3 Similarities and 3 Differences in the business culture of Israel and Singapore

Similarities

  • Both societies, at least at face value, appear as task focused and fast moving with a semi -Western veneer. Yet, when you scratch a little bit, the Western veneer disappears and therein lies a web of intense relationship based networks which serves as the great enabler. So both in Singapore and Israel, you do not always see what you get.
  • Both business cultures are survival driven: paranoid, focusing on the urgent and very flexible in the crisis mode.
  • Singaporeans and Israelis both adapt themselves to others rather than expect the other to change.

Differences

  • Israelis show a basic lack of respect to authority. Singaporeans will generally show apparent deference, expressing differences of opinions “wrapped up” in respect.
  • Israelis often tell clients  “what they need” ; Singaporeans will make more of an effort to provide clients with what they want, albeit they know that the client could benefit from something else.
  • Israelis have little tolerance for face saving behaviours, which are part and parcel of doing business with Singaporeans. Needless to say, Israelis find Singapore less focused on face than the Chinese or Thais.
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2 thoughts on “3 Similarities and 3 Differences in the business culture of Israel and Singapore

  1. This is so neat and enlightening. What is deeper is the OD trajectory it reveals. North American dogmas in OD (its place of birth) are simply not blindly applicable as leverages of organizational effectiveness.

  2. Yes, this reads like Singapore alright. They’re more savvy there with face than the pragmatic mainland Chinese. A climate of determination envelops both cultures.

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