Determining the future challenges in industrial relations management in Singapore: A Delphi approach

This study uses a Delphi technique to determine the future challenges in industrial relations (IR) management in Singapore. It attempts to explore whether Singapore needs to make any changes to its consensual IR system. In this respect, it examines whether the IR system that was put in place in the 1960s, when the country embarked on its industrialization process, is congruent with the current shift towards a high value-added and technological economy. The Delphi method is used to tap the views of IR experts on this issue. The results of the study indicate a number of potential problems and challenges facing the Singapore IR system. One such problem is the lack of capable union leaders who can educate the workforce on the need to use skills training and upgrading to improve productivity. The implications of the study are discussed, as are the recommendations arising from the study.