Introduction
In the current business world, many companies hire experts from the international scene to lead their local teams. Undertaking work in a foreign country demonstrates mobility, flexibility and cultural acumen, and these are the qualities employers are constantly in search for. Working away from the national country can be risky and daunting and it needs careful consideration. Accountants, auditors and finance experts make international moves all over and gain an advantageous edge towards employment opportunity. This paper provides an empirical discussion on the factors that might influence considering a move to Oracle Corporations in Singapore. The paper evaluates the business environment, job openings, living conditions and implications of moving to the company on a working capacity. Scope and location of the company Oracle Singapore is an exclusively owned subsidiary of oracle corporations. The company is the largest software company in the world and the leading e-business software to businesses. Oracle Singapore was established in 1988 and offers 100 percent internet-ready platforms, applications, tools alongside related education, consulting and support services. The company is located in Singapore, Temasek Boulevard at the Suntec Tower four, and is one of the most cross-cultural countries in the world.Company OperationsOverview of Manufacturing Operation Center The oracle manufacturing operation center (MOC) is a flexible, prebuilt, and extensible solution that provided improvement of the plan performance through collection of data from disparate plant floor systems, contextualizing the data in the context of the business and gives real-time intelligence on the plant floor operations. MOC provides foundation of continuous improvement using applications such as pre-built extensible adapters for oracle EBS, a robust contextualization rules engine to convert the raw shop floor data into realistic information for the business, pre-built key performance indicators and analytics, derived in the leading industry, business intelligence technology, and ability to monitor production performance real-time (Oracle Corporation 37).Technology Overview The manufacturing operations center applies the following technologies1) Data Warehouse Builder2) E-Business Suit Foundation3) Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise EditionArchitecture Overview Data model: the company MOC data model complies with ISA-95 standards and is optimized for integration and intelligence. ISA-95 provides standardized enterprises control system integration that incorporates discrete, batch and continuous industries. The data model is scalable and open for capturing the specific attributes of the user and building customs hierarchies. Besides, the model provides data incorporation fro energy costs, consumption, emissions of multiple aspects of sustainability such as gas and electricity (Oracle Corporation 37). The model accommodates granularity frequency measurements collected down to the level on a minute in order to perform accurate energy contextualization and analysis. Connectivity: the Oracle MOC provides support for heterogeneous system including the service data and provides a wide range of options for directly from programmable logic, controllers (PLC), collecting shop floor data, supervisory control and data acquisition systems, sensors and distributed control systems and meters.Financial Operations According to Oracle Corporation (61) the chief financial officer, the company is committed to returning the value to the shareholders through share repurchases, earning growth and dividend. The currency in the Q1 provided Oracle Corporations with a 2 percent headwind with a new product software license. Likewise, this represented total revenue more than the previous years. The results were outstanding and provided total revenues of up to $ 6.1 billion from 8 percent the previous year. Product support and software update revenues provided more than half of the total revenue of approximately $ 4.4 billion, an increment of 8 percent from the previous year. However, the renewal rate and the attach rate remained at the usual high level and the product software and software update continue to power the cash flow and earnings. Considering the GAAP results by region, the company experienced excellent results in the Asia-Pac with 5 percent growth, Americans with 15 percent, while EMEA declined by 5 percent. The free cash flow of the company inclined to a record of $14.2 billion over the previous four quarters resulting to an all-time financial growth of $ 6.1 billion for Q1, up the previous year 11 percent. Currently, the company is on the average of generating additional free cash flow than IBM and has realized over $ 39 billion in marketable securities and cash. The company purchased 92.8 million shares for a lump sum of $ 3 billion. Besides, over the previous 12 months, the company purchased averagely 335 million shares for a total of $ 10.9 billion and paid out dividend of approximately 90 percent of the free cash flow. Therefore, the board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share.Available JobsSystem Support Manager The Company needs to recruit a systems support manager or a customer support manager for the third-line customers. The role of the employee will manage a team of third-line support engineers and providing continuous service improvement. Besides, the holder role will manage continuous third line supports improvements, and acquire familiarity for development. Likewise, he/she will participate in the change of management and escalation management (Oracle Corporation 12). The company requires that the candidate should possess strong management skills with service management expertise, process improvement and project management.Operations Manager The Oracle Singapore Company intends to recruit a dynamic and knowledgeable operations manager for a 12-month cover contract. The manager is accountable for leading customer delivery, and operational and colleague key performance indicators to ensure they deliver to the customers and ensure efficient and effective focused service.Staffing The Company provides recruitment and staffing services, and there is a continuous need for the database professional for employee database management. The company has a mixed comprehensive technical expertise and innovative employees. The key areas of staffing include financials, consultants, managers, human resource, e-procurement and supply chain management, business intelligence and customer relations management among other employees across the board.Political and Economic EnvironmentEconomic Risk: Very Low Singapore has low levels of political, economic and financial risks to the system. The country is categorized as Country Risk Tier (CRT-3 or CRT-4). The country has a strong export orientation and the economy remain highly vulnerable to shift of global demand. The country has experienced global benefit that makes the business environment favorable. The company operates in the business center in Singapore that is reliant upon international commerce for the growth of the economy and providing the neighbors with essential commodities. The economy is mainly dominated by service industries, and, however, the country is also a major manufacturer of chemicals and electronics with a highly skilled labor force. The open trade of the country, however, remains vulnerable to external economic conditions (Yao 223). But, the fundamental prospects of growth are strong due to favorable government policies that are designed to attract and support foreign direct investment. On this basis, the government of Singapore formulated an economic restructuring program that raised the productivity, provide exclusive growth and cope with the employment demands.Political Risk: Very Low The government of Singapore is dominated by a single party the PAP that has been in power since 1959. Despite the long and virtually unopposed rule, the government is regarded as efficient and has created stable economic and political environments. The high political stability level has provided room for the implementation of far-sighted policies that encourages foreign direct investment through a streamlined tax and legal infrastructure. The government is relatively efficient with competitive rates of taxation, low expenditures of the government, and flexible transparent regulatory environment. Currently, the government is focused on easing infrastructure, and housing pressures as the population continues to multiply in numbers to retain the public support in the future (Narayanan 125). Therefore, the financial system of the country is also at a low risk. The government of Singapore plays a significant role in the economy, and the government link companies are influential and popular.
