Singapore for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games

(Leapleapleap.com, 2014)

Leib Yehudo Goldman (492944X)Tyson Hoolohan (9509119)Stefan Najman Matthew Buratto (7164173)Narin kim (9508406)

Table of content

1. Introduction2. Country overview2. Country Analysis2. Hofstede Model

1. Advertising to children2. Position & Treatment of women

1. Treatment/Attitudes towards the Lesbian, Gay, BI, Transgender community

2. Culture 2. Social

1. Conclusion2. References

(Upload.wikimedia.org, 2014)

Introduction

A request for the most suitable option for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympics Games was raised from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Singapore was decided at the top of the lists for a number of reasons. Singapore is economically and politically stable, multicultural diverse and accepting, transport is exceptional, there are so many reasons it’s such a viable option. The climate is also constant and the games could be held any time of the year.

Country Overview

With a population of 5.4 million (as of June 2013), 3.8 million whom are residents or permanent residents. There are three major ethnic groups within the local community. Seventy four per cent are Chinese, thirteen percent Malaysian and nine percent Indian. The four official languages of the country are Chinese (Mandarin), English and Malay. Tamil English is also the language of the administration and commerce, widely spoken across the island.

Singapore’s average daytime temperature is 31 degrees Celsius with a minimum average of 23 degrees Celsius at night. Annually the country receives 2.3 metres of rain, with the country having a two annual moon seasons from December to early March and from June to September.

Sitting 137 kilometres north of the equator, Singapore is separated from Malaysia by the Strait of Johor and from Indonesia by the strait of Singapore. Singapore is made up of the main island, which is 42 kilometres long and 23 kilometres wide. Bukit Timah Peak is the highest point of Singapore reaching 163 metres in height. The total area of Singapore is approximately 714 square kilometres. (Singapore Country Brief, 2014)

Singapore is a republic, with a parliamentary system of government and an elected President as the Head of State. The Singapore Parliament has a single house, which is elected by general election every five years. Singapore’s political scene consists of The People’s Action Party (PAP), who has held power since 1959, winning thirteen successive general election. To give an idea of how strong the People Action Party is in Singapore, when the last election was held in 2011, the PAP had a win of 81 out of 87 seats. (Singapore Country Brief, 2014)

Singapore's foreign policy cornerstone is having Membership in the Association of South-East Asian Nation. Singapore sees active members in this nation such as the USA and China as key economic players in enhancing their own country competitiveness worldwide. Strengthening relationships with immediate neighbours such as Indonesia and Malaysia are a key foreign policy priority.

Australia bilateral relationship with Singapore is one of the closest and most comprehensive in South East Asia. Singapore and Australia co-operate on many issues integral to trade and security. Prime Ministers of both countries made a Joint Declaration in 1966 called "A New Partnership" encompassing cooperation in cultural, economic, political and security matters. (Singapore Country Brief, 2014)

Often referred to as one of Asia’s economic “tigers”, Singapore’s economy is driven by electronics manufacturing and financial services. The country has also pulled itself out of major crisis’ other countries may have not been able to. These include the 1997 Asian market Slump, 2003 Sars virus outbreak and the 2009 world banking crisis.(BBC, 22nd May 2014)

(IRONMAN.com, 2014)

Country Analysis

Political and Legal:

Singapore has a stable comfortable political environment, despite being considered authoritarian it has reasonable and rational laws, and they are strictly enforced. As a product of this Singapore is considered to be the least corrupt nation in the world. The rules are set in place specifically to look out for the people’s best interests and holds itself responsible for its people’s well-beings. The legal enforcement and punishment of these rules has a quite positive effect on the passive environment of the country. Racism is illegal and women are free to walk around at any time without fear of anything from harm or harassment. There have also been no mass murder, serial killing or civil unrest. As a result, Singapore would be an appealing option for the games, it appears that all athletes, guests, and supporters would be safe under the leadership (GuideMeSIgnapore, 2014). It may however be difficult for some people as some laws may clash; chewing gum, homosexuality, which isn’t really enforced, and others. These may not be a major issue but it is important to inform guests of these differences.

Singapore scores a high 74 on the Power distance scale of hofstede(Geert-hofstede.com, 2014). five basic relationships were revealed, ruler-subject, father-son, older brother-younger brother, husband-wife and senior friend-junior friend. Power comes from one point and managers rely on their managers rule resulting in controlled process.

With a very low score of 8 in uncertainty avoidance (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) . it is evident that many Singaporeans abide to the rules in place. The high power distance score reflects on the uncertainty avoidance because most of the control comes from one point so there are little uncertainties.

Economical:

Singapore is known for its strength in the economical department, as a results of all the political fairness, especially with tax laws, lack of corruption and honest societal values, businesses from all over the globe have opened branches or migrated their businesses to take advantage. It is known mostly for its trade and research and development. Singapore can afford to develop high class locations and facilities for the games, and it would complement their strong economy quite nicely. It would also create many jobs and facilitate new areas of growth in the hospitality and tourist structures in place (GuideMeSIgnapore, 2014).

