Psychological Capital

Essays by David Chan (2015–2017)

David Chan

• Publisher: WSPC
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9789813235236
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Cultural & Social Anthropology
• Index: Social Sciences

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This book is the second collection of twenty-one essays by behavioural scientist Professor David Chan. The essays in the book first appeared in The Straits Times from March 2015 to September 2017. They discuss a wide range of topics including the different types of commitment to country, diversity and cohesion, people-centric policies and unintended consequences in policymaking, futures thinking, maladaptive cynicism and healthy scepticism, ambivalence from mixed feelings, terrorism, the psychology of power, separating sincere apologies from insincere ones, the impact of socio-political humour, and finding one's own meaning in life. A common theme that runs through these essays is developing "Psychological Capital" to build a strong society of individuals and communities — one that is able to pursue positive things but also able to handle shocks, failures and unmet expectations. This book goes beyond examining critical issues that matter to people, policymaking and nation building, and why they do, to focus on translating the "knowing what" and "knowing why" to "knowing how" and "knowing when". Endorsed by fifty leaders from different sectors, this book provides a powerful springboard for self-reflections, internal and public discussions, and individual and collective actions.

--> Contents:

• Here's What Fifty Leaders From Different Sectors Said About This Book...
• About the Author
• Preface
• Getting Better at Discussing Population Issues
• The Emotional Commitment that Mr Lee Inspired
• If We Have No Differences, We Would Be In Trouble
• Lets Talk About Commitment
• Putting Singapore Above Self
• Thinking About the Future Now
• 7 "PC" Ways to Make People-Centric Policies
• Why It's Not Enough for Leaders to Just be Clever
• Learning to See Things From Another's Perspective
• Find Your Own Meaning in Life
• Lessons for Singapore From Schooling's Win
• Elected Presidency Changes: It's Not Just About the Politics
• In a Funk Over Trump?
• 2016: A Year of Looking to the Future
• The Unbearable Weight of Power
• What a Cobra Bounty Says About Unintended Policy Consequences
• Say You're Sorry: How to Suss Out an Insincere Apology
• To Tell or Not to Tell, That is the Question
• How to Respond to Threats With More than Fight or Flight
• Jokes About Politics: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
• Build Psychological Capital Now for Strong Society

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--> Readership: Academics, undergraduate and graduates students, professionals interested in social and behavioural issues in Singapore; civil servants, NGOs; general public. -->
Keywords:Psychological Capital;Public Policy;Self-Efficacy;Optimism;Hope;Resilience;Well-Being;Trust;Community;Commitment;Meaning;SingaporeReview:

FROM NATIONAL LEADERS

"David is an astute observer of Singapore society, and his essays provide timely insights into what it means to be Singaporean, now and in the future. In an increasingly complex world, the need to ensure a caring, confident and cohesive Singapore has become ever more important. This book takes an even-handed and constructive view to local and international issues, and urges us to come together to build trust and commitment towards one another as fellow Singaporeans, as one nation."

Ms Grace Fu
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore

"David has produced a thoughtful collection of essays that not only offers useful observations and perspectives on national issues, but invites us to consider the role we each can play towards building a stronger, more cohesive society. By analysing the complexities of public policy formulation and implementation, and sounding out ideas for building upon common ground and shared values, he shows a way forward for us to build up psychological capital."

Mr Heng Swee Keat
Minister for Finance, Singapore

"As our society matures, we begin to see shifts in our social fabric and the rise of more complex issues that need to be addressed and debated. Professor Chan's analyses are insightful and help readers make sense of these issues. Like many of his previous works, Psychological Capital is a worthy read."

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim
Minister for Communications and Information, Singapore

"Professor David Chan has contributed widely to the public sphere as an academic, writer and volunteer. His essays not only provide keen insight on issues of the day, but are also penned with a sincerity that shows how he cares about our society and its people. In an increasingly diverse society, Professor Chan reminds both policymakers and the public that behind every differing view is a person, and that the answer to difference is always empathy."

Mr Desmond Lee
Minister for Social and Family Development, Singapore

"David's essays examine critical issues that are close to the heart of our people. He shares astute and thoughtful behavioural insights on why and how engaging our people in critical discussion can contribute to our people's well-being and our nation's progress. Psychological Capital provides a springboard for such discussions, which foster deeper reflection on how policy deliberations can foster shared understandings that are vital in moving our country onwards to the next lap."

Mr Ng Chee Meng
Minister for Education (Schools), Singapore

"It is always enriching to read David's work. Not only is it fascinating in its own right, but it is socially relevant and insightful on so many levels."

