Change Leadership in Organizations: The Case of Singapore's Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

• Main Authors: MENKHOFF, Thomas, CHAY, Yue Wah, LOH, Benjamin
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2002
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Human Resources Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/2652; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/3651/viewcontent/MenkhoffTISBS28.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The essay is based on a survey of organizational change management practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore which was conducted by the authors between 1999 - 2001 in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI). The study was aimed at examining the adaptability and change readiness of Singapore’s SMEs and their owners vis-à-vis the rapidly changing external business environment, as exemplified by the process of economic globalization, intense competition, technology development and the Asian crisis. A total of 101 companies responded to the survey which revealed some surprising facts about the adaptability and commitment of Singapore’s small entrepreneurs to organizational change. The key findings are presented in the first part of the paper, followed by a more detailed analysis of technological change measures such as e-commerce adopted by the SME owner managers and their respective drivers. The information gathered can assist researchers and policy makers to identify the determinants of effective organizational change management in local SMEs and help SMEs to improve their capabilities and manage future change proactively.