Skip to main content

A Study of Singapore as a Developmental State

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Chinese Global Production Networks in ASEAN

Part of the book series: Understanding China ((UNCHI))

Abstract

Singapore has gone through a rapid transformation during the half a century, from an entrepot, predominant towards shipping transit in the mid-1960s, into an economy, which presently specialises in high-value manufacturing activities and financial services. This chapter aims to examine the issues of the developmental role of state and foreign companies and to analyse their role in achieving a rapid economic growth in the country. The study emphasises that historical, strategic and domestic factors are important determinants in Singapore’s struggle towards modernisation and steady economic growth. This research uses the secondary information methodology to examine policies and mechanism to understand Singapore’s government policies. The study finds that the favourable international environment, MNCs and the role of state, especially vision and commitment towards economic diversification, contributed to achieve rapid economic development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amsden AH (1989) Asia’s next giant – South Korea and late industrialization. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bello W, Rosenfeld S (1990) Dragons in distress: Asia’s miracle economies in crisis. Institute of Food and Development Policy, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhagwati J (1987) Outward orientation: trade issues. In: Corb V, Khan M, Goldstein M (eds) Growth oriented structural adjustment. Washington, DC. Available: http://www.bok.or.kr/

  • Chang H-J (1994) The political economy of industrial policy. Macmillan, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Clifford M, Shari M, Einhorn B (1999) Remaking Singapore Inc. Bus Week 22, 5 Apr 1999

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotton J (1995) Interpreting Singapore: class and power? Pac Rev 8:558–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Statistics (2010) Key household income trends. Occasional Papers on Income Statistics. Available at: http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/papers/people//pp-s17pdf

  • Goh CT (1999) National rally speeches, Singapore, 22 Aug 1999. www.web3.asia1.com.sg/archive/sg/1/one/one1a.html

  • Gopinathan S (2007) Globalization, the Singapore developmental state and education policy: a thesis revisited. Glob Soc Educ 5(1):5370 (ISSN: 1476-7724)

    Google Scholar 

  • Green A (1997) Education, globalization and the nation state. Macmillan, Basingstoke

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Huff WG (1995) What is the Singapore model of economic development? Camb J Econ 19:735–759

    Google Scholar 

  • International Monetary Fund (2009) Asia and Pacific: global crisis – the Asian Context. IMF, Washington, DC, p 27

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson C (1982) MITI and the Japanese miracle: the growth of industrial policy, 1925–75. Stanford University Press, Redwood City, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Koh AT (1987) Savings, investment and entrepreneurship. In: Krause AB, Koh AT, Lee Y (eds) The Singapore economy reconsidered. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger A (1980) Trade policy as an input to development. Am Econ Rev 70:288–292 (Papers and Proceedings)

    Google Scholar 

  • Krugman P (1994) The myth of Asian miracle. Foreign Aff 73:62–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lall S (1996) Transactional corporations and economic development. In: UNCTAD: transnational corporations and world development. Routledge, New York, pp 44–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee KY (2000) From third world to first, the Singapore story, 1965–2000. Times Media, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Lim LYC, Pang EF (1986) Trade employment and industrialization in Singapore. International Labour Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Liow ED (2011) The neoliberal-developmental state: Singapore as case study. Crit Sociol 38(2):41–264. doi:10.1177/0896920511419900

    Google Scholar 

  • Low L (1984) Public enterprises in Singapore. In: You PS, Lim CY (eds) Singapore 25 years of development. Lianbe Zaobao, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Low L (1998) The political economy of city state: government-made Singapore. Oxford University Press, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles D (1994) Housing, financial markets and the wider economy. Wiley, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza H (1986) Multinationals and the growth of the Singapore economy. Croom Helm, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Mookerjee R, Yu Q (1997) Macroeconomic variables and stock prices in small open economy: the case of Singapore. Pac Basin Financ J 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Nolan P (1990) Assessing economic growth in the Asian NICs. J Contemp Asia 1 (OECD, Paris). Available: http://www.oecd.org/topicstatsportal/0.2647.en_285_495670.html

  • Patnaik P (1999) Capitalism in Asia at the end of millennium. Mon Rev 51(3):53–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peebles G, Wilson P (2002) Economic growth and development in Singapore. Elgar, Cheltenham

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira A (2000) State collaboration with transnational corporations: the case of Singapore industrial programme. Compet Chang 4:423–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira A (2006) Biotechnology FDI in Singapore. Transl Corp 15(2):99123