Overall, working in the Singapore provides low financial and political risks for any employee coming from abroad. The economic stability that is built by skilled workforce and political stability in the country has enabled the business society to benefit, thus providing opportunities for the businesses. However, the company may be exposed to future threats such as changes in price, growing competition and reduced profitability, increasing interest rates and the global economy.Implications of Working in Singapore
Singapore is located at the heart of Asia-Pacific region and the tiny islands of Singapore documents high population with varied cultural, linguistic and religious heritage. Oracle Corporation boasts a highly skilled workforce and working in the country has both positive and negative implications. The cost of living in Singapore average despite economic boom, and the infrastructure is not well-developed. However, with the diverse, skilled labour, cultures and religion, working in the country provides a chance for developing career, as well as cultural interactions. These elements are beneficial for work environment experience.Living Conditions in the Cities As the global superpowers continue to experience economic backlash of the economic downturn, experts continue considering shifting their labour force to Singapore. The country is no stranger to foreign expertise and for the previous few decades, experts have been lured overseas with provision of lucrative packages to work in the country. The year 2013 experienced an increased foreign expert in Singapore with over 52 percent of the companies asserting their interest in hiring internationals. While the current information on the working environment for foreigners in Singapore is encouraging, it is important to evaluate the current elements associated with shifting to Singapore for a contract or permanent job.Modes of Transport The land of Singapore transport policy strives to enable easy flow of the traffic jam to convenience goods and people within the constraints of limited land. The country has minimized the time for travelling through systematic planning of the town, thus facilitating easy access by constructing comprehensive and extensive road networks, expressways and promoting an efficient and viable system of transport. The main transport modes in the country used by employee to commute to work include train system referred as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), bus service and Light Rapid Transit (LRT). The transport system provides a multi-usable card for travel on the bus service, MRT and LRT. The card can also be used for buying goods and services in the retail food outlets. The government also has monitors and controls the use of vehicles to curb unnecessary congestion in the cities. The public transport is much affordable and is the most preferred mode of transport for commuting to work. However, the cost of private transport is expensive, and private cars are discouraged in the city to curb congestion. The country uses Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system that was introduced in 1998.Safety in Singapore The country has adopted strategic, national and long-term planned approaches to achieve safety for employs and the citizens at broad. The workplace safety and health performance (WSH) intends to reduce the national fatality rate to less than 1.8/100, 000 employees by 2018. The ministry of Manpower has placed considerable emphasis on inculcating cross-cultural safety in every workplace and reinforced a candid message hat poor safety management could result to costly losses. Likewise, Ministry of Trade and Industry (27) documents that the embassies in Singapore have exclusive safety measures through multiple solutions. Furthermore, the government has implemented health and safety in all workplaces, and it is the role of the workers and employers to act as potential stakeholders to take care of workplace safety. Besides, the government intends to implement predictive policing to help curb crime rate in the country, though, the government has trained and deployed good number of security personnel as well as providing sophisticated war infrastructure to the military.Size of Expertise With over 38 percent of the workforce coming overseas, Singapore has a skilled and experienced expertise. The country has physicians, engineers, computer programmers, physiotherapists, professional nurses among other employees. Likewise, Oracle Singapore Company has widely invested in professional management team, software engineers, administrators and other top professionals both from the local and abroad (Luciano 58). The company’s labour force has risen in 2013 and the composition compost of both women ad men of young and experienced employees.Entertainment The entertainment in the cities of Singapore has provided ample ways for the residents to amuse and entertain themselves. Luciano (77) proceeds that Singapore is considered a country of distinct identity of local regions and islets, thus allows multi-variety and multicultural entertainment. The entertainment in the cities ranges from parks, resorts, media and Cineplex’s to bars and pub. Furthermore, major entertainment can also emerge fro revolves around the beaches, parks, casinos, nightlife and shopping. Moreover, places like clubs, theaters and pubs also important areas of entertainment over the weekends as well as unlimited cruises on the Singapore River and other popular tourist destinations. The entertainment industry also incorporates comedy, traditional dance, Wayang opera, cinema and pop music.Cost of Living The cost of living is defined by factors such as cost of transport, cost of food, housing and overall expenditure. In the city, the cost of housing depends on multiple factors such as prosperity’s proximity to the city, availability of recreational facilities, relative age of the property and the furnishing qualities. However, most experts in the country reside in condominiums due to the readily available recreational facilities such as tennis courts, pools, security, opportunity to socialize with experts, and children playing ground. Also, the rental charges vary depending on the age and location of the building. Averagely, the cost of accommodations in the country is $ 10, 000 per month. Additionally, the cost of food is relatively cheaper, but it also depends on the extravagance of an individual. Cooking in the house is considered economical and is an excellent way of promoting savings, especially the experts coming from overseas (Singapore International Chamber of Commerce 112). The public transport is the widely used transport to work the least expensive and comprehensive system in the word. A one-way average MRT or bus fare would cost $1.60.
