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This study attempts to assess work-related values in Singapore and how these work values may differ from those of another nationality. The aim of this study is to replicate Hofstede's model in the Singapore managerial context. A comparison is made between Singaporean Chinese managers and Japanese managers in Singapore. Hofstede's four value dimensions of Individualism, Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity are used. The mean Power Distance and Masculinity scores of Singaporean Chinese managers and Japanese managers are found to be different from the samples in Hofstede's study. These differences in work values indicate that interpretations of Hofstede's cultural constructs cannot be made without modifying or redefining the constructs in terms that are relevant to the cultural context. This finding is supported by the differences in factors that make up the Individualism and Masculinity value dimensions of Singaporean Chinese and Japanese managers. The differences in work values between are explained by cultural and national factors. The impact of these work values on work behavior is discussed with respect to implications on motivation, leadership, employment stability, and orientation toward work goals.

Purpose -The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of organizational culture and human resource management (HRM) effectiveness on financial performance of a sample of Singapore-based companies involved in mergers and acquisition activities. Design/methodology/approach -The study used the method of content analysis to collect information on cultural values and HRM effectiveness, using Kabanoff's content analysis dictionary. Culture profiles were then assigned to organizations in the sample following the results from cluster analysis. Various financial ratios were used to measure organizational performance. Finally, regression analysis was performed to test various hypotheses. Findings -The key finding of the study is that organizations with either elite or leader value profile, when complemented by human resource effectiveness, had a better financial performance as compared to organizations with meritocratic or collegial value profiles. It thus follows that, to achieve better financial results by undertaking merger and acquisition activities organizations need to have elite or leadership value profile. Originality/value -This study makes a contribution to the literature by producing new empirical evidence to bear on the effect of organizational culture and human resource effectiveness on financial performance of merging acquiring organizations from a newly industrialized Asian country.

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Most cross-cultural international human resource management (IHRM) literature contains instructive comparative analyses of East Asian and Western countries and lessons from Japanese best operating practice. There is a paucity of literature extending this debate to the African context and of comparative IHRM work between East Asia and African countries. This article lls a contextual gap in offering a comparative analysis of diffusion and adoption of high performance work practices from East Asia in southern African rms. The continued relevance of 'context' is critically evaluated, given powerful forces for convergence in the global economy. However, much of the debate on the convergence/divergence framework appears to neglect process dynamics and cross-vergence in the development and implementation of hybrid practices as well as reverse diffusion. This article highlights the importance of considering certain variables of local distinctiveness and diversity as features of the notion of cross-vergence which shape particular human resource practices.

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Competitive pressures have increased the strategic value of a skilled, motivated and adaptable workforce, and the HRM strategies to support and develop it. A strategic perspective of HRM requires the firm to identify and adopt human capital initiatives likely to enhance competitiveness and shareholder value. A key question considered here is the extent to which multinational firms adapt internally consistent human resource strategies across national boundaries to address these issues. Case‐study data on how eight multinational firms in Singapore apply strategic approaches to human resource management are presented. Findings show that while some adaptation considering local context occurs, the diffusion of headquarters and centrally initiated, but competitively differentiated strategies across cultural boundaries, is significant. Effective human resource strategies were understood as ‘configurational’, integrated both vertically and horizontally.