Meritocracy encourages insatiable need for reward
February 7, 2014 Leave a comment
Meritocracy encourages insatiable need for reward
Often, naysayers of our meritocratic system focus on those who may get left behind.
FROM GURMIT SINGH KULLAR –
06 FEBRUARY
Often, naysayers of our meritocratic system focus on those who may get left behind.
I agree generally with the Education Minister’s view, in “Avoid making meritocracy a dirty word, says Heng” (Jan 29), on maintaining the status quo.
However, we also need to think about people on the receiving end. A meritocratic policy implies that those who do well will be rewarded commensurately, and I worry that the effort-reward balance may become untenable for a small, highly educated society like ours.
While competition is good because it challenges us to innovate, the trouble in Singapore is that acknowledgement and reward have become expected prerequisites for doing a good job. A pat on the back is no longer sufficient.
Parents dangle the latest toy or gadget so their children are motivated to do well academically.
Employers meet fresh graduates who come for interviews with a chip on their shoulder, expecting red-carpet treatment and high salaries because they are now among the “elite” with a degree.
Getting lost in materialism is easy, especially when we self-justify the rewards we want for the success we perceive.
Unfortunately, there will be limits to how much an employer can increase salaries and bonuses, or how many luxury cars can ply our streets before prices skyrocket and roads are clogged.
In the long run, we may be unhappy because meritocracy would have failed to deliver due reward despite our efforts.
The system works, but we must temper our expectations. Two generations of nation building have seen this island through good and bad times, but are we sure the future holds sufficient promise for our children?
It is perhaps time to rethink how our children should define and drive success. Let us instil in them values of frugality, humility and detachment from materialism before they decide that Singapore is no longer big enough or is too competitive for them to be happy.
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