Besides, the taxi transport is also available, and the drivers are always willing to cover short distances and are fairly charged. The cost of healthcare ranks the best in Asia and sixth best worldwide, according to World Health Organization. The health system is cost-effective and provides state-of-heart healthcare treatment at a high rate of success. The government mandated transparency, safety, excellence and cleanliness and the option of health insurance is largely available. Finally, the utility expenses such as electricity bill, education, mobile phone subscriptions, gas, water range from a low of $200 to high of $600 per month.Self AnalysisAdvantages Gaining International Working Experience In the current globalized world economy, most professionals prefer gaining international working experience. Today, professional from nearly every economic sector seek international work experience. International experiences will be an asset to me irrespective of future careers. Additionally, in the multi-cultural globalized Singapore of the current century, the potential employers are constantly in the search of international working experience. Yao (98) assert that this kind of experience is vital as they prove the employees’ ability bring dissimilar backgrounds. In summary, international working experience will enable me gain highly marketable skills in the field and stand at a better chance in times of economic uncertainties.Learning of Foreign Language Singapore being a multicultural country, people communicates in different languages. Among the languages include; English, Arabic, Chinese. Scholars assert that the best way of learning a language is by forming part of the community (Kwon et al. 12). Getting immersed in foreign environment results to interaction with the habitats of that country and get the opportunity to be exposed and enjoy the foreign environment effectively. Interaction with staff in the company also enables the learning of new skills which might be important in seeking future career opportunities.Fantastic Traveling Opportunities Working abroad leads to international exposure and experience due to the traverse travelling associated with the nature of their international jobs. Likewise, the virtue of working in a foreign country is enjoying countless openings to travel internationally. In other Singapore, fun activates like tour and swimming provides memorable moments in one’s life. Additionally, working abroad comes with amazing adventurous activities like long term international travelling.Its great Job Market Business is the weapon that people use to change the world. Billions of people enroll in business careers worldwide each year to get management skills and knowledge. The demand of the business experts has, therefore, risen globally unlike other economic sectors. With the increase in international job market, I will get to earn good salaries for my support while exploring the world.Forming Part of the Local Community I have a U.S ethnic background and, therefore, my intention to develop professionally in Singapore may immerse culture of the host country and be part of my traditions and culture. This is significant provided that I have never experienced cultural distance before. Most likely, I will make friends with the neighbors, colleagues and other experts and hang out together and get invitations to their family gatherings and weddings. This will enable me to learn and experience a foreign culture of Singapore to competency (Kwon et al. 98). Besides, I learn about the history of cultures and customs of Singapore and build friends internationally.ChallengesDiscrimination Although the government of Singapore provides measures of affirmative action against discrimination, the practice may still be eminent in the cities. Human resource professionals may not adequately influence the feelings my feelings at work and create vulnerability in the workplace For example, during promotions and budgeting in the organizations, foreigner may not have enough input in the decision making process (Vivien et al. 47). However, discrimination among foreign employees is still being reported in the labour sector world-wide.Adjusting to Diverse Workplaces It will be a big challenge to adjust to the workplace in Singapore provided my ethnic background. This is because I have been shaped by my culture making, and I have developed diverse expectations, ideas and goals over a given concept. Additionally, communication with colleagues may be a major impediment in cases where the official language differs. In truth, communication is the key to success in business and its barriers is a major blow.Job References The business world is driven by job references. Therefore, working in Singapore may translate to having foreign references. In some situations, contacting the references may be a problem that may lead to making errors in some aspects of business culture. Still, other challenges may include financial and tiresome procedure of processing documents used in Singapore (Vivien et al. 47). In the case of a long working job, some the government may require that I seek dual citizenship that may be stressful as the procedure financially and timely uneconomical.Conclusion Following the comprehensive exploration of the working environment, business culture, economic and political stability in the country, I have beliefs of enjoying working in the country. Singapore is on record of hiring foreign experts to join their growing economy. Ideally, I would prefer working in Singapore to gain international work experience that is instrumental during economic difficulties. Furthermore, the lucrative wages, adventuring and experiencing cultural diversity forms the major benefits that would make me move to Oracle Singapore Company.
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