Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Capital: Singapore

Population: 4,353,893 (July 2004 est.)

Language: Singapore has attempted to promote a national identity in its land of immigrants since its independence in 1965. As part of this effort, Singapore has four national languages: Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. For business and politics, English is the language of choice.

Lifestyle & Aspirations
Singapore has a high standard of living and a lot to do packed into a small space. With their natural interest in self-improvement, Singaporeans embrace sports, the arts and a wide range of clubs and societies. As well as social clubs, the island has plenty of networking associations, country clubs (for locals as well as ex-pats), international associations and a busy alumni network.

Most popular leisure activities include:
? Sport: Singapore is sports-mad, whether it?s golf, yachting or competitive sports at the numerous country clubs.
? Listening to music: there is a lively nightlife scene with state of the art clubs and live music venues. An arts festival is held every June.
? Reading: Singapore has an impressive array of public libraries and sees itself as a global media centre. Over 5,500 foreign magazines can be bought here.
? Going out with friends: excellent public transport, the safety of walking around at night and high standard of living adds up to a lively social scene.
? Visiting the cinema: Singapore has over 140 cinemas. English-language films have Chinese subtitles and vice versa. There is an annual film festival, showcasing over 300 movies.
? Swimming: many Singaporeans belong to country clubs with pools. Spas are also increasingly popular, particularly those embracing eastern philosophies like Ayurveda.
? Shopping: Singapore is one of the main shopping centres of south-east Asia.
? Travelling within the region: Many Singaporeans visit the outlying islands at weekends, or take a short trip to the nearby Indonesian islands, or to Malaysia.
? Family activities: the island has a great choice of attractions which provide an environment for fun as well as learning, including the Jurong Reptile Park, Sentosa Island, the Science Centre, the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens. Multi-generation families will spend a lot of time together outside working hours.

The Essentials (10 Key Tips)
1. Understand the concept of 'face', a mask of personal dignity. This must be maintained at all times, and no action should be taken that will cause somebody else to lose face.
2. Exercise modesty and humility at all times.
3. Singapore is a multi ethnic society where Chinese, Malay and Indian traditions coexist beneath a surface of a Western cosmopoilitan environment. It is important to acknowledge and respect this local diversity.
4. Learn the difference between yes and no - an outright yes means 'yes', a hesitant yes or an excuse possibly means 'no'.
5. Expect any negotiation to take some time, a lot of relationship-building and several visits.
6. Always be prepared with quality presentation materials and be able to answer questions on follow-up and after-sales service.
7. Be deferential and respectful to older people; seniority is revered in Singapore.
8. Many Asians believe that Westerners are always in a hurry and this may be used against you in a negotiating situation, so do not be pressurised.
9. Meetings are formal and follow a set agenda. Prepare thoroughly and let your counterparts know beforehand who will be attending and the rank they hold.
10. After-sales service and follow-up are important; Singaporeans can be demanding consumers with high standards.

Working with the Singaporeans
Singapore is very much a hybrid culture, where individuals are compelled to be 'culturally correct' in a family setting while being very much western-orientated in a business setting. Many examples can be seen of Chinese Singaporeans failing as much as Westerners do in China and Indians generally not being able to crack into Indian businesses and Malays are not considered as 'proper' Muslims in Malaysia or Indonesia. A recent study has found more western-based concepts in doing businesses in Singapore than any other Asian country. Having said this, the Chinese concept of 'saving face' is deeply ingrained and should never be discounted. So while you should not assume that a Chinese Singaporean is like a Chinese person from the People's Republic, never assume that Singaporeans have purely Western ideals. They are uniquely Singaporean.
When working in Singapore, understand the meaning of implicit communication and the value of politeness and formality. Learn to build personal relationships in business, which will take time, as will negotiations and decision-making. Expect to work with multicultural teams, where strong leadership and direction is required.

