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Janice T.S. Ho: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
C.E. Ang: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Joanne Loh: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Irene Ng: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Introduction
Kiasu is a word of Hokkien (a Chinese dialect) origin, the literal translation being "the fear of losing out". The 1997 edition of the Australian Macquarie Dictionary defines kiasuism (a concocted noun of the adjective "kiasu") as "an obsessive desire for value for money - hailed as a national fixation in Singapore." Kagda (1993) stated that kiasuism has been dubbed the "negative complement of competitiveness". Competition breeds a sense of drive and commitment, while kiasuism stems from greed and promotes envy and selfishness. Where competition encourages calculated risk taking, kiasuism calls for conformity.
The extensive coverage in the local press between the years of 1992 to 1996 has led to much dispute and concern over the image that Singaporeans are projecting to foreigners. Numerous horror stories of the atrocities Singaporeans are capable of have time and again surfaced in press articles and other publications. The epic proportions to which matters have developed, delivered a warning sign to the Singapore government to the extent that persuasive measures have been earnestly employed in a seemingly ineffectual attempt to curb the kiasu attitude. The 1993 National Courtesy Campaign in Singapore, in fact, had centered around this theme with its slogan being "If we could only see ourselves sometimes".
Hence, the ugly image that Singaporeans are alleged to be portraying, both locally and overseas, is of utmost concern not only to Singaporeans in general, but also to the Singapore government. Being a country which thrives on tourism, the implications of being labelled a kiasu society would be immense with adverse effects on business partnerships, foreign investment, the economy, organization management and development, the travel industry, just to name a few. Internally, should kiasuism be a solely Singaporean trait carried to an extreme, it may well be a reason for the lack of entrepreneurial spirit in Singaporeans which is also a concern for the Singapore government. There is therefore a need to ascertain the extent of the kiasu behaviour in Singapore, before it takes root and dictates local thinking (The Straits Times, 1990).
This study, being a pioneer study in this area, attempts to...