Evaluating Research Methods in Singapore Expatriate Studies

The Literature Review and Its Functions

The literature review for Wan, Hui, and Tsang's article "Factors affecting Singaporeans' acceptance of international postings" contributes to the study in several key ways. It sets the framework for the discussion, provides insight into previous research on the subject, gives international context, and determines the importance and relevance of the study by illustrating where it fits within contemporary research. These functions are consistent with the established objectives for literature reviews in general (University, 2009).

In setting the framework for the discussion, the literature review explains the basic themes concerning the decision to accept an overseas assignment, and further specifies that the paper addresses this issue with particular regard to Singaporeans. This presents the reader with the necessary framework to understand the points of discussion that follow.

A literature review should provide insight into previous research on the subject. For this topic, there are many facets of research that should be addressed, including the decision to accept an overseas assignment, the different types of overseas assignments, and the general reaction to each type. Studies at this stage of the literature review can be relatively brief. The authors are brief — perhaps too much so — but they explain the concepts adequately.

The literature review then moves into the specific Singaporean context, again covered in brief, just enough to frame the discussion. It also provides definitions of the key terms used in the study, which further helps orient the reader.

The second function this literature review serves is to provide insight into previous research on the subject. This is important because the authors are expected to identify gaps in the existing research that their paper intends to fill. In this instance, the authors argue that there is little in the existing literature that specifically addresses the acceptance of overseas assignments within the Singaporean context.

The third function of the literature review is to place the research within a full international context. This is not a function of all literature reviews, but this paper is uniquely focused on the international domain. The authors do, to some extent, attempt to cover international literature and synthesize it with Singapore-specific literature, albeit in a fairly thin manner. Again, the authors maintain that there is little previous research with which to work.

The fourth function of the literature review is to justify the current research. This can be accomplished not only by pointing out gaps in the existing body of research, but also by interpreting that body to determine which areas are most in need of contribution. The authors do this in a superficial way. While they are correct that the research fills gaps, it is the importance of those gaps that they fail to fully justify — a shortcoming that likely reflects weak argumentative writing rather than any deficiency in their logic.

Overall, the literature review expends significant effort outlining key research terms and methodology, which makes it more accessible to a lay audience — one that can reasonably be expected given the topic. The literature review ultimately provides a strong framework for the study and solid justification for its conduct.

Sampling Strategy and Demographic Representativeness

Sampling allows researchers to draw conclusions about a whole by examining a part. Researchers are therefore not interested in the sample itself, but in how the data gathered can be applied to the broader population (Statistics Canada, 2009). The survey should begin with detailed objectives. In this case, the authors used the literature to frame the nature of their study. They wished to measure two things: first, the willingness of Singaporeans to consider overseas assignments in the context of cultural distance from their home culture; and second, for each level of cultural distance (high or low), what key factors would determine the intent to accept an assignment.

Both the survey's objectives and the target population — Singaporean businesspeople — had been determined. The sample selection therefore needed to deliver a group whose results could be extrapolated to that broader population. The survey plan must account for three key factors: the sample design, the estimation technique, and the measures of precision (Statistics Canada, 2009). The authors sampled 212 business people, pre-screened for suitability based on their likelihood of receiving an overseas assignment and their status as Singaporean nationals. Respondents were approached at random on the street in Shenton Way, a central business district.

This last point calls into question the applicability of the study to the entire population of Singaporean business people. Employees subject to overseas placements are not drawn exclusively from central business districts. A range of workers in construction, oil and gas exploration, mining, defense contracting, and other primary industries are subject to overseas assignments, as are employees of the national government. By confining the survey to one geographic area, the authors unduly limited its scope.

Moreover, the researchers would have relied on visual cues to identify potential respondents. Singapore's population reflects its history as a trading center, a crossroads, and a colonized nation. While Chinese, Malay, or Tamil-descended Singaporeans may have been readily identifiable, Singaporeans of European origin — estimated at 2.4% of the citizenry — are underrepresented, despite having a propensity toward the kinds of work that involve overseas assignments.

The demographic profile of the respondents diverged from Singapore's business community in several important ways. Respondents were 87.5% Chinese, a group that comprises only 74.2% of the population (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2009). The bulk of respondents were also between the ages of 21 and 30 and single. Single Singaporeans accounted for 58% of survey respondents but only 31% of the national population. The dominant demographic in the survey represents just 15% of Singaporeans.

Many of these respondents are personally better positioned to accept overseas postings, but they typically lack the work experience required for such roles. In general, overseas postings are reserved for workers with significant experience at senior managerial or executive levels, given the high cost of expatriate placement.

The conclusion to be drawn is that the survey selection process was relatively weak. It did not yield a sample capable of reliably predicting the attitudes and behavioral intent of the Singaporean business community as a whole, given the dramatic demographic discrepancies between the sample and the target population.

The method of sample selection therefore reduces the reliability of the evidence. Had the authors acknowledged the limitations of their selection technique, they could reasonably have adjusted their estimation approach. Instead, they attempted to extrapolate results to the entire population of potential Singaporean expatriates.

There is also reason to question whether an impromptu street survey accurately captures intent. While the respondents had no apparent reason to be dishonest, their unscheduled participation means they may not have given full consideration to the questions. Furthermore, given the high proportion of young workers, many may never have been asked to consider these issues in the context of their careers. Faced with the questions for the first time, they may have provided superficial answers.

The sample selection and estimation process therefore does not inspire confidence in the reliability of the evidence. The sample size would have been sufficient had a more representative mix of the population been selected. As it stands, the dramatic variances between the survey group and the target population give considerable cause to doubt the results. However, it is impossible to make a definitive determination. There is a paucity of evidence regarding the demographic profile of Singaporeans who are actually asked to accept overseas assignments. It is possible that this profile matches that of the survey group — but at this point, that remains unknown.