Making a Good Impression
Singaporeans will be impressed by someone who is well-dressed, courteous, calm and efficient. Getting worked up and displaying emotion is frowned upon, as is doing or saying anything that will cause another person to lose face. Tact, diplomacy and implicitness rather than directness are important at all times. Entertainment is likely to be based around eating rather than merely drinking, and dignity must be maintained at all times.
You will impress a Singaporean negotiating team by avoiding the typical Western traits of impatience, or revealing too much of your personality.
Taking time to build a relationship is important, and while you may bond over drinks after work, a slightly cool, impersonal attitude works best around the negotiating table.
When working with a team, be sure to understand the company hierarchy and your place in it. Be aware of the individual team members' need for harmony.
Do not push people to take hold of power they are not used to having. Above all, understand the multicultural nature of Singapore and the different ethnic sensibilities of team members.

Business Etiquette
Although Singapore may appear to be westernised, Asian etiquette tends to apply in many situations, where considerable courtesy is expected. Handshakes (softer and longer than in the West) are followed immediately by a swap of business cards. The more forceful Western style is often perceived as rude. Singaporeans prize the appearance of seriousness and modesty, playing down successes and achievements.

Business cards
The exchange of business cards is important and formal. Present your card with both hands and bow slightly as you hand it to someone. Accept their card with both hands, too. During a meeting, have the other person?s card face upward on the table beside you. Having cards translated into Chinese is not essential but can be helpful. Use a title like Doctor or Professor on your card.

Body language
Singaporeans are not particularly tactile, whatever their ethnic origin. Apart from shaking hands, there is very little physical contact in public. A comfortable distance from somebody else is two or three feet.
Maintaining steady eye contact may be perceived as aggressive. Make brief eye contact when you greet someone and then let your gaze drop. Do not show the soles of your feet; sitting with one foot resting on the other knee is considered rude. Sucking in air through your teeth is a way of saying a firm ?no? or expressing that there is a problem.
Do not make vivid facial expressions, like frowning or raising eyebrows. Keep your feelings to yourself. When sitting in a chair, keep your feet flat on the floor, rather than crossing your legs in front of elders or hierarchical superiors. Pointing is considered rude, as is extending a hand for a handshake with the palm facing down.
Among Malay and Indian people, it?s taboo to give or receive something with the left hand. The left hand is considered unclean as they use it for personal hygiene. It?s impolite to point at a person with the forefinger. Instead, use the whole open right hand or use the thumb of the right hand with the other fingers closed into a fist. Never touch the head of a Malay as the head is considered the home of the soul and that is too sacred to touch. Always remove your shoes when you enter a person?s home but remember that feet, as such, are considered unclean and should therefore not be casually displayed. Never point your feet at another person. When you sit on the floor, you should sit crossed-legged. Women should sit with the legs tucked under them, out of sight.

Business Meeting Culture
Business meetings are a complex and formal exchange of views based on implicit conversation, wily negotiating and the underlying concept of face, mianzi in Chinese. Having face means having high status in the eyes of one?s peers, and it is a mask of personal dignity. Chinese are actually sensitive to having and maintaining face in all aspects of social and business life, including around the meeting table. Be aware of this when trying to solve problems of any nature.
Several meetings will be required before any deal is struck as building trust and personal relationships is important. Singaporeans will take their time coming to a decision and you are expected to be patient. While a meeting may follow a strict agenda and be a formal affair with a large team present from either side, it will not necessarily have an immediate outcome.

Planning a Meeting
An agent may be a useful introduction if you have not done business in Singapore before or are looking to make new contacts. Using a third party is perfectly acceptable. Always be punctual for an appointment. Lateness is considered extremely rude (although a Singaporean may well turn up late). Schedule appointments at least two weeks in advance and reconfirm the day before.
Singaporeans are highly organised and like to be prepared, so send as much information about yourself and your company before the meeting. Also supply your Singaporean counterparts with a list of your team members' names, in order of seniority, and their expertise. Expect the meeting to be formal and to follow a set agenda.

