An irrational, emotive bias

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: Why have racial issues surfaced of late? How can businesses reduce racial divides at the workplace?

Victor Mills Chief Executive Singapore International Chamber of Commerce

Racism usually comes to the fore when people feel threatened and look for someone to blame. We saw that in 2011 when infrastructure crunch highlighted the sharp increase in Singapore's population in the previous decade. We have seen it again because of job losses and insecurity caused by the effects of the pandemic. The best way for businesses to respond is to ensure they have a positive workplace culture with expected behaviours and values clearly and regularly communicated and consistently practised by all. Where there is zero tolerance for discrimination of all kinds and where everyone is held accountable irrespective of seniority or revenue generation.

Lawrence Loh Director, Centre for Governance and Sustainability NUS Business School

Racial issues do occur at workplaces, but these have probably increased and received more attention recently. The incidents may have occurred due to pressures faced by workers during the pandemic crisis and when job-related opportunities become limited. But these should not be excuses and there can be no acceptable systemic justifications. Attitudes and choices are individual in nature.

At workplaces, definitive actions have to be taken to reduce racial discrimination. Beyond training courses, the best way is to embed desirable behaviours across the organisation. It is not just a concern of the human resource function; the entire line managements have to internalise racial sensitivity in all the work processes.

BT in your inbox

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign Up

Sign Up

Alexander Harrison Country CEO, Singapore & Head of Corporate Banking, Asia Pacific and Middle East Barclays

Singapore is a hugely diverse community, with different ages, genders, physical abilities, ethnicities, cultures and religions. While there are increasingly new challenges faced by societies both locally and globally, we must work even harder at embracing and celebrating our differences. There still remains a gap in our understanding of one another and what motivates our actions. I see this as an opportunity for all us to work together within the Singaporean community, to raise awareness around how equity, inclusivity and diversity are critical components for what can be achieved. At Barclays, we are dedicated to creating a truly inclusive workplace. We have a very embedded multicultural network called Embrace, which aims to engender an inclusive and supportive environment, where colleagues of all ethnicities and faiths can bring their whole selves to work and thrive.

John Bittleston Founder and Chair Terrific Mentors International Pte Ltd

We all underestimated the stress that prolonged pandemic and restrictions would place on us. The stress of returning to whatever is normal will be equally great, if not greater. Under stress we blame others, consciously or unconsciously. It is perfectly normal to do so.

Our personality survival mode is to be right, all the time. That puts others in the wrong when things don't go the way we want them to. The easiest people to blame are those who are ''different'' from us in some distinguishable way. The added political plan to provide more jobs for Singaporeans by restricting the number of foreigners who can work in Singapore is understandable but clumsy.

Jeffery Tan Group General Counsel Chief Sustainability Officer Jardine Cycle & Carriage

Covid has exacerbated differences and societal fissures between the financial haves and have-nots, as well as those with vaccine jabs and jab-nots.

Among the factors that have contributed to a rise in racism are prejudice, stereotyping and misconceptions, borne out of a lack of understanding. Workplace leaders - be they in SMEs or MNCs - all have an opportunity (and obligation) to educate, and foster better and deeper appreciation of different racial and cultural elements to encourage meaningful dialogue and relationship bridge-building in their employee populations.

More importantly, leaders need to recognise and emphasise that at the core, we are all first and foremost human beings - with many more similarities than differences. The more we focus on the commonalities and practise the golden rule of treating others the way we would like to be treated, the better we will be able to neutralise and overcome the venom of racism.

Vikas Nahata Co-founder and Executive Director Validus Capital

Racial issues are often embedded with misconception, misinformation, lack of knowledge, and possibly a feeling of unfair treatment vis-a-vis peers of a different race. These need to be nipped in the bud with no tolerance for such differentiation based on race or colour.

As a business, clear communication, and transparency in hiring or promotions should be paramount. Merit-based evaluations and encouraging collaborative working within diverse teams is important.

