Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success

350 Pages·2016·10.465 MB·English

by  Yvonne Guo, J J Woo

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Published by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601
UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Guo, Yvonne, author. | Woo, J. J. (Jun Jie) author.
Title: Singapore and Switzerland : secrets to small state success / Yvonne Guo, J. J. Woo.
Description: New Jersey : World Scientific, 2015.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015031765| ISBN 9789814651394 | ISBN 9814651397
Subjects: LCSH: States, Small--Case studies. | States, Small--Politics and government. |
Singapore--Politics and government. | Switzerland--Politics and government.
Classification: LCC JC365 .G86 2015 | DDC 330.9494--dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015031765
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Copyright © 2016 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means,
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For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance
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is not required from the publisher.
Desk Editor: Karimah Samsudin
Printed in Singapore
Karimah - Singapore and Switzerland.indd 1 7/4/2016 4:36:26 PM
9”x6” b2271 Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success
Contents
Foreword by Ambassador Thomas Kupfer ix
Foreword by Ambassador Tommy Koh xv
Preface xvii
Introduction and Background: The Trajectories
of History, Politics and Economics xxi
History of Singapore xxii
History of Switzerland xxv
Politics xxviii
Economics xxxv
Plan of the Book xlii
Chapter 1: Public Administration in Singapore and Switzerland 1
Yvonne Guo and Andreas Ladner
Introduction: Comparing Countries
and Administrative Systems 1
Singapore and Switzerland: Similar in Output
Legitimacy, Different in Input Legitimacy 10
Discussion 21
Chapter 2: Neutrality, Balancing or Engagement?
Comparing the Singaporean and Swiss
Approaches in Small–State Diplomacy 29
Yvonne Guo and J.J. Woo
Introduction 29
Review of the Literature 31
v
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b2271 Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success 9”x6”
vi Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success
Realist and Constructivist Approaches
in Small–State Diplomacy 37
Conclusion: Rhetoric and Practice
in Small–State Diplomacy 46
Chapter 3: Trade Policy: The Status Quo
and The Quo Vadis of Trade Liberalisation 51
Michel Anliker
Introduction 51
Singapore 52
Switzerland 57
Future Impact of TTIP and TPP 62
A Critical View of Increasing Trade Deals 65
The Practical Implementation of FTAs 68
Conclusion 70
Chapter 4: S mall States as Banking Powerhouses: Financial
Sector Policy in Singapore and Switzerland 75
Yvonne Guo and J.J. Woo
Introduction 75
Case of Singapore 79
Case of Switzerland 83
Discussion 88
Conclusion 91
Chapter 5: L and Transport Policy: Urban Infrastructure
in Singapore and Switzerland 97
Bruno J. Wildermuth
Introduction 97
Private Transport 98
Rail Public Transport 101
Public Bus Services 103
Road Transport and Policies of Road Usage 105
Parking Policies 106
Bicycling 108
Pedestrians 108
Conclusion 110
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9”x6” b2271 Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success
Contents vii
Chapter 6: S MEs: Challenges, Potential for Mutual Learning
and Implications for Policymakers 113
Manuel Baeuml
Introduction 113
Role of SMEs in Singaporean and Swiss Economies 114
Similarities in Singaporean and Swiss
Business Environments 117
Importance of Strategic Positioning
and Employee Investment 118
Supportive Regulatory Policies for SMEs 128
Chapter 7: Recent Trends in First-Class World
Competitiveness: Singapore and Switzerland
in Global Entrepreneurship Rankings 137
Philippe Régnier and Pascal Wild
Introduction 137
Singapore and Switzerland: Some Key Findings 140
National Eco-systems Conducive
for Entrepreneurship 144
Entrepreneurial Spirit 150
International Orientation 153
Special Topics in Entrepreneurship 153
Discussion 158
Challenges 161
Conclusion 162
Chapter 8: S ingapore and Switzerland: Success Stories
in Education 165
Suzanne Hraba-Renevey and Yvonne Guo
Introduction 165
Case of Singapore 165
Case of Switzerland 174
Challenges for Singapore and Switzerland 181
Collaboration Opportunities 182
Conclusion 186
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viii Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success
Chapter 9: U nited in Diversity? Managing Multiculturalism
in Singapore and Switzerland 193
Yvonne Guo
Review of the Literature 194
Case of Singapore 196
Case of Switzerland 201
Comparisons, Discussions and Challenges 207
Conclusion 210
Chapter 10: M igration Policies: Lessons from the
Singaporean and Swiss Experiences 215
Hui Weng Tat and Cindy Helfer
Introduction 215
Overall Macro Situation 216
Differences between Singapore and Switzerland 223
Foreign Labour in Switzerland 234
Coping with Migration–Related Issues
and Challenges in Switzerland 239
Swiss Lessons for Singapore 245
Concluding Remarks 249
Chapter 11: P ower Resources and Income Inequality
in Singapore and Switzerland 255
Mehmet Kerem Çoban
Introduction 255
Power Resources and a Trilemma
in a Service Economy 256
Case of Singapore 259
Case of Switzerland 269
Conclusion 279
Conclusion 285
About the Authors 291
Index 295
Reviews of the Book 303
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9”x6” b2271 Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success
Foreword
By Ambassador Thomas Kupfer
I was very pleased to hear that Yvonne Guo, an alumna of the University
of St. Gallen in Switzerland, and Jun Jie Woo, Assistant Professor at the
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, intended to pub-
lish a book about Switzerland and Singapore. I have met Ms Guo several
times and have had the opportunity to listen to some of her presentations
about her studies. Within the framework of her PhD thesis about small
state responses to international financial regulatory pressures, she is con-
centrating on the cases of Singapore and Switzerland. As a Singaporean,
she knows the local framework very well, and participating in regular
study visits to Switzerland has given her important insights into Switzerland
and its political system. Furthermore, with the involvement of Swiss and
Singaporean authors, the book gives a deep and informative insight into
the nature of two small states which are very similar and yet very
different.
Switzerland and Singapore indeed enjoy excellent bilateral relations.
Even before the establishment of diplomatic relations on 11 October
1967, the two countries have maintained significant ties, dating back to
well before Singapore’s independence. Already during the mid-19th cen-
tury, Swiss traders and merchandisers were selling watches and textiles to
Singapore and working for Dutch, German or English trading houses in
Singapore. Since then, the economic and financial cooperation between
both countries has grown continuously. Singapore became Switzerland’s
main trading partner in Southeast Asia and Switzerland the fifth-largest
investor in Singapore. Singapore was the first Asian country with which
Switzerland concluded a Free Trade Agreement through the EFTA
ix
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