The meaning of 'executive'

[expat35]

Looking at career opportunities in Singapore the following thing struck me:

In American business, the term 'executive' generally has taken on the meaning of 'senior manager', which is sort of funny because strictly speaking the term suggest that someone carries out certain things rather than manage or delegate them.

In Singapore business however it seems to me the term is used in its literal meaning, so an Executive Product Manager is really a medium-level job, not at all senior.

Does this seem right or am I missing something?

[Vulcanl]

expat35,

You are correct - this is title inflation and nothing more (similar to being a 'Director' at a bank)

[NMS1]

You are correct. In my world, job title will be in this order of seniority:

marketing assistant
marketing executive - often an entry level graduate
marketing manager
marketing director

[expat35]

Thanks for confirming this.

What I also come across often (also in Singapore) is a 'specialist' e.g. a marketing specialist, which would probably be equal to one of the first two levels mentioned above, below 'manager'.

[Executiived]

"Executive" here means you are at the lowest rung, just above the cleaning lady.

I started out as an Executive of something.  Then one day, I was sent to Pittsburgh for a meeting... imagine me handing out my business card to one and all in the head office !!!! 

[expat35]

Oh, and one more: Associate something, just another term for 'junior', right? (These variations would not likely all be used at the same company to denote different ranks)

[expat35]

To add: Even knowing the true meaning of 'executive' in the Singapore job market, what continues to confuse me is titles that include 'senior executive'. It seems to me a senior executive here is still a junior manager.

[NMS1]

Executive, specialist & associate are all at around the same level although associate does have specific meaning in certain industries I think.

[expat35]

It's also a bit confusing then that in Singapore, headhunter firms that recruit top-level managers call what they do 'executive search' 

[rudi]

lol in my time in Jakarta, the word exec, director etc are also excessively and wrongly used.

For example, one idiot who works as an engineer there, claimed to be a managing director of some music company he made there. Now I do not know the legitimacy of it all, but his garage was basically his recording studio.

In London, I came across a chap who was the MD of a plumbing firm. But it turned out he was a sole trader.

What are cleaners these days? Hygene Technician? Subway workers? 'Sandwich Artist'? LOL

[paper]

Which reminds me of a house mate back in my uni days... he worked as a "distributions executive" during the summer hols - aka "paper boy"!

[expat35]

What are cleaners these days? Hygene Technician? LOL

I know toilet ladies are nowadays referred to as public convenience managers

[jalanperak]

What are cleaners these days? Hygene Technician? Subway workers? 'Sandwich Artist'? LOL

Don't know about cleaners, but I remember garbage men referring to themselves as "Sanitation Engineers" in the early '70s.

[dave500]

The term 'executive' in Singapore often seems to be added to a contract clause to allow them to bump up your hours whenever they please. I was a Teaching Consultant in SG and my contract stated something along the lines of, 'As this is an executive position you may be required to work weekends at short notice'. As it happens I was contracted to a British company who in turn had a contract with the Ministry of Education and they provided a bit of a buffer between the employee and the MOE so I escaped most of the ludicrous time demands the MOE places on its direct employees. If you don't have that luxury then read any contract carefully!

[hphphph]

HR ececutives HMMMM clueless.