During a Meeting
It is polite to let your Singaporean counterparts establish who?s who in a meeting, so it is normal to let the most senior member of your delegation enter the room first, followed by the second in command and so on. The Singaporean team will sit facing the visiting party, with persons of equal rank sitting opposite each other.
The table is usually rectangular, and teams sit opposite each other with the heads of delegations sitting eye to eye. Other team members are arranged next to delegation heads, often in descending order of importance. It is normal to get down to business quickly, although discussion may be cyclical, rather than linear. Subjects you may consider closed could reappear throughout the discussion.
Any material you distribute should be of top quality. Singapore is a high-tech society and tatty photocopies reflect badly on your company. Saving face is crucial to Singaporeans. In a meeting, avoid showing extremes of emotion or challenging someone in such a way that they will lose face.
If you ask someone a question and they pause before answering, it shows that they are considering the question and their answer. You should adopt a similar practice, so your counterpart knows you have thought your answer through carefully. If you have something important to say, say it to the most senior person at the meeting.

Following a Meeting
A strong emphasis is placed on price, quality and service in Singapore so make sure your service ? your follow-up, in other words ? is good. You may be invited out to lunch or dinner after a meeting where you can continue to forge bonds of friendship with your Singaporean hosts. Major deals may require some government intervention, so do not expect immediate results. A written contract may not be final. Rather, it is a guideline for further negotiation.

Motivating Others
Company loyalty is especially strong among Singaporean employees. Professional competence, merit, and the ability to work within a team are heavily emphasised. Respect for elders is ingrained in all Asian societies and this may override any other consideration when doing business, making decisions and working as a team.
Ultimately, however, money, status and security motivate Singaporean workers just as they do other cultures. Singaporean business culture is intensely competitive and people work very hard, although they are driven probably more by the desire to succeed than actual work ethic. Getting Singaporeans to buy into a project emotionally is a strong motivator, particularly if they get to share the rewards. Wage increases are expected to be linked to productivity increases and many companies operate profit-share schemes.
Typical employee benefits other than cash include insurance, medical expenses, car parking, country club membership, child daycare and even more esoteric subjects like consultation fees for Chinese medicine and medical expenses for elderly relatives.

Effective Presentations
Presentations should be formal and well structured, with plenty of visual representation. Use of technology and sophisticated graphics will impress. Don?t tell jokes, or use idiom or jargon. Vague ideas and abstract concepts will not impress a Singaporean audience.

Presentation Essentials
Don?t boast about your own achievements -rather, promote your company?s success. From a Singaporean perspective, community is more important than ?self. Make it clear that you appreciate Singapore?s success and achievements and are keen to do business. Have high quality handouts to back up your presentation.

Audience Expectations
It is unlikely that you will be interrupted during your talk but you should invite questions afterwards. If questions are not forthcoming in a public forum, do not assume that there are none. Often following presentations Singaporeans will be interested in discussing issues on a one-to-one basis. Do not expect an instant or effusive reaction to your presentation. Public displays of emotion equate to a loss of face in Singapore.

Managing Relationships
Business relationships take a long time to build and must be worked on, with a third party introduction, several visits, entertaining where appropriate, and if you are trying to do a deal, bringing a suitably impressive negotiating team to the table. Provided your follow up and customer service are good and results are generated, Singaporeans will be loyal to their overseas partners.
Relationships in the workplace tend to be hierarchical and formal. Structures are respected, company loyalty is strong and leaders are respected and treated deferentially.
As with any other aspect of Singaporean life, the cultural differences between the different ethnic groups need to be clearly understood in order to manage effectively. Storming in with a brash, Western style and trying to force change simply won't work.
Singaporeans are accustomed to working in teams and work well together in mixed ethnic groups or in teams of the same ethnic group. There is an inherent trust between members of the same ethnic group. Strong leadership is needed, as are skilful delegation techniques, to get the best out of a Singaporean team.