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The construction industries in developing countries can play a significant role in stimulating economic growth. Like many of these countries, the construction industry in Singapore has similarly evolved through an infancy phase to reach a stage of maturity, as the economy braces itself officially to become the first developed nation on the Equator by the end of the 1990s. The influence of the construction industry on the Singapore economy had been the subject of much study (Ganesan, 1982; Ofori, 1984; 1985; 1988). None, however, has shown the stages through which the industry had evolved over the last 25 years, since Singapore gained independence in 1965, nor the role played by the Government in rationalizing the marketing capacities and level of sophistication among indigenous construction firms. This article seeks to explore the rationale behind the key development policies, strategies and marketing programmes implemented by the Singapore Government for the local construction industry.
In general, there are two situations where local construction firms in developing countries may venture overseas:
(1) Where domestic demand for construction is high (i.e. good times), local firms may still venture overseas. However, the Government's role in marketing construction services abroad is likely to be less significant.
(2) Where domestic demand for construction is low (i.e. bad times), local firms may be compelled to venture overseas. Government's effort in helping these firms to market their services overseas is likely to be more pressing here.
From these two generalizations, it can be hypothesized that: When the construction sector within the economy of a developing country starts to contract after a period of sustained growth, the need for local contracting firms to market their construction services into overseas markets becomes increasingly compelling. Furthermore, where the contracting industry is a relatively young and fledgling one, the nurturing role of the Government in international marketing may need to be intensified.
This proposition will be examined using the Singapore construction industry as a case study for the period before and after the export marketing of construction services from Singapore was intensified. The methodology adopted for this study includes the following:
* analysis of both official and unofficial reports concerning the Singapore economy and construction industry;
* analysis of documented dialogues between the Singapore Government and various institutional and...