Marcus Lam Executive Chairman PwC Singapore

Minister Lawrence Wong shared recently at the IPS-RSIS Forum on Race and Racism: ''There is nothing pre-ordained about a multi-racial society''. This is even more applicable for businesses, which can choose to define their identities, purpose and values. PwC has always prided itself on being a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we truly believe that this allows us to be a unique community of solvers coming together in unexpected ways to innovate and solve the world's biggest challenges. Key to success is having the right tone at the top to celebrate diversity while building cultural depth that is race-blind and being meritocratic in employment, progression and reward, as well as open communication.

Long Jek Aun Singapore Office Head Simmons & Simmons

Difficult times bring out the worst in some people and the best in others. Though it may be bad behaviour that has taken the limelight recently, there are countless moments of compassion, care and kindness that have, quietly, lit these dark times. In the context of jobs and livelihoods, employers in all sectors and industries can do their part by intentionally, earnestly and purposefully hiring, retaining and rewarding fairly and inclusively. Only then can a sense of unity and feelings of belonging be engendered at workplaces and, in turn, permeate in the wider community. Leaders and employers must be committed to doing our part, as paying lip service will certainly not help liberate closed minds or hearts.

Kannan Chettiar Managing Director Avvanz

As a Singapore-born Indian, in a meritocratic system, I have not been badly short-changed on the opportunities available to me, be it in education or jobs. However, that said, I have always faced racism at school, in the army and even at the workplace, and usually it is in the form of discriminatory remarks. This ironically hardened me to push my limits to be as successful as I could. Today, racism is taking a different form as nations are becoming more globalised, with co-existence of people of various nationalities. This had led to lower tolerance of others' cultures, mannerisms and habits. In Avvanz, we are like the United Nations where we place heavy emphasis on diversity and inclusion, especially in learning about various cultures where each employee gets to showcase his/her uniqueness. Awareness is the way to start to understand each other and should gradually reduce racism.

Ben King Country Director Google Singapore

Systemic barriers like racism continue to hold many back as we continue to cope with challenges to the way we work and live. We believe that building diversity, equity and inclusion into our workplace, products, and programmes will create a more helpful Google for everyone. As a company, we've made concrete global commitments to racial equity company-wide, from hiring criteria to leadership accountability, community investments, and new product creation. We create safe spaces and forums for employees to have authentic and forthright discussions, promoting allyship and understanding. We also publish annual diversity reports to hold ourselves accountable. When we get this right, we ensure that everyone feels like they belong at Google and beyond.

Victor Tan Chief Executive Officer TOP International Holding

With the proliferation of social media, it has become very easy for one to comment and judge from behind the safety of the screen. Respect and racial harmony must be cultivated since young, which is why schools are still celebrating Racial Harmony Day today.

For a business, it is important for leaders and senior management to clearly communicate the importance of showing respect towards one another. Training employees about unconscious biases and improving diversity in the workforce are some measures that companies are taking to improve racial prejudices.

We chose to lead by example for our operations in mining sites with a staff mix of local Guineans, PRC Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean expatriates. The emphasis on respect is paramount; it's one of the first lessons in orientation. By doing so, we observed that the locals and expatriates have a better appreciation for one another and an understanding of different work attitudes, pace and responsibilities. As employers, it is important to create an environment where employees are valued for what they contribute rather than how they look or what their background is.

David Kuo Co-founder The Smart Investor

Biases and prejudices have always been present in society. And racial differences have always been a convenient hook for some to hang their ignorance onto. That, in no way, justifies their behaviour because ignorance is not a defence. In the past, racial differences were restricted to the parties involved. But social media has allowed some disputes to be broadcast to the masses. While it is undeniably uncomfortable to watch, it does highlight that a problem exists. It needs to be addressed before it worsens. Business leaders who ignore it are effectively condoning it, which is unacceptable. They could start by conducting an anonymous internal audit of their employees to assess if there is a problem in their workplace. Nothing short of zero tolerance to racism will ever be good enough.

Pascal Lambert Group Country Head, Singapore Head of South East Asia and India Societe General

It is concerning that the Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled anti-Asian racism and xenophobia worldwide. In Singapore, it is reassuring to see the government take decisive actions to prosecute racist violence and discrimination while promoting tolerance through continued public outreach. It is important for businesses to play their part in adopting non-discriminatory practices to create safe and harmonious workplaces free from discrimination and harassment of any sort. At Societe Generale, our Equal Opportunities Policy ensures our commitment to treat all our employees equally, irrespective of race or other factors. In addition to our employee-led diversity networks to drive change, awareness and engagement, we expect all staff to treat fellow colleagues with respect and dignity as we seek to be a diverse workforce in an inclusive workplace.