Singapore scores a 72 for Pragmatism their cultural qualities are supportive of long term investments such as sustained efforts, being sparse with resources. They have recently become one of the five dragons with immense economic success. Compared to the Westerners, Singaporeans emphasise virtue and the way to do things, we, as Westerners think if A is right then B must be wrong, Singaporeans believe that a combined A and B produce something more superior. A more pragmatic approach to business.

Technological and Environmental:

They are well known for their medical infrastructure and has healthy, hygienic standards as well as a great education system for the population. English is widely spoken. Clean water, air, conservation of them, recycling, reliable energy, ease of traffic, comfortable public transport, and urban planning all contribute to the general comfort within Singapore. There is also a surplus of locations and events for entertainment or relaxation, goods are reasonably priced and accessible and there’s no real dangers of natural disasters. All these contribute to the technology and environment that make Singapore an inviting location as it has all the advantages of Western culture and offers all services its visitors could want for the games. There are, however, limited recreational options and the weather is tropical and doesn’t vary throughout the year (GuideMeSIgnapore, 2014).

Advertising to children:

On January 2013 leading food and beverage companies pledged to change the way they advertise to children (Foodindustry.asia, 2014). They can now only advertise products that meet nutritional criteria or applicable national and international dietary guidelines to children under the age of 12, and no advertising to target children under the age of 12 at all. This reflects the caring spirit of Singapore and its slightly more feminine rating on the Hofstede model. This reflects a nurturing quality of Singapore which means the games will be kid and there for family friendly. This means families can come from all over the world and feel safe that their children would be affected by manipulative

advertisements. This creates family friendly games where families can be targeted instead of singles.

Position & Treatment of women:

Singaporean woman are in a transition to be granted equal citizenship privileges to their male counterparts. Currently Singapore's Constitution accords citizenship by descent to a child born abroad if his or her father is Singaporean by birth or registration. If the child is born to a Singaporean mother and non-Singaporean father, he or she has to apply for citizenship by registration. In recent years the city-state has increased its female representation in the public life as more women chose to run for political office. With the current push for gender equality more women can be represented at the games to promote both women's sports and their rights within their country. Everyone is treated as equals so a positive environment will engulf the games.Singapore scores 48 and sit at about the middle of Hofstede’s scale for masculinity (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014). Slightly more feminine than masculine means levelling with others, consensus, and sympathy for the underdog are all valued and promoted in the communities. People are humble, modest, and are not too persistent.

Treatment/Attitudes towards the Lesbian, Gay, BI, Transgender community:

Officially homosexual acts are illegal under Section 377 of the Penal Code and are still enforced in some areas of the Far East. In Singapore, however, the ban on gay sex is not actively enforced and the LGBT community are being accepted more so into society. The annual Pink Dot parade which is a celebration of Love, Equality and LGBT rights had a record attendance of 26,000 people in 2014. This shows positive signs of cultural advancements and forward thinking following the success of the pink Dot parade. Singapore is moving towards sexual orientation equality with Section 377 not being enforced. This reflects acceptance of LGBT, and represents a culture that’s about accepting equality and change. These cultural values demonstrate historical differences of society as a whole to where it is now, other countries, cultures and groups, including most attending the games would have no problems with these sub-cultures. It is however important to let attendees for the games know the laws for their safety.

Culture:

Singapore’s culture is massive. The city holds a vast range of ethnicities being Chinese 77%, Indian 6%, Malay 15% and 2% taking up the other ethnicities. This demonstrates that there should be easy transition and minimal cultural clash during the games.

Singapore reads a 46 on the indulgence scale of Hofstede’s model (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) so it cannot be said of their preference of indulgence.

Thaipusam:

The city already holds a broad range of festivals and events, which contribute to the fact that it is a great multicultural city for the Olympics to be held in. Singapore holds the sacred event, Thaipusam, which is a Hindu festival that almost brings the traffic in the city to a halt. The festival shows multicultural diversity with more than one million Malaysian Hindu’s taking part in the ceremony. The celebration sees Hindu devotees seek blessings, fulfilling vows and offering thanks. It is a festival in honour of Lord Subramaniam who represents virtue, youth and power, and is the destroyer of evil. The event usually lasts about 2 days and sees all the participants walking 4.5 kilometres after a month of a strict vegetarian diet. Citizens in Singapore are not fazed by this cultural celebration, even when bodies are pierced with skewers and hooks as they embrace the multi-ethnicity of the city.

