Pros
The perceived benefits appear to apply primarily to Japanese expatriates, while local employees receive comparatively limited advantages. Examples frequently cited for Japanese expatriates include: 1. Company-provided rental vehicles with fuel subsidies. 2. Reduced direct accountability, with operational issues often delegated to local staff for resolution. 3. Employees working under departments led by Japanese expatriates allegedly receiving significant protection despite repeated operational mistakes, customer dissatisfaction, or financial losses incurred by the company. 4. Company-sponsored housing arrangements, reportedly including high-end condominium accommodations in areas such as River Valley. 5. Minimal expectation for timely email responses or communication follow-up, with local employees often expected to step in and resolve outstanding matters. 6. Greater flexibility in transferring responsibilities to other departments when tasks are deemed inconvenient or unsuitable, with justifications such as language limitations being readily accepted despite senior leadership appointments.
Kontras
1. There appears to be a lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities, resulting in departments frequently shifting ownership of tasks and issues to one another. 2. Corporate governance standards seem inconsistently applied, with policies and processes enforced selectively depending on convenience or circumstance. 3. Certain departments have reportedly incurred losses for at least two consecutive years without significant accountability or corrective action. In contrast, employees from supporting functions may receive warnings for comparatively minor matters. The company’s overall bonus pool was heavily impacted due to these losses, resulting in minimal bonuses for most employees until another department helped improve the overall outcome. Despite this, the departments contributing to the losses reportedly received the same bonus payouts as others. 4. Senior management is perceived by some employees as lacking strong leadership capabilities, with promotions appearing to rely heavily on long service tenure or past sales performance rather than managerial competence. There is also a perception that local staff interests are sometimes compromised in order to accommodate Japanese expatriate management preferences. 5 . There appears to be limited recognition or celebration of major multicultural festivals such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali, or Christmas, which may affect employee morale and inclusiveness. 6.Salary increments are generally viewed as modest, with annual adjustments often perceived to average around S$100 or less. 7. Overall compensation packages are considered average and not especially competitive within the market. 8. Japanese expatriates typically rotate out after approximately five years, which may reduce long-term commitment or accountability to local operational challenges. As a result, local employees are often perceived as carrying the responsibility for resolving ongoing operational and administrative issues.