Eileen Chua Managing Director SAP Singapore

Racism remains a deep-seated issue, despite society's progression. However, many organisations, like SAP, have always embraced a diverse and inclusive workforce to deliver success to customers. Business leaders are encouraged to consider different perspectives, and believe we are made stronger by our unique combination of culture, race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental ability, and work-life situations. Employees must feel free to be their authentic selves for companies to perform at their best. Accountability, transparency, and commitment are essential for inclusive hiring and unbiased performance-reward systems as we continue to advance workplace equality efforts.

Sudhir Agarwal Chief Executive Officer Everise

The proliferation of digital channels has given more people a voice, making it harder for people to truly listen. The role of businesses and their leaders is to provide opportunities to have difficult conversations internally and share stories that celebrate the diversity of their people, their backgrounds and their journeys. In managing a global business, I've seen firsthand how these activities, along with instilling a singular purpose for our people to rally around, has really brought people of different backgrounds together.

David Sandison Singapore Practice Leader Grant Thornton Singapore

It is not race that separates us, it is tribalism. We tend to view strangers as hostile until we get to know them. In my view, the best way to deal with this in the workplace is to engage people together in a common purpose (be it business or social), irrespective of colour, creed or congruence. This not only achieves a more imaginative outcome through the diversity of input, but at the same time allows the team members to recognise, perhaps subliminally, that they have more in common than what separates them. Sustained working from home without physical social interaction is invariably more divisive than uniting in a cultural sense. That's why we are keen to get back to the office as soon as we can.

Wendy Johnstone SVP & COO APAC Zendesk

As with most organisational change, combating racism must be led from the top and supported by employees company-wide. For leaders, addressing racism and building an anti-racist workplace goes beyond signalling support - you must root out racism at all levels to rebuild your DNA with equality and equity at its core.

As you do this, it's important to recognise this dialogue is not new. Racial stereotypes, prejudices, microaggressions and violence have always existed, but this heightened awareness and coverage amid the pandemic shows us just how much work still needs to be done. Valuing the wonderful mix of differences in the office is a start, but a truly diverse and inclusive workplace is only possible by fully examining your organisation, while speaking out and showing up for your people.

Max Loh EY Managing Partner, Singapore and Brunei Ernst & Young LLP

Racial issues are not new but the proliferation of social media and a growing culture of speaking up have visibly given this greater prominence. It is natural for people to associate with others from similar backgrounds, which develops into unconscious bias over time.

The key is to recognise and arrest this bias and not allow it to manifest into divisive behaviors. Business can reduce racial divides by offering equal opportunities and focusing everyone on a common purpose and shared values, supported by training and awareness on racism and the importance of diversity and inclusion as a business and ethical imperative.

Business leaders should also hold themselves accountable for building a culture where differences are valued and no one is excluded, and where people feel empowered, trusted and belonged, so as to be their authentic selves at work.

Dileep Nair Independent Director Thakral Corporation Limited

Race is a primordial phenomenon. But racism - the prejudice, antagonism and superiority that one racial group has over others - is not, and can never be justified. Racism exists in Singapore, though many have dismissed it in the past as ''casual racism'' without malice. Lately, social media has brought more racist incidents to the public eye. A possible cause is Chinese chauvinism driven by China's rise and its recent policy shift of asking huaren (overseas Chinese) to look towards China as the ''motherland'', stoking a sense of Chinese superiority among some. Another is the furore over the number of Indian nationals coming to work in Singapore under CECA and the resulting animosity expressed against Indians, whether local or expatriate. Businesses can certainly help by demonstrating that hiring is always based on merit and ensuring the ethos at workplaces is inclusive. Companies could also promote racial integration by having ethnic diversity on their boards.