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin
Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore

FROM ACADEMIC AND UNIVERSITY LEADERS

"David Chan's second collection of essays from his columns in The Straits Times, titled Psychological Capital, is well-worth reading and a book to keep. A renowned behavioural psychologist who is well-respected internationally by his peers and cited frequently for his research papers, David has an unusual ability to write seriously for the non-specialist on critical topics of timely and general concern from his professional perspective and to examine the issues clearly and honestly. Policymakers will benefit from the perspectives, so will the general reader."

Professor Chan Heng Chee
Chairman, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities
Singapore University of Technology and Design

"The strength of a society is influenced by its people's mindsets. David has provided us many practical suggestions on how we can develop mindsets that will contribute positively to self, others, and the larger good of the community, whether we are going about our daily lives or finding our own meaning and purpose in life."

Professor Chong Tow Chong
Provost
Singapore University of Technology and Design

"David Chan's regular contributions on the evolving psychological drivers in Singapore have had a real impact on the debate in our society. Each of his articles hit a real issue in our collective thinking. But the collection of twenty-one articles is really powerful. David gets to the core of what the psychological identity of Singapore is all about. I think all engaged Singaporeans should read this."

Professor Arnoud De Meyer
President
Singapore Management University

"David Chan is a 'public intellectual' in the best sense of that term: He is capable of writing for the 'common reader', like the best of journalists, and not just for his fellow experts. But he is an expert in his field, not an amateur, unlike most journalists."

Mr Janadas Devan
Director, Institute of Policy Studies
National University of Singapore

"Time without number Singapore has been described as lacking all resources save its harbour and its people. Its people embody its psychological capital. David Chan analyses what this really means in a second series of insightful and topical articles. David is unrivalled in his ability to use serious research to inform his comments. At a time when it has become increasingly difficult to know just what can be believed in the news or online, David's scholarly use of facts lends great credence to his articles."

Dr John Elliott
Associate Professor of Psychology
National University of Singapore

"I highly commend this book of essays by Professor David Chan, Singapore's most eminent psychologist and thought leader."

Professor Tommy Koh
Ambassador-At-Large
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore

"David has brought together a second volume of his opinion editorials, which have themselves been very widely circulated and read. Like the previous volume, People Matter, I fully expect this one to be well distributed, creating significant impact in many domains, in the public, private, and people sectors, and giving each of us as individuals much food for thought. Working as a scientist-practitioner, David has the knack of analysing deeply while explaining clearly, as this readable volume amply demonstrates."

Professor Lily Kong
Provost
Singapore Management University

"I find this collection of essays fascinating. They are intellectually stimulating and practically useful. David's expertise and experiences have enabled him to integrate what really matter in both rationality and emotions. This book offers a unique blend of analytical rigour and grounded realism that will help us deal with many contemporary issues facing our nation and society."

Professor Kishore Mahbubani
Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore &
Co-author of The ASEAN Miracle: A Catalyst For Peace

"Wonderfully

CHAPTER 1

GETTING BETTER AT DISCUSSING POPULATION ISSUES¹

It has been two years since the Government released the Population White Paper. Singaporeans would remember the anxiety and angst its projections provoked.

It is understandable to want to avoid revisiting the population debate, especially in the year Singapore celebrates its Golden Jubilee. But this is also a year to ask questions on the country’s future, the kind of society that Singaporeans want, and how the city-state can remain a place that citizens are proud to call home.

These questions should drive population policies, which have significant impact on Singaporeans’ way of life and quality of life.

In the parliamentary debate in February 2013, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong indicated that the Population White Paper will be reviewed nearer to 2020. This means there are less than five years left to conduct studies or implement and evaluate initiatives to inform the review. And to engage the public.

The review of the White Paper is critical because population policies have many consequences. So, it is timely to reflect on some questions.

How has the Government responded to the reactions to the White Paper? What could have been done better in public communication, and how can it be improved? Can Singapore review its population challenges constructively, in order to tackle them effectively?

ADAPTIVE RESPONSES

The strong negative public emotions experienced and expressed since the release of the Population White Paper did yield much good.

First, the demographic challenges were made clearer in policy deliberations and public discourse.

Second, many deeper issues were surfaced. Examples include sustainable economic models, urban planning, manpower management, fair employment practices, social mobility, and social cohesion.

Overall, the Government responded swiftly and adaptively to the public reactions and the deeper issues. There were investments in improving infrastructure, economic restructuring, tightening of foreigner inflow, and steps to assist more Singaporeans and raise social mobility.

