Merlion: The influence of Singapore's cosmopolitan culture on workplace incivility

This chapter provides a picture of workplace incivility in Singapore. Most of the research conducted to date on workplace incivility has been in Western countries; there is a dearth of research in this area in Singapore. To overcome this challenge, the author will draw on her own knowledge of Singapore and her experience of the Singaporean workplace to enrich the narrative. The author grew up and attended primary and secondary schools in Singapore and has worked in a variety of private and public industries (e.g., shipping, sales and marketing, hospital, and tertiary institutions). It is acknowledged that while personal experiences may be perceived as subjective and interpretive, it is nonetheless important to recognise the role these play in the development of scientific knowledge (Kuhn 1970, Feyerabend 1981). Empirical studies conducted by researchers including the author on workplace incivility in Singapore are complemented by this personal perspective