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry M, Kong L, Yeoh BSA (1997) Singapore: a developmental city state. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Phang SY (2001) Housing, policy, wealth formation and the Singapore economy. Hous Stud 16(4):443–459. doi:10.1080/02673030120066545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitelis CN (1991) Beyond the nation-state? The transnational firm and the nation-state. Cap Class 43:131–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quah JST (2013) Ensuring good governance in Singapore – is this experience transferable to other Asian countries? Int J Public Sect Manage 26(5):401–420. doi:10.1108/IJPSM-05-2013-0069

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson G (1994) Singapore 2003: aspiring to the first world. The Economist Intelligence Unit, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodan G (1989) The political economy of Singapore’s industrialisation: national state and international capital. Macmillan, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodan G (1997) Singapore economic diversification and social divisions. In: Rodan G, Hewison K, Robison R (eds) The political economy of South East Asia: an introduction. Oxford University Press, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross RJS, Trachte KC (1990) Global capitalism: the new leviathan. Sunny Press, Albany, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein EH (1996) Strategic pragmatism: the culture of Singapore’s economic development board. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • SEDB (Singapore Econbomic Development Board) (1995) www.edb.gov.sg

  • Shin J-S (2005) The role of state in the increasingly globalised economy: implications for Singapore. Singap Econ Rev 50(1):103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (1995) Role of the state in South-East Asia. Nation, 27 May 1995

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (1998) The export of agricultural commodities, poverty and ecological crisis: a case study of Central American Countries. Econ Polit Week 33(39):A128–A137 (ISSN: 2349-8846)

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2009a) Japan’s economic crisis. Res Appl Econ 1(1):1–25. doi:10.5296/rae.v1i1.218 (ISSN: 1948-5433)

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2009b) The current financial crisis and its impact on the emerging economies – China and India. Res Appl Econ 1(2):1–28. doi:10.5296/rae.v1i1.183 (ISSN: 1948-5433)

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2009c) The political economy of growth in China and India. J Asian Public Policy 1(2):17–35. doi:10.1080/17516230902734528 (ISSN: 1751-6234)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2010) The political economy of development in Singapore. Res Appl Econ 2(2):1–31. doi:10.5296/rae.v2i2 (ISSN: 1948-5433)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2012a) Developing countries experience with neoliberalism and globalization. Res Appl Econ 4(4):12–37. doi:10.5296/rae.v4i4.2878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2012b) Malaysia’s socio-economic transformation in historical perspective. Int J Bus Gen Manage 1(2):21–50 (ISSN: 2319-2267)

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2013a) Experiences of developmental state in India and Taiwan. Think India Q 16(4):91–121. www.thinkindiaquarterly.org (ISSN: 097-1260)

  • Siddiqui K (2013b) A review of Pakistan’s political economy. Asian Profile 41(1):49–67. www.asianresearchservice.com/Vol41_1.pdf

  • Siddiqui K (2014) Higher education in the era of globalization. Int J Humanit Soc Sci 3(2):9–32 (ISSN: 2319-3948)

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2015a) Foreign capital investment into developing countries: some economic policy issues. Res World Econ 6(2):14–29. doi:10.5430/rwe.v6n2p14

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui K (2015b) Perils and challenges of Chinese economic development. Int J Soc Econ Res 5(1):1–56. doi:10.5958/2249-6270.2015.00001.X (ISSN: 2249-6270)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singapore, Ministry of Finance (1993) Interim report of the committee to promote enterprise overseas, MOF. National Printers, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz J (1989) The economic role of the state. Basil Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • The Economist (2015) 26th March. The Economist, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Toh MH (1997) Saving, capital formation and economic growth in Singapore. East West Centre Working Paper, No. 88-8, Aug 1997

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsui-Auch L, Lee Y-J (2003) The state matters: management models of Singapore Chinese and Korean business groups. Org Stud 24(4):507–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wade R (1990) Governing the market: economic theory and the role of government in East Asian industrialization. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong KP (1986) Saving, capital inflow and capital formation. In: Lim CY, Lloyd PJ (eds) Singapore: resources and growth. Oxford University Press, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Wonglimpiyarat J (2013) Innovation financing policies for entrepreneurial development – cases of Singapore and Taiwan as newly industrializing economies of Asia. J High Technol Manage Res 24:109–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (1993) The East Asian miracle: economic growth and public policy. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2009) World development indicators. The World Bank, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2012) Doing business 2013. World Bank, Washington, DC

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kalim Siddiqui .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Siddiqui, K. (2016). A Study of Singapore as a Developmental State. In: Kim, YC. (eds) Chinese Global Production Networks in ASEAN. Understanding China. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24232-3_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics