Digital Commons Network^™

Cultural Tightness In Organizations: Investigating The Impact Of Formal And Informal Cultural Tightness On Employee Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua, Na Zhao, Meng Han

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper delineates cultural tightness into formal versus informal aspects to depict the strength of norms and the extent of sanctions emanating from both formal and informal norms. Organizations with high formal cultural tightness regulate behaviors through explicit written norms and official sanctions, whereas those with high informal cultural tightness regulate behaviors through uncodified norms, collective beliefs, and informal social sanctions. Through a field study across 14 diverse companies in two countries (Malaysia and the Philippines) and two experiments involving participants from the United States, we found that perceived informal cultural tightness consistently exerts a more significant impact on stifling …

Staging Singapore’S Cultural Economy, Buck Song Koh

Asian Management Insights

Growing and cultivating soft power is the name of the game.

Whether In The Classroom Or The Marketplace, There’S No Perfect Formula For Innovation And Entrepreneurship, Havovi Joshi

Asian Management Insights

Successful innovation is never easy, and the fine line between creating the next tech unicorn and the next failed start-up often lies in the founders’ capacity to learn from both their successes and setbacks.

Catalysing Growth: State Of Asean University Innovation And Entrepreneurship: Report 2024, Abdullah Khurshid, Dexter Ye Kai Tan, Gabrielle Lay Khim Tan

Research Collection Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Over the past few years, Southeast Asia has captured global attention with its remarkable economic growth, driven by strong tailwinds. This has led to the expansion of its middle-class consumer base that is actively participating in while benefitting from the region’s rapidly expanding digital economy. In such a climate, there is tremendous potential for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) to be a critical economic driver. Homegrown startups in different Southeast Asian countries have introduced technology-first solutions that have scaled across the region, pushing businesses to innovate rapidly. Moreover, startups promote inclusive growth by leveraging scalable internet platforms and novel technologies to …

Nurturing Entrepreneurship And Growing Entrepreneurs, Sun Sun Lim, Abdullah Khurshid, Dexter Ye Kai Tan, Gabrielle Lay Khim Tan

Asian Management Insights

How Southeast Asia’s universities can pave the way.

Universities in Southeast Asia:

1. Can unlock the potential of changemakers in driving economic growth through entrepreneurship education.

2. Accelerate the growth of the ASEAN start-up ecosystem by facilitating technology commercialisation, leveraging regional networks for mentorship and funding, and fostering cross-border collaborations.

3. Have birthed at least five of Southeast Asia's unicorns and are set to lead the way in producing more.

The Creativity Conundrum, Andrew Heng

Asian Management Insights

1. My survey of Chinese and German workers shows that the impact of remote work on creativity varies by gender, culture, and age.

2. Chinese women, in particular, grapple with cultural and gender norms that hamper creativity in remote work settings.

3. Hybrid work models can provide flexibility without sacrificing talent or creativity.

Gender Bias In Cultural Tightness Across The 50 U.S. States And Its Links To Gender Inequality In Leadership And Innovation, Xin Qin, Roy Y. J. Chua, Ling Tan, Wanlu Li, Chen Chen

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Cultural tightness theory, which holds that “tight” cultures have rigid norms and sanctions, provides unique insights into cultural variations. However, current theorizing has not analyzed gender differences in cultural tightness. Addressing this gap, this research shows that women are more constrained than men by norms within the same society. By recruiting 15,425 respondents, we mapped state-level gender bias in cultural tightness across the United States. Variability in gender bias in cultural tightness was associated with state-level socio-political factors (religion and political ideology) and gender-related threats. Gender bias in cultural tightness was positively associated with state-level gender inequality in (business and …

Building Desktops In The Clouds: Virtualising The Investment Studio, Salihin Mohammed Ali

Research Collection Library

Arising from experiences during and post-COVID-19 circuit breaker and work-from-home arrangements, SMU Libraries developed a new library service to provide remote access to financial databases that are usually only accessible onsite. Financial databases such as Bloomberg and Eikon are accessed using a client-based software that is installed on a physical computer in the Investment Studio at Li Ka Shing Library. Using desktop virtualization technology, financial databases can be accessed remotely without the need of physical presence in the library, increasing availability and accessibility to the resources. This presentation aims to share the challenges in setting up the service from a …

Innovation Culture Assessment: An Exploratory Diagnosis Of A Taiwanese Manufacturing Company, Yong Keong Tay

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how manufacturing firms in Asia are trying to make innovation work and the challenges they are facing in creating and capturing new value. Based on a real-life case study of a medium-sized OEM lock manufacturer in Taiwan (“3ST”), the study sheds light on key building blocks of a robust corporate innovation culture with focus on ‘Values’, ‘Behaviours’, ‘Climate’, ‘Resources’, ‘Processes’, and ‘Success’, using a valid and reliable diagnostic innovation culture framework developed by Rao & Weintraub (2013).

Besides