It is easy to label these responses as populist because of the large expenditures involved.

Indeed, it would have been populist had the policy responses been simply pandering to prevailing public sentiments without regard to their quality and sustainability.

But the citizen-centric actions were also principled — directed at the pain points but guided by meritocracy, fairness, accountability, and pragmatism.

For example, the inflow of foreign manpower was tightened by slowing the growth rather than turning off the tap. Housing supply was dramatically ramped up, but housing policies were adapted in stages to calibrate the impact on demand and property prices.

The Fair Consideration Framework ensures citizens are aware of job vacancies and signals the importance of fair employment practices. It does not mandate hiring Singaporeans in ways that go against meritocracy. University places for Singaporeans were increased, but scholarships for foreign students were not done away with.

Rather than labeling them as populist, it is fairer to see post-Population White Paper initiatives as sustained and sustainable principled efforts to develop the Singaporean core.

But it is probably fair to say that the strong reactions to the White Paper had fuelled the urgency and creativity underlying many citizen-centric policies.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Inadequate public communications contributed to part of the negative reactions to the White Paper.

The Government has acknowledged that communications should have begun much earlier — to engage Singaporeans on the demographic challenges. And the importance of Singapore staying open could have been discussed more effectively.

But there is also the issue of strategic communications. This is not about using the right words or framing issues in simple language. It involves judgments on how to integrate public discussions and policy announcements.

Take, for example, the announcement of the Land Use Plan, two days after the release of the Population White Paper.

There were many ideas in the Land Use Plan on optimising land use to support a range of population sizes and ensure a high quality of life. These could have generated discussions on how Singapore can be highly liveable, as both a city and a country. Such discussions did not occur. The debate was fixated at the 6.9 million population figure in the White Paper.

Negative reactions came fast and furious. Several ministers took pains to explain that 6.9 million was the upper limit of a range of population projections by 2030 needed for planning infrastructure, and not a target to achieve.

But confusion continued in public debates. Are the population figures hypothetical situations, plausible possibilities, best- versus worst-case scenarios, planning parameters or population targets? And what do all these terms mean?

Releasing the White Paper prior to the Land Use Plan resulted in a negative outcome. For the public and even Members of Parliament debating the White Paper, the unexpected population projection numbers evoked more than a negative reaction. The numbers activated what behavioural scientists call a prevention focus.

In prevention focus, one’s thoughts and feelings are focused on preventing adverse consequences, such as those that easily come to mind when thinking of a large and rapid population growth.

The public attention was fixated on the negative outcomes of population growth. No attention was given to the ideas and opportunities for good quality of life from optimal land use.

A strategic approach would have, prior to releasing a Population White Paper, presented a draft general development plan for public discussion on land use and liveability.

The plan would focus on ways to ensure a good quality of life in high-density living. This would allow various ideas on land use to receive a fair hearing in terms of constraints, opportunities, innovations, and implications.

At the same time, the country’s demographic challenges, including issues of local-foreigner relations, could have been raised and honestly discussed at the then on-going National Conversation.

The Population White Paper would be formulated and refined based on inputs from the public discussions on land use and demographic challenges. The release of the White Paper would occur after the National Conversation exercise, rightly so as an outcome of discussions among Singaporeans.

Such a strategic approach would be respectful of the National Conversation exercise, which was to discuss the kind of society that Singaporeans want and reflect on shared core values such as meritocracy, respect for diversity, and social harmony.

It would also be aligned with citizen-centricity in population priorities. This is the idea that Singaporeans’ interests, including their concerns and aspirations, should be the driver of population policy, and not the population numbers.

CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to public communication, policy content can be improved. For example, more attention should be given to the quality of the foreigner inflow, not just the quantity. And too much attention may have been given to the old-age support ratio.

It is important to treat ageing as an asset and not just a liability, with seniors able and willing to contribute economically and socially well beyond the arbitrary cut-off age of 65 years old that represents dependency.

Individuals need to adapt to the environment as they age. But jobs, organisations, urban planning and policies also need to adapt to seniors and the changing population profile. When there is two-way adaptation to changes, ageing can paradoxically increase economic capital and social capital.

So, ageing is part of demographic challenges, but also part of demographic opportunities. The term “ageing problem” should be replaced by the term “ageing issues”.

Moving forward, major changes to population policies will have wide-ranging effects on people and society. Which is why the review of the Population White Paper needs to be honest and genuine, taken seriously, and proceed constructively.

