Structural Properties, Work Practices, and Control in Asian Businesses: Some Evidence from Singapore and Malaysia

This study explored the level of adoption ofWestern style management practices in two South EastAsian communities. A sample of 203 managers fromMalaysian and Singaporean organizations responded to a survey that was designed to capture demographicas well as organizational data in terms of structuraldimensions, and employed work setting processes andpractices. A strong inference of the findings is that Western assumptions about managerialideology were not fully endorsed in the studyorganizations. These findings, which are discussed, wereinterpreted in conjunction with contributions from Asian managers. The approach outlined in this paperdemonstrates the value of qualitative and quantitativeprocedures for interpreting the results ofcross-cultural studies.