Chia Ngiang Hong President Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS)

Social media has accelerated the dissemination of racially charged incidents and significantly expanded public discourse on racism globally. Wider socio-economic anxieties and frustrations may have also engendered distrust and hostility against certain races. To address and reduce racial divides, businesses need to acknowledge the importance of multiculturalism and diversity, and actively and openly communicate their stance against such bias and discrimination. This should be built into a set of core values clearly embracing diversity and inclusiveness that are integrated into the businesses' policies and processes. Management should also walk the talk by denouncing any practices and behaviours (both internal and external) that contradict those values when they arise. Prevention is always better then cure.

Melanie Cook Managing Director - Asia Pacific, Hyper Island

Racial tension has always been present in Singapore; however, these issues are far less easy to conceal in this time of social media-fuelled ranting. Nonetheless, this could be a teachable moment for us, as a nation. I would argue that it is our duty as leaders in the workplace to ensure we use this heightened awareness to leverage talent from all sectors of our society. If you stick out like a sore thumb because of your skin colour, or the level of your tech knowledge, or because your co-worker can't pronounce your name - it matters.

We need to build a future where the workplace is inclusive without exception. A future where you feel at home with your colleagues and where you know you have bright career prospects. One where you can carve out a you-shaped dent in the organisation, one that moulds around you, one that you can unequivocally belong in. We need to go beyond education to action.

Chia Khong Shoong Group Chief Corporate Officer Frasers Property Limited

Regrettably, the pandemic has amplified social divisions and tensions. To overcome Covid-19, shared understanding and collaboration are critical.

Frasers Property relies on and benefits from a diverse and progressive workforce spanning cultures, backgrounds and capabilities. Being inclusive helps us create better places and experiences for the communities we serve.

We introduced a Diversity & Inclusion Policy to ensure we treat everyone fairly and respectfully. We are focused on initiatives that empower our employees to be their full, authentic selves at work. Society must realise we are stronger together, and we should actively invest in this creed.

Anupama Puranik Managing Director Russell Reynolds Associates Singapore

The larger push from society demanding better treatment for themselves and their environment has driven businesses to take a hard look at their approach to encourage diversity in the workplace. Diversity has a direct benefit to business success, and not just reputationally. Business leaders must acknowledge that ethnically diverse teams tend to improve innovation-led revenue and have proven to outperform homogeneous ones.

Business leaders should strive to create a working environment that does not merely compel its token minorities to assimilate into the firm's existing culture, but actively embraces diverse perspectives and commits to an evolution of its own culture and vision so that it may ultimately reap the long-run benefits of a diverse team.

Mario Singh Chief Executive Officer Fullerton Markets

Many of the recent racial issues have surfaced due to the effects brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Words like ''Chinese virus'' and ''Indian variant'' have caustic effects on a society when they creep into and become part of daily communication. These problems intensify when socioeconomic factors like jobs and well-being take a toll during the pandemic.

We should treat everyone with equal dignity and respect regardless of race, language or religion. The problem with racism is that instead of being egalitarian towards people, society becomes elitist instead. We must be careful to ensure this does not take root in Singapore.

There are many ways businesses can reduce racial divides at the workplace. Taking a firm stance against racist jokes or reviewing policies to ensure there are no unconscious biases in hiring are some good starting points. The key is to always have a mindset of inclusion.

John Ng Chief Executive Officer YTL PowerSeraya

Singapore has made much progress in maintaining racial harmony and continues to do so. While racial prejudice may still exist to an extent, these issues have been brought forth to the surface because of ''louder'' voices on social media and global sentiments on race issues. Having spent more than 30 years in the power industry, I have witnessed how tapping the strengths of our diverse workforce and learning from one another can be both advantageous and rewarding. With YTL PowerSeraya's duty to serve the nation, respecting and celebrating one another's diversity is key.

For example, our people cover for fellow colleagues' plant duties when different ethnic festivities come around. To cultivate workplace harmony, organisations must make proactive efforts to promote team bonding and collaboration. Working with the unions where necessary to champion best practices is also key in order to build a forward-thinking workforce. Ultimately, it starts with ourselves as an individual - in making conscious efforts to reach out to our culturally diverse colleagues and friends.

