Knowledge@SMU

Knowledge as a driver of growth and development in Asia

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:05:16 EST

Many Asian economies are in the process of transitioning from an industrial-led growth model to a more knowledge-based one. While some have seen greater success than others, several challenges have arisen in recent years, in particular, with rapid advancements in information-communications technology. These changes are discussed in 'Beyond the Knowledge Trap: Developing Asia's Knowledge-based Economies', a book that presents a range of studies to show how Asian countries are adapting and addressing some of the new issues brought about by changes within a more complex and globalised environment.

Creativity meets Cash: An unlikely pair?

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:04:44 EST

There has long been a perception that creativity and money are somewhat opposed to one another. Profitable artists are sometimes seen as sell-outs while risk-averse corporations are seldom regarded as centres of creativity. Yet, for survival, businesses need to be creative and the creative-types need to eat. In the book, Brainfruit: Turning creativity into cash from East to West, authors Hugh Mason and SMU associate professor Mark Chong provide a slew of practical ideas for anyone aspiring to build or understand the business of creativity.

Human trafficking: An ancient trade with a modern face

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:04:35 EST

Most people consider slavery to be extinct today. However, the practice has merely gone underground and is manifested today as human trafficking— a problem not seen or experienced directly by us in our daily lives. This invisible trade of human cargo is one of the most lucrative illegal businesses in the world today. Prominent expert on human trafficking Siddharth Kara shed light on the issue and look at ways to combat human trafficking in a seminar held in SMU.

An inside job: To get on the right career track, look within

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:04:27 EST

While some people may claim to work solely for the money, research has shown 'self-concept' to be an important but often overlooked consideration when choosing between jobs. An out-of-work investment banker may fail to consider 'analyst' positions due to perceptions of job prestige. Similarly, gender stereotypes may prevent a female civil engineering student from considering a career in construction. Speaking at a Behavioural Sciences Institute seminar, Serena Wee, an assistant professor of psychology at SMU, drew links between job seeking behaviours and concepts of identity.

From Boardroom To Parliament

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:04:18 EST

The benefits of state-owned enterprises are well known: cheap loans, favourable policies and little competition. Because of the perks they enjoy, these companies have often been criticised for not being hungry enough to maximise firm value, especially when their CEOs are not as well paid as those in the private sector. There is proof now that competition in the political job market helps mitigate the weak monetary incentives for CEOs in China. Interestingly, this means that state control and political connections may not be inconsistent with economic pursuits.

Making babies: Getting into the mood for love

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:03:56 EST

Within a span of 50 years, Singapore had to worry about its fertility rate for two very different reasons. Its development years in the 1960s and 1970s saw a baby boom, with the country’s maternity hospital even earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of birth in a single maternity facility— a record it held for ten years. However today, the country’s fertility rate has fallen below the replacement rate. SMU professor Norman Li provides a take on this phenomenon.

Part of the Job: The positive side of office politics

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:02:40 EST

It may sound counter intuitive but playing with office politics may not necessary make you the villain at work. Embracing office politics and learning to use it positively can help companies retain talent and build ethical leadership, says Jane Horan author of a new book I Wish I’d Known That Earlier In My Career: The Power of Positive Workplace Politics

Get organised: The importance of focus in shopping

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:02:33 EST

Consumer decision making can be conceptualised as a series of stages progressing from the recognition of a need to search for information about alternatives, the formation of a consideration set, a formal evaluation of the choices, and finally, making the purchase. But how much of this process might be affected by a consumer’s style of goal pursuit? According to Hannah Chang, an assistant professor of marketing at SMU, businesses will do well to pay attention to their target customers' decision environments.

Walking the talk of Wall Street

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:02:26 EST

Years after he theorised that a blindfolded monkey throwing darts at stock listings can select a portfolio that would perform as well as one chosen by experts, Princeton economist Burton Malkiel is sticking by it. In the tenth edition of his investment classic, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Malkiel explains why the experts are overrated, and why sticking with a buy-and-hold strategy using a broad stock market index fund will outperform the professionally managed ones.

Markowitz 2.0: Innovations for asset allocation

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:01:52 EST

The idea of conducting financial analysis on asset classes, while widely accepted today, was a new concept in the 1950s. It was so new that Nobel Prize winner in economics Harry Markowitz almost did not receive his doctorate because his thesis on portfolio optimisation was deemed as “not economics” by his supervisor. Dr Paul Kaplan, quantitative research director at Morningstar, introduces an updated model of Markowitz’s portfolio optimisation model at a seminar in SMU.