This applies to all parties — politicians, academics, public intellectuals, civil society activists, and anyone advocating a position. No one party has a monopoly on wisdom. And in the light of clear contrary evidence, one should have the intellectual honesty and political courage to revise his position.

Singapore’s population policies are not inherently flawed. Many economic and social fundamentals in population matters have been taken care of. But policies can certainly be improved to yield more good.

If a whole-of-society approach is adopted, Singaporeans can be confident that population challenges can be tackled. They will have hope that their goals and aspirations can be achieved, and be optimistic that the future will be better. Resilience develops when they recover from adversity and adapt to changes. This positivity mindset among Singaporeans will build psychological capital in Singapore.

When the Population White Paper is reviewed, the debate should not be déjà vu for Singaporeans. It must not be driven by political correctness or populist concerns. Everyone gains from paying attention to policy content, public communication, and psychological capital.

¹Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reprinted with permission.

CHAPTER 2

THE EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT THAT MR LEE INSPIRED¹

The period of national mourning for Mr Lee Kuan Yew will remain vivid in the memory of Singaporeans for many years to come.

For seven days, Singaporeans experienced what I called “nationally shared emotions”.

It was a collective grief, accompanied by a deep sense of gratitude to a great man who devoted his adult life to building a city-state that Singaporeans can be proud to call home.

As a behavioural scientist, I was constantly asked over the last two weeks to explain the psychology underlying Singaporeans’ public display of emotions.

Singaporeans are now returning to the normalcy of their daily lives. It is time to take stock of Singaporeans’ recent collective experiences. And it would be irresponsible to not address the question of a post-Lee Kuan Yew Singapore.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, SHARED BELIEFS

Many Singaporeans grew up with Mr Lee Kuan Yew as their iconic leader.

They have heard his hard-hitting speeches and experienced his commanding presence even if it was only through watching the television. They have shared beliefs that he was the primary person responsible for transforming Singapore.

But why are younger people — who have not known Mr Lee Kuan Yew as their Prime Minister — also intensively moved?

It is true that they learnt in school that he is the founding father of modern Singapore. But they have also heard about the real experiences of older people or others who know about Mr Lee. And they grew up listening to stories about the rare combination of leadership abilities and values embodied in the man.

In other words, Mr Lee has been Singapore’s national leader, who has been revered or talked about among Singaporeans for over 50 years. His influence and impact on Singapore and the lives of Singaporeans has been long and lasting.

And when Singaporeans look at their country, many are likely to agree that, overall, the positives outweigh the negatives.

PSYCHOLOGY OF PUBLIC REACTIONS

Did Singaporeans simply feel obliged to acknowledge that Mr Lee was primarily responsible for the country’s improved material conditions? Research on psychological commitment has shown that people can be motivated to do something when there is a sense of obligation.

By itself, commitment based on obligation — as in feeling duty-bound to do something — can explain behaviours reflecting determination and perseverance, such as queuing for many hours to pay last respects to Mr Lee. But it cannot explain the visible grief and public display of emotions.

Complaints of inconvenience, which should occur to some degree if people feel ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Here’s What Fifty Leaders From Different Sectors Said About This Book …
• Contents
• About the Author
• Preface
• Chapter 1 Getting Better at Discussing Population Issues
• Chapter 2 The Emotional Commitment that Mr Lee Inspired
• Chapter 3 If We Have No Differences, We Would Be In Trouble
• Chapter 4 Let’s Talk About Commitment
• Chapter 5 Putting Singapore Above Self
• Chapter 6 Thinking About the Future Now
• Chapter 7 7 “PC” Ways to Make People-Centric Policies
• Chapter 8 Why It’s Not Enough for Leaders to Just be Clever
• Chapter 9 Learning to See Things From Another’s Perspective
• Chapter 10 Find Your Own Meaning in Life
• Chapter 11 Lessons for Singapore From Schooling’s Win
• Chapter 12 Elected Presidency Changes: It’s Not Just About the Politics
• Chapter 13 In a Funk Over Trump?
• Chapter 14 2016: A Year of Looking to the Future
• Chapter 15 The Unbearable Weight of Power
• Chapter 16 What a Cobra Bounty Says About Unintended Policy Consequences
• Chapter 17 Say You’re Sorry: How to Suss Out an Insincere Apology
• Chapter 18 To Tell or Not To Tell, that is the Question
• Chapter 19 How to Respond to Threats with More than Fight or Flight
• Chapter 20 Jokes About Politics: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
• Chapter 21 Build Psychological Capital Now for Strong Society