Using the strategy tool of capability analysis, the PAP is facing challenges in alignment and sustainability. In the capability value chain, there is little value created by Design and Innovation. The PAP has lost its monopoly status in the ’election’ market. An open competition environment will threaten the economic profits that the PAP has been enjoying in the past 50 years.
Capability value chain
Political parties do have value chain. This is very
true for the PAP as it runs the government likes a business corporation. Singapore government agencies and departments
are required to achieve business excellence for their performance. (http://www.spring.gov.sg/qualitystandards/be/pages/business-excellence-initiative.aspx#.UVT1qhxTB0o
)
For the case of politics, the only different is that the
PAP wants to gain more votes (rather than money) from the quality performance
of its public administration. Hence, the
usual value chain of ‘Supplier - Manufacture – Distribution – Buyer’ can be
described as follows:
Supply:
PAP associates and grass roots organizations are
playing the support and supply role. The
directly involved organizations are People’s Association (www.pa.gov.sg), NTUC (trade union, ntuc.org.sg), election
department (www.eld.gov.sg), etc. And
the indirect supporting bodies include chambers of commerce, business
associations, racial and cultural groups, and even some NGOs etc.
Manufacture
Political parties need candidates to stand for
election. People with potential will be
invited to attend tea sessions for their suitability. Potential candidates will be assigned to grass
roots for training and understudy under current members of parliament. Candidates
will also undergo internal selection, background checks, interviews, promotion,
training, etc.
Distribution
Before a general election is called, there are many
distribution works including media coverage for the potential candidates;
detailed study of electoral districts based on population and feedback
(sometimes even external survey); re-drawing of constituency boundary to gain
economic profits; election budget to please voters; moods of voters; key issues;
finalize list of candidates and group them into different teams, etc.
Buyer
Parliament is dissolved and a new general election is
called. It is time to convince voters to buy the PAP candidates. The new or
re-drawn constituencies (single and group) will be announced in short notice which
will give oppositions little time to prepare for election (another economic
profits possibility). The government
control media will then give friendly and co-operative coverage for the PAP
candidates, development plans in their contested seats, and team leaders for
the group constituency (GRCs). The campaign period is short and is only lasted
for 9 days plus 1 more cooling-off day.
Capabilities and Economic Profits
If we use the 3 economic profits elements for the capability
analysis of the PAP, besides monopoly, the design and innovation elements need urgent
improvement.
Table below shows the relationship of the various capabilities.
Capabilities
|
Supply
|
Manufacture
|
Distribution
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Buyer
|
Process
|
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People
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Systems
|
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Alignment
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Sustainability
|
The value chain
It is either lack of Design or Innovation that lead to
less value (economic profits) being created.
The PAP can still use the (less effective) monopoly power to control the
value chain of Supply – Manufacturer – Distribution – Buyer. But there are alignment problems and
sustainable issues.
These alignments and sustainable issues are appearing in
primary and secondary activities.
Primary activities:
The PAP still uses the same design and innovative
process and procedures in the primary activities. From logistics (organization
of visits, rally), production (selection of candidates), marketing and sales
(through main stream media, endorsement), to services (rally gifts, campaign
walks and slogan), there is no different from the past practice.
Secondary activities:
As for secondary activities, there are also no new
design and innovations for value creation. From Infrastructure (organization
structure), HR (deployment of candidates, PR assistance), R&D (use of new
media, people engagement), to procurement (new assistance or additional
resources), design and innovation have failed to create new or even maintain
the economic profits.
Since there is no control of entry, oppositions can
now compete and participate in the elections with less fear factors. The use of
monopoly (state) control through tangible and intangible means has failed and
it can no longer protect the economic profits or keep all the economic profits
under PAP pocket. Due to the ineffective entry control, the hope is on design
and innovation to maintain the level of economic profits. However, it is a challenge for the PAP to come
out with useful and workable design and innovation solutions.
Alignment
Design and Innovation do not help in maintaining an
efficient alignment for the PAP. Internal and external alignments do not paint
an economic profit capability picture.
Internal:
The PAP is using a top-down approach for election
campaign. The party central committee decides the direction, action plans and
rules to follow. PAP associates and
organizations will follow the instructions.
Grass roots are not happy about this arrangement and they have voiced
out their concerns but their views are not being taken seriously.
Supporting organizations are rather passive and wait
for instruction. Some may not even be
willing to co-operate but they just have to do it for fear of offending the
PAP.
This ‘Process, People and System’ alignment problems
make the reinforcement and building up the PAP capability unsustainable.
External:
If we consider VRIN (Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Non-Substitutable), there are problems
in value alignment. The PAP value proposition is weak. It cannot offer or
propose Valuable future to convince voters. It is no more a Rare option for Singaporeans.
It is easy to be copied and Inimitable
is not on the PAP side. Finally, the PAP is certainly not a Non-substitutable product. Voters are willing to buy alternative
products and options.
Sustainability
The past practices of winning elections easily with
out of proportion economic profits are no more sustainable. Other political parties can copy the same
tactics or improve the old practices to attract more voters. Imitability is no more a problem for
competitors. On the other hand, the PAP is facing durability problems. Some old practices or past success models are
at the stage of ‘degrade and obsolete’.
They cannot hold the economic profits as before.
Imitability
Yes. Alternative parties and oppositions can easily do
the same. They have better turnout for
their political rallies, more positive responses during house visits, more
voters are willing to take picture together with the oppositions or showing
opposition flags etc. VRIN is on the opposition side, especially in the social
media.
Durability
Sustainability means the PAP has to maintain its capabilities
in the value chain. But there are out of date practices, or some are already degraded
and obsoleted. For example, People’s
Association, as a front line support organization, does not bring in valuable
feedbacks. Voters are suspicious about
the open support given by union, chambers of commerce or associations. They even dislike the good education
background and outstanding credential of the PAP candidates.
Building capabilities:
The PAP is facing great challenges in building up its
capabilities. For a business
organization, it can acquire the required technology or other capabilities
through merger and acquisitions or develop the capabilities internally overtime
by own investment and R & D.
It is not possible for the PAP to do so, for instance,
buying over opposition parties or merger with them. The best the PAP can do is to promote less
creditable oppositions, painting bad pictures of oppositions or even planting
moles into the oppositions.
The PAP is less successful in developing capabilities
internally. Overtime, it has proved that
the quality of their candidates, the commitment of party members, the alignment
between PAP and support organizations, the process-people-system alignment
relationship and even the media support have deteriorated. Internal capability building is less
effective as before not to mention its culture and value upbringing internally.
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