Managers in Singapore were less pessimistic about the Singapore economy (61 per cent) than the global economy (77 per cent). -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
TRAINING is important for Singapore managers but going overseas to gain experience is low on their priority list, a recent survey of 750 managers and top executives showed.
The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)-commissioned survey was conducted from March to April through an online questionnaire.
While 71 per cent of respondents ranked upgrading skills and knowledge as important - high or very high priority on a sliding scale - fewer said the same about:
gaining experience in different companies (34 per cent)
gaining experience in different industries (31 per cent)
gaining experience in different countries (38 per cent)
SIM executive director Ronald Tan did not find the results surprising. The results have to be seen in the context of the global recession, he said.
In a situation where people are worried about job security, 'things like job rotation or going overseas is a luxury.'
Singapore Human Resources Institute executive director David Ang said that people may not want to take risks, and when it comes to going overseas, managers may have family commitments which makes it hard to relocate.
On job satisfaction in their current jobs, 93 per cent of top executives said they were satisfied, compared to 74 per cent of middle managers.
Only about one quarter of managers (26 per cent) think they will get a payrise in the next 12 months. But on the upside, managers in Singapore were less pessimistic about the Singapore economy (61 per cent) than the global economy (77 per cent).
SIM said that the survey, which aims to identify key trends in management, would be conducted every six months.