Chinese New Year:

Chinese New Year is another major event in Singapore supporting yet another large part of their culture. It is the most important event in the Chinese calendar and boasts large celebrations around the city with markets, lion dances and people all over meeting and exchanging mandarin oranges, which are seen as a sign of good luck. It is important to take note that red is the colour of the season and that yellow fruit is a symbol of gold and prosperity. The whole focus of the annual celebration is to come together as a family, visit relatives and bless each other with good fortune for the year to come and enjoy time with the ones who matter most.

(Besthomechef.com.au, 2014)

Advertising Campaign:

The “Get Lost” campaign, aimed at Australian’s is another one of Singapore’s cultural boosters. It’s focus is to familiarise not only Australians, but also other nations about Singapore’s rich culture. They point out that it isn’t “just any other

city”, focusing on the modernity and multicultural appeal, but there is more to see than just the bustling city. Singapore is a city that converges heritage with the future, through things like architecture and their traditional food markets found around the city. While this advertising did not translate as expected, it was found to be effective and could be used as a marker to guide the mass advertising campaigns that will be used for the time around Olympic Games.

All these cultural factors contribute to why the Olympic games could be held in Singapore. These small list of events and campaign show how Singapore is a multicultural city, ready to hold an epic event, exhibiting an enormous range of countries abilities in sport. These cultural events held in Singapore show how the city understands different cultures, especially with their multi-ethnicity inhabiting the city. There isn’t just one ethnicity and everyone is aware of that and all ethnicities engage with each other, reflecting another factor as to why the Olympics could be held in such an amazing city like Singapore.

Social:

Public Transport:Singapore is known to have highly efficient, hassle-free and affordable public transportation system, which includes a range of transport such as taxis, buses and the modern Mass Rapid Convey (MRT) rail system. These modes of conveying systems are all air-conditioned and operate at hours starting from 5:30 am until 12 mid-night which are linked to the entire city. They are safe, clean and efficient. Bus and rail fares are relatively frugal when compared to other countries and cost anything between S$0.70 to S$2.50 per trip, where as on the other hand taxis are more expensive. However, taxis are reliable and the system is much better compared to other countries. The system monitors arrive time and on arrival a call is made to inform the booker. The drivers also do not fleece customers or demand even a cent more than the metered fare. The 2010 Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey revealed that more than nine in 10 or 92.2% of over 3,100 respondents surveyed were satiated with the overall public convey accommodations in Singapore, compared with 93.8% in 2009 and 89.5% in 2008. Satisfaction with both bus and MRT accommodations were withal high, at 90.2% and 95.4% respectively.

(Singapore Bus Page, 2008)

Health Care:

Singapore’s medical standards are among the highest in Asia and the health care system was ranked sixth in the WHO’s ranking of world health systems in 2000.The Ministry of Health manages the public system, which is also responsible for regulating health standards and formulating national health policies for the provision of preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services. The regime on its part provides good, affordable health-care and subsidised medical accommodations to the needy, at public hospitals and clinics. Apart from registered pharmacies, pharmaceuticals they are easily obtainable in places such as, supermarkets, shopping centres and departmental stores. The Medicines are safe for consumption and have a high standard of quality.

Society:

Singapore’s society is cosmopolitan due to the arrival of foreigners in recent times. Singapore is very open and has no tolerances against racism. The group is regarded as more important than the individual,l and social hierarchy is more strictly observed than in the West, with respect and deference shown to older and more senior people. The family is the basic unit of society and respect for the elders is of great importance. The group is regarded as more important than the individual, and social hierarchy is more strictly observed than in the West, with respect and deference shown to older and more senior people.Along with it comes openness towards people and reverence for all. People are amiable and courteous to each other Singaporeans are veracious, highly disciplined and astronomically and strenuously exertive. "Face" is crucial in all relationships. It is a mark of a person's good character and reputation. Much of the behaviour adopted by Singaporeans is based on making sure that no one

loses face. Singaporean’s tend to be more formal and polite and less physical and personal in their everyday dealing than "Westerners", but value warm relationships based on mutual respect and trust. To avoid losing face Singaporeans will rarely say "no" directly. Neither are they likely to ask a direct question or give a direct order. Equally, their "yes" may not always mean they agree.Scoring a 20 in individualism on hofstede model (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) makes Singapore a collective society, meaning ‘we’ is more important than ‘I’. Most people will be involved with bigger groups who all look out for each other and are loyal. Politeness rides high over constructive criticism, and Open conflicts are often avoided.

Conclusion:

Through cultural events and festivals Singapore has demonstrated that its an accepting multicultural diverse city. Its proven to be politically and economically steady through its lack of corruption in government and a 74 on the power distance scale. Transport is efficient, children under the age of 12 cannot be advertised to, and the average daily temperature is 31 degrees Celsius. Its zero tolerance on racism and belief that the family is the basic unit of society, Singapore in the destination for the Summer Olympic Games 2024.

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Upload.wikimedia.org, (2014). [online] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b1/Olympic_Rings.svg

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