ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores industrial change in the light of the contemporary industrial restructuring experiences of Hong Kong and Singapore. It traces the development of Hong Kong and Singapore as colonial port cities. The book explores the adjustment process in the 1960s. It provides an in-depth account of the developmental experiences of Hong Kong and Singapore respectively. The book also provides an in-depth examination of some of the major forces facing Singapore businesses in the 1990s and accompanying firms' strategies. It discusses a statistical comparative analysis of firms' restructuring strategies in the two city-states with the aim of determining the strength of the institutional context on firms' decision-making. The book focuses on the development of the three institutional elements of state, finance arid labor from the 1980s onward, and the story of divergent development paths.