Rajeev Menon President, Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) Marriott International

The pandemic has undoubtably taken a toll on people's physical and emotional well-being and has unfortunately surfaced many societal issues. ''Respect for all'' and ''Welcoming all'' are more than just slogans at Marriott International. These values transcend on a daily basis through the work and the hospitality services that we provide. Businesses can do their part by challenging and calling out behaviors that divide instead of unite. At the same time, education and training is also key to promote mutual respect and inspire a sense of community. We continue to believe in the power of travel and how it helps facilitate cross-border exchange, drive conversations, open minds and discover similarities among the population.

Ling Hai Co-President, Asia Pacific Mastercard

The past year has been an exceptionally difficult period - disrupted social connections, vanished economic opportunities, and lost lives. All of these lead to increased tensions that sometimes spill over. In a diverse region like the Asia-Pacific, businesses must protect not only against outright discrimination or racism, but also ingrained, unconscious biases. At Mastercard, we view diversity not only through differences you can see, but also the characteristics that cannot be seen about a person. Most important? Publicly embracing people who look, act and think differently. We do this by holding leaders accountable for increasing minority recruitment and gender pay equity, or offering inclusive, equal family building benefits for all employees, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. At the end of the day, actions always speak louder than words.

Maren Schweizer Chief Executive Officer Schweizer World Group

Recent racism in sports can help to identify the root cause. Research has shown that when visibly diverse and multiracial teams lose, existing racist and exclusionary undercuts rise to the surface. Difficult times due to the pandemic might be considered ''losing'', even while explaining does not end racism, undercover or public.

The first step toward change is to speak up. Nevertheless, it's not enough to denounce racism. Corporates have to be anti-racist and embed equality into their core values. It comes down to protecting our employees and making sure they feel safe and secure in the workplace and their communities. We believe in equality, and we think that manifests itself in education, the environment, racial, gender, and age equality.

Choe Peng Sum Chief Executive Officer Pan Pacific Hotels Group

Racial issues have been rooted in societies for centuries. The problem has surfaced frequently of late due to the pandemic, with conversations surrounding the origins of the virus and its variants. We see remonstrations spanning nations, fuelled by social media bringing greater awareness that exists today.

To lessen the racial divides at workplaces, we have to address it at its roots - the company's core values, which form its culture to encourage diversity, inclusivity and acceptance. These will naturally be reflected in policies to ensure equity in employment, opportunities and remuneration.

Communications is important to educate and inform staff of the different cultures and beliefs. With staff comprising 13 different nationalities, we adopt simple acts of celebrating one another's festivals through which we encourage greater appreciation of one another's traditions and practices.

Lim Soon Hock Managing Director PLAN-B ICAG

In times of crises, the survival instinct of people gets aroused. It partly explains why racism is rearing its ugly head more often recently.

Many companies have policies in place against racial discrimination. They must walk the talk in key areas such as employment, career advancement, treatment of employees, customers, and business partners to ensure that the optics live up to the policies. Ultimately, beyond activities such as social gatherings to promote racial integration, and education to exhort understanding, tolerance, and respect, it is the practice of the policies that will triumph over racial discrimination and confrontation.

Practice makes perfect, especially in a sensitive and complex issue such as racism. Businesses, like governments, will have to persevere to run this marathon diligently to reduce the racial divide, if not to eliminate it completely.

Monty Sujanani Country Manager Robert Walters Singapore

As a world-leading recruitment group, we are in a unique position to champion equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) both within our business and among the clients and candidates we serve. Transparent communication and an appreciation of our differences are necessary elements in a truly inclusive culture. We celebrate our diversity with proactive measures: shining the spotlight on the unique cultures and communities of our employees, working with our clients to minimise unconscious biases in the hiring process, and taking a clear stance of zero tolerance towards discrimination and workplace bullying. Instead of setting us apart, our diversity makes us stronger. When businesses communicate these values and are intentional about their ED&I efforts, they can create a positive influence on their employees and stakeholders.

