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Daniel Berry Dissertation.pdf (1.38 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

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The Social Construction of Workforce Development Organizations in Singapore and Penang, Malaysia

Berry, Daniel E.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=casedm1560435084090073

Abstract Details

1998, Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management.
This study reviews the experiences of workforce development organizations in Singapore and Penang, Malaysia. On the basis of the similarities in population and workforce size, the study argues that lessons can be learned from the two places which can be applied to U. S. regions. The study further argues that place-based workforce development strategies, such as those implemented in Singapore and Penang, will be essential to the economic competitiveness of manufacturing and export-oriented regions in a globalized economy. In the first part of the study, the Singapore and Penang experiences are placed in the context of what has been referred to as the "East Asian miracle." From the synthesis of various economic and cultural interpretations of East Asian success, a set of questions is developed to guide the second part of the study. The second part includes case studies of the Skills Development Fund and the Institute of Technical Education in Singapore and the Penang Skills Development Center in Malaysia. These analyses are enriched by interviews conducted by the author with principals of the four workforce development organizations and others during site visits to Singapore and Malaysia in early 1998. After reviewing the experience of Singapore and Penang, the study concludes that both places have long-term economic development strategies which are supported by education and training policies. These policies ensure the workforce skills needed to support the strategies are available. These policies also reflect a perspective that the direction of economic development can be influenced by investments in the skills of people. Workforce development organizations, capable of adapting readily to changing circumstances, and which coordinate relationships among business, labor, and the government, have been socially constructed to accomplish this goal. Despite significant differences in culture, the study suggests that underlying concepts can be abstracted to a higher theoretical level, thereby enabling their transfer to U.S. regions. Five management principles of workforce development are proposed as relevant to U.S. regions. These five "Ps" are: 1) primacy of people; 2) productivity through continuous learning and technology; 3) planning and strategies; 4) pragmatic change management and adaptation; and 5) place-based workforce development.
John D. Aram, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Paul F. Salipante, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Organizational Behavior

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Berry, D. E. (1998). The Social Construction of Workforce Development Organizations in Singapore and Penang, Malaysia [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=casedm1560435084090073

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Berry, Daniel. The Social Construction of Workforce Development Organizations in Singapore and Penang, Malaysia. 1998. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=casedm1560435084090073.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Berry, Daniel. "The Social Construction of Workforce Development Organizations in Singapore and Penang, Malaysia." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 1998. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=casedm1560435084090073

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

casedm1560435084090073
502
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