On the argument that ministers are paid high salaries for the public service to compete with the private sector for talents, based on the assumption that one who is successful in the private sector would also be successful in public service, Associate Professor Tan Hwee Hoon of SMU LKCSB highlighted a recent study by Harvard Business School professors which examined “talent portability†using General Electric as a study focus. The study showed that well-trained GE executives didn't perform as well when they were headhunted to join companies in other industries. Thus, it is unclear how successful private sector talent will translate into successful public sector performance . Evidence-based research is needed to answer this question.
Lianhe Zaobao