Wee Liang Tan

Entrepreneurial Infrastructure in Singapore: Developing a Model and Mapping Participation

Entrepreneurial infrastructure, as the term is used in this article, represents the facilities and services present within a given geographic area which encourage the birth of new ventures and the growth and development of small- and medium- sized enterprises. The model of entrepreneurial infrastructure developed here and applied to the nation of Singapore suggests that they provide support to poten tial new business owners, owners of small growing businesses, and existing small- and medium-sized enterprises by way of assisting them with tasks, physical and monetary resources, information and knowledge. This article also develops a map ping function to predict the likelihood of participation in the entrepreneurial in frastructure with the help of interviews with representatives of twelve small- and medium-sized enterprises.

International Briefing 7:Training and Development in Singapore

Singapore’s only resource is its people. It has made human resource development (HRD) a key strategy for economic development since its inception. Its economic success story is entwined with the training and development of its workforce. A national manpower development infrastructure has been put in place to facilitate training and lifelong learning of its people for the twenty-first century under a master plan called Manpower 21. Continuous training and skills development has been possible through close cooperation between the state, employers and the unions through unique working relationships between several policymaking institutions, such as the National Manpower Council and the National Wages Council.

Social Entrepreneurship Intentions of Nonprofit Organizations

Abstract Little is known about social entrepreneurship in nonprofit organizations (NPOs), especially about the factors that influence social entrepreneurship intentions at organizational level. Would existing NPOs, as opposed to new ones formed to embark on new social initiatives, strike out into a new territory, or engage in new ventures? What are the necessary internal organizational conditions? This study explores the direct effect of the organizational attributes on a NPOs intention to start a social enterprise. With a sample of 92 charities in Singapore, we found that NPOs led by CEOs with commercial experience, and NPOs possessing high collective efficacy and organization innovativeness were more likely to start a social enterprise. A NPOs social cause (mission) was also found to have a positive effect on its social entrepreneurship intention. Contrary to our expectations, resource availability and risk-taking propensity of the NPOs were not related to social entrepreneurship intentions. Findings and implications were discussed, and future research directions were provided.

The mediating effect of absorptive capacity and relational capital in alliance learning of SMEs

No business can create all the resources needed to prosper and grow. Collaboration among businesses that possess complementary resources is often necessary for survival and growth. Despite their importance and implications for alliance learning, no empirical study has to date attempted to investigate how the determinants of learning interact with each other, and are linked to the outcomes of alliance learning. This study contributes to the role of learning intent, absorptive capacity, and relational capital in enhancing learning activities and outcomes by empirically examining the relationships among these learning determinants and how they affect innovative SMEs’ technological and nontechnological learning in alliance relationships.

The Effects of Entrepreneurial Growth Orientation on Organizational Change and Firm Growth

Abstract Managing growth in an enterprise as it grows beyond the startup phase is a challenge for many entrepreneurs. One key element that can help or hinder growth is the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial growth has been linked to micro variables (motivations and psychological attributes of the entrepreneur) and macro variables. However, few studies have examined the role of the growth aspirations of the entrepreneur on the necessary elements of organization change related to growth. This paper reports a study employing a typology of entrepreneurs based on their growth aspirations using an established dichotomous scale devised by Smith to differentiate between what he called craftsmen versus opportunistic entrepreneurs. The findings, while not supporting all expectations, do support the literature that points to the growing importance of intellectual capital, technological upgrading and participative management approaches as competitive weapons of small firms.

Exploring Family Features in Non-family Organizations: The Family Metaphor and Its Behavioral Manifestations

Abstract In this study, we explore the possibility of reproducing family business characteristics in the professional context of a non-family organization and analyze the behavioral manifestations of this application. Drawing upon discussions in the family therapy, organizational behavior and family business literatures, we identify cohesion and flexibility as the two primary dimensions of the family metaphor. We build on illustrative cases of three sports teams to explore these dimensions in a non-family business setting. Our exploratory analysis of these cases reveals the existence of family features and extends our understanding of these features beyond family businesses.

Collectivistic norms and international entrepreneurship: a tale of two clans, the Wenzhounese from China and the Chettiars from India

There is a need in the field of international entrepreneurship for ideas and theory developed from within the SME field and less reliance on that developed in the field of international business and large firms. This paper seeks to address this gap but examining the two groups of international entrepreneurs from China and India: the Wenzhou people and the Chettiars. These two groups began internationalising in the past before globalisation became a norm in the colonial days and before when ships sailed along trade winds. It seeks to draw lessons from these two groups: their collectivistic norms and practices.

Problems Faced by Singapore Entrepreneurs in the Field of Biotechnology

Biotechnology is one of the fields highlighted by the Economic Committee as an area of high value-added technology which could be developed in Singapore. The recommendation of the Economic Committee was that the venture capital industry be developed to aid in attracting young foreign technological firms to Singapore. Biotechnology includes the areas of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food processing and agro-technology. A number of local biotechnology businesses have sprung up. This is an interesting phenomenon since biotechnology is difficult ground for small firms to be engaged in. It is usually associated with a long lag time between the development and the actual introduction of the product into the market-place, a need for large sums to be invested in research, and a short product life span, amongst other disadvantages. In an environment where enterprise is only currently being encouraged and entrepreneurship being nurtured, one would not have expected local entrepreneurs to venture into biotechnology. It would therefore be of interest to examine these businesses to see if there are any unique problems that they face by operating in Singapore. This paper proposes to examine the problems encountered by these local firms. Some of the problems ascertained through interviews with local firms concern financing and government funding, and availability of trained staff.