David Leong Managing Director PeopleWorldwide Consulting Pte Ltd

The social divide based on race, language or religion is a perennial and persistent problem that cannot simply be erased even with the passage of time. It is so critical that we are reminded of it constantly in our national pledge. This faultline must be recognised and we cannot assume that one day, we shall become colour-blind and there shall be no eruption of ill-feelings and deep-seated suspicions. With social media propagating racism and racist remarks with such speed and vengeance, the government must act fast to stop such propagation.

In the workplace context, employers need to be sensitised to the diversity, particularly companies with foreign talents and skills from so many countries. The respect for the differences and diversities must be genuinely embedded in us. Our words, deeds and actions must demonstrate such tolerance. Employers should adopt zero tolerance on racial discrimination and openly declare it during onboarding and in reminder memos in internal communications.

Bazul Ashhab Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution Oon & Bazul LLP

Like any other bias, racial bias is irrational, instinctive, and emotive. The underlying urge for sticking together with ones' own race is that it brings prosperity and comfort from familiarity. Our forefathers have done much to dispel and show that race-blind policies ultimately lead to greater prosperity as critical decisions are based on merits and needs rather than race. Policies, even though intrusive, were implemented to foster understanding and relationship among communities. They have worked well alongside robust laws that deter any act which may cause hurt among races. The recent scourge in social media is not unexpected, giving keyboard warriors a free platform in the guise of freedom of speech. I am certain the laws will evolve to deal effectively against racial discrimination, as long as more people are prepared to stand up against racial injustice.

Businesses have to embrace diversity and implement transparency as the guiding principle in promotions and recruitment. From our own experience, racial diversity in the workplace has avoided ''group-think'' and contributed to creativity and growth. We have made a significant effort to ensure that meritocracy-based policies are accepted and embedded into our business' DNA.

Terence Zou CEO and Co-Founder Ryde

Inclusivity and diversity are key pillars of Ryde's values in cultivating a positive company culture and fostering strong employment engagement. These values are incorporated into our human resource and hiring policies, ensuring that our staff and driver-partners are treated fairly and equitably. Materials such as onboarding videos for driver-partners are adapted into four different languages, increasing readability and making learning more relevant. We also offer merit-based scholarships to high-performing children of our driver-partners to support their educational expenses. At Ryde, our goal is to create an inclusive community to foster positive interactions between all members, creating a harmonious environment for drivers and customers alike.

Henry Tan Group CEO Nexia TS Group

Racial issues have surfaced because it is a question of our rights. More and more people are demanding their rights and equal treatment. At the same time, more are keen to express their perspectives and some become less tolerant of alternative perspectives. Lastly, there are limited resources and if a certain racial group is seen to be eating someone else's lunch, this will draw a reaction. At the workplace, we can reduce racial divides if everything is based on meritocracy. Also, celebrating the festivities of each major race in office is also good.

Callum Laing Chief Executive Officer, MBH Corporation PLC

Whenever people are under duress, they tend to look around for people to blame. The default option has long been Muslims, Minorities and Millionaires, and over the course of the pandemic, we have seen all three come under attack as people have felt disempowered and vulnerable.

But we should distinguish between the vocal minority prone to racist ranting in the street and odorous utterings online. The bigger problem is a lack of diversity throughout society. In business, HR and managers continue to ''play it safe'' by hiring people that look like them, instead of who represents the society they live in. For small businesses, this represents your competitive advantage; grab diversity with both hands!

Tan Mui Huat President and CEO, Asia International SOS

Racism is prevalent in all societies and a fundamental issue for businesses to address. Reducing racial divide requires a whole-of-organisation conscious effort, from top-down policy-making to education, culture-building to recognising that diversity drives innovation and competitive advantage. While policies help to set a clear direction, a truly inclusive workplace culture is determined by the collective actions of all employees and managers, who recognise that a team that values one another's differences is much stronger than a uniformed team.

Diversity and inclusion is a huge business enabler and differentiator at International SOS, where we rely on a multicultural/racial team to support our clients in over 1000 locations across 90 countries. We are very clear on diversity considerations when it comes to recruiting and engaging our multinational workforce. To further instil this culture, we organise unconscious-bias training for employees, socio-cultural activities, and celebrations like Pride Month, where employees can learn from one another to drive organisational success and resilience.