Good reputation: A reputation for doing good

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:01:45 EST

Having a good product is no longer sufficient for companies to retain a competitive edge in the modern society where consumers are getting more sophisticated and environmentally conscious. And corporations around the world are realising it. What is it that motivates companies to take up the corporate social responsibility flag and how does it relate to their corporate reputation?

Making sense of the strategic value behind CEO pay cheques

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:01:31 EST

In a country where conformity and harmony are valued, Japanese multinationals have become open to appointing foreign CEOs, who are deemed to be able to effect change faster than a Japanese CEO, as part of corporate strategies to conquer overseas markets. But one difficulty in hiring these foreign CEOs is that their pay is much higher than their Japanese counterparts, who are famous for their relatively modest salaries. A study on the impact of firm strategy and foreign ownership sheds more light on the strategy-compensation relationship in Japanese firms.

The central role of information systems in managing crises

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:52:15 EST

Important decisions should be taken with the best information available. Such an axiom may not apply, however, in large-scale emergency situations where officials would find themselves in a bind, unable to access accurate data yet faced with huge responsibilities to be effective at work. These complexities led a team of researchers, including SMU's associate professor of accounting, Gary Pan, to examine how information systems may facilitate management and coordination work at times of crises.

Finding the medicine for healthcare

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:52:09 EST

Health care costs are escalating rapidly in countries with aging populations and is often a source of headache for policymakers. Singapore, which has one of the world’s acclaimed healthcare systems, also faces the same issues of balancing social and economic objectives in its healthcare system. A healthcare expert has now proposed a radical policy shift for the Republic to meet the medical needs of its citizens.

Large mutual fund families: Bigger may not always be better

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:51:59 EST

Investments are vital to one’s financial freedom. But investment strategy is an art which not everybody can master. Those who are new to investing may see mutual funds as an easy tool to make money. It has been traditionally thought that larger mutual fund families tend to perform better than their smaller counterparts. Do they really?

Enhancing internal communications: How Microsoft cuts through the clutter

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:51:47 EST

The thought of having to rally thousands of employees, scattered across a diverse continent, behind a set of corporate goals may seem daunting. Not for Jovina Ang, an adjunct faculty of corporate communication at SMU and marketing communications director at Microsoft Services Asia. With a little out-of-the-box thinking and some coordination, Ang pulled together a series of weekly videos to achieve this objective and more. Best of all, the idea has proved itself to be low in costs but high in returns.

The worth and values of education

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:51:32 EST

Since he took over the helms of Singapore’s education ministry after the General Elections in May 2011, first term minister Mr Heng Swee Keat has signalled that he wants a renewed emphasis of character and values education in schools. In his first dialogue session with SMU university students, Heng shared more about his vision for Singapore’s education system.

When to say �I love you�: Before or after sex?

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:51:21 EST

There are no hard and fast rules on when one should say 'I love you', or who should say it first. Yet, the implications either way can be profound. Taking an evolutionary-economics perspective, these words, for men, could be taken as "bids for sexual access". Women, on the other hand, might view it differently, depending on whether the words were uttered before or after sex. SMU associate professor Norman Li examines what it is that romantic partners really mean when they say "love".

Financial literacy and numerical ability: keys to better mortgage outcomes

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:50:08 EST

The US mortgage crisis and its dire after effects have highlighted the criticality of financial literacy. And while most people would have picked up fundamental mathematical principles in schools, not everyone appreciates how arithmetic translates within the complex world of finance. Yet, given what has transpired with the subprime crisis, is it important for borrowers to appreciate complicated financial concepts before taking up a loan? A study of the US mortgage market, presented at a SMU School of Economics Seminar Series, provides some clues as it uncovers links between basic numerical skills and financial fate.

Beckon the dragon: How businesses can attract the Chinese consumers through digital marketing

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:50:08 EST

The rise of China to the world’s second largest economy has seen a boom in its consumer market with its citizens having more purchasing power. China’s retail market is growing rapidly, including the trend of online shopping with the expansion of the credit card industry. As more and more Chinese citizens get online, the internet is slowly becoming a powerful tool for businesses to reach out to them.