School of Business, University of South Australia; an MA in Economics and a BA in Economics and Finance from the University of Sydney and Murdoch University, Australia respectively.

“Harold Teng Siow Song’s fascinating book is an original contribution to the literature on the East Asian model of state-led economic development. Using Singapore as a case study, he convincingly shows that the conventional interpretation that the city-state’s phenomenal economic development due primarily to Western and Japanese MNCs and large government-linked companies is inadequate. Indeed, a key economic player responsible for Singapore’s economic success is its small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs. I strongly recommend this book to government officials, business people, scholars and students who are interested in a more comprehensive and balanced understanding of the East Asian model of economic development especially the nexus between the state and small business.”

– Dr Lam Peng Er, Senior Research Fellow, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore

Price Uk Gbp: 39.99
Price Us Usd: 59.99

Sample pdf (including Table of Contents)

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