The Captains of Lives (A): Transformation Journey of Singapore Prison Service

In the late 1990s, faced with a number of burning management issues, a growing inmate population, and a problem of officer recruitment, the director of the Singapore Prison Service implemented a thorough transformation process, developing a new paradigm for modern prison management which impacted the whole of Singaporean society. Case A describes the brave decisions and innovative ideas championed by the directorate, inviting students to slip into the role of senior management and discuss the pros and cons of a key management decision without knowing the outcome (Case B).

?Captains of Lives? charts the issues and stages that typically arise in change management and the transformation of public and private organizations: analysis of the organisation in need of change, changing the paradigm through a visioning process, networking to secure key stakeholder support, motivating staff to get involved, and maintaining business excellence. Focusing on the ?tipping point? when faced with a setback at a critical point, it seeks to show how leaders have to be dedicated to the change process, and, subsequently, how best to follow a period of organisational transformation.