Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Buffalo, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-130).

No

Taxis are a popular mode of travel in Singapore because of their convenience and high levels of comfort. Despite having approximately 28,000 taxis, Singapore’s taxi system is under-optimized. As a result, e-hailing applications have transformed the way consumers select ride services. Such apps have provided a faster and more convenient service. In fact, both consumers and taxi drivers have reaped significant benefits from e-hailing services. In our study, we use average wait times and prices to understand the impact e-hailing applications have had on the Singapore taxi industry. We predict that such services would have negatively impacted the existing taxi dispatch system. We found e-hailing applications reduced the average wait time for passengers. Prices were the cheapest for Uber. Due to limitations in the study, we cannot conclude if these are statistically significant results.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Cheung Kai-chee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves [32]-[36] (2d group)

The thesis explores the political dispositions lurking within the practices of vision, construed here in terms of the visible and invisible. It locates this investigation firstly, in the representational culture of colonial Singapore and secondly, in postcolonial Singaporean performances. Although the thesis takes as its point of departure conceptualizations of the practices of vision by Bhabha, Foucault, Lefebvre and Lacan, as the argument proceeds, the exploration takes its cue increasingly from the thought of Derrida. The chapters explore how the relationship to Otherness is variously effaced or enacted in practices of the visible and invisible. The thesis starts with an exploration of the practices of the visible in colonial power relations and postcolonial multiculturalism, construed here as a metaphysical sovereign political disposition, the predicates of which are the theological-political securing of the I Am Who I AM. Within this relationship to Otherness is a violent ethico-political relation to Otherness. However, in the thought of Derrida and Levinas, the relationship between 'us' and the 'Other' is the condition of possibility for both the Self and Other, for justice, responsibility, associated by an openness to the Other, including the willingness to be unsettled by the surprise of the Other-to-come. The second half of the thesis investigates the possibilities of a radical relation to the radically non-relational. Firstly, this radical relation to radical alterity is construed as encompassing a practice of the invisible, that of a poetics of the (im)possible. Secondly, this radical relation to Otherness is conceptualized as a 'writing in blindness', the counterpart of which is eschatological desire, accompanied by the 'art of the perhaps'.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2001. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 316-336).

In Singapore the state defines the parameters of 'ethnic' identity on the basis of the ideology of multiracialism, in which any particular 'ethnic' identity is subsumed under national identity and permitted expression in cultural and economic, but not political, terms. Multiracialism's appeal for the state as well as for its citizens lies in its objective: social cohesion between and equality for the four officially recognized 'racial' groups. Nevertheless, from the viewpoint of the 'Indian' community, this thesis demonstrates how the multiple layers of meaning given to the doctrine and practice of multiracialism by various social actors and their interactions create tensions and contestations in reconciling 'ethnic' and national identity. Public expression of 'ethnic' politics is considered by the state as subversive towards the nation, although the state itself implements its ideology through a stringent regime of 'racial' management directed at every aspect of a Singaporean's social, cultural, economic and political life. The thesis addresses important issues involving 'racial' and 'ethnic' identity, modes of 'ethnic' interaction and nation building in the multiethnic and globalised context of Singapore in general and in 'Little India' in particular. This area, though theoretically democratic in nature, is embedded in state-civil society power relations, with the state setting the agenda for 'ethnic' maintenance and identity. My research interviews demonstrate the dominating and hegemonic power of the state, its paternalistic governance, and its wide network of social control mechanisms organizing 'ethnicity' in Singapore. The historical decision, made firstly by the British colonial administration and thereafter perpetuated by the nation state, to make 'race' the basis of all social classification has had far-reaching consequences. With the postcolonial state wishing to be the sole authority over 'ethnic' practices and discourse, Singaporeans' lives have been heavily conditioned by its impact, which I argue resembles to some extent the 'divide and rule' policy of the colonial regime. 'Race' as the structuring principle and accepted reality of Singapore society since colonial days is so entrenched that it has been essentialised and institutionalised by the state as well as by the people in contemporary Singapore. The terms 'race' and 'ethnicity' are used interchangeably and synonymously in daily usage, though "race" is preferred by political leaders, academics and the population at large. I will argue that with 'race' as the reference point ethnic communities that migrated from China, India and other places became socially, culturally and economically segregated and polarised from colonial days to such an extent that extensive stereotypes and prejudices have fed on their lives. Such perspectives have led to differing constructions of national identity discourses presented by the nation state based on its objectives of 'racial' integration, economic development and national identity. By way of interview and survey material I demonstrate that 'race', ethnicity and national identity as defined and managed by the state have not only been inextricably linked in the everyday lives of Singaporeans but more importantly they have resulted in a resurgence of ethnic consciousness in the last three decades or so, thereby undermining the state's attempts at national identity. My findings are based on responses by Singaporean Indians to various social engineering policies employed by the state as strategies for integrating the diverse ethnic groups and anchored on the ideologies of multiracialism, multiculturalism, multilingualism, multireligiosity and meritocracy. My respondents perceive that these policies are not proactive in fostering 'racial' integration because of growing social and economic inequalities brought about by the collision of ethnic and national identities with 'race'. They feel that the government has strayed from its declared goal of 'multiracialism', emphasized all along as critical to the strength, stability and growth of the nation. Such a situation, they argue, does not augur well for a common national identity that remains elusive in the eyes and minds of Singaporeans.

Based on collaboration rather than competition, Open Source Software provides a new dynamic in the development and use of software systems. As such it has the potential to make a significant legal, social and economic impact on the industry. While its origins trace back to the start of the software industry, the recent success of the Linux operation system, Apache web server or the Mozilla Firefox Internet Browser provide impetus to the growth of interest in this movement. However, while a number of studies have been conducted on its development, few have provided empirical evidence of its adoption within the South East Asian context. This study aims to investigate factors leading to the adoption of Open Source Software in Singaporean Organisations. The research has found that the adoption of Open Source Software is driven by the perception of a cost advantage. The organisations interviewed have acknowledged cost as being one of their biggest concerns and top priorities. While costs were stated to be of major concern to the organisations, objective measures of cost such as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Return on Investment (ROI) were rarely used by the organisations studied. This perception of cost saving is found to be led by industry sources such as publications, conferences and websites. The next significant finding is the need for increased open source software skills in the industry. One of the major drivers of Open Source Software Adoption in the organisations is that they posses pre-existing skills in Open Source Software use. This enables them to better mitigate risk and to lower their training costs. The final principal finding is that Open Source Software appears to be used mainly in systems infrastructure applications. Organisations reported a large degree of satisfaction including increased stability, scalability and cost effectiveness. Issues remain with Open Source Software’s manageability, its quality of support and ease of use.

The object of this empirical study is to clarify, consolidate and build on various conflicting research findings on the relationships among ownership structure, corporate governance, and corporate performance using data from 149 Singapore public listed companies. This study contributes to our understanding of these relationships by examining the total continuum of ultimate ownership structures measured by control rights within a single economic and legal research context and various performance measures. Adapting the approach advocated by Agrawal and Knoeber (1996), the seven governance control variables used in this study are self monitoring by the inside manager-shareholder, monitorings by outside blockholders, institutional investors, government shareholders, independent directors, market for CEO, and bank and financial institutions. This study firstly shows an interesting pattern of interrelationships among the corporate governance mechanisms which evolve so as to minimise systemic agency costs if the corporation has in place an optimal mix of the governance control mechanisms. The more general pattern of the interrelationship is that of substitution while the two special cases of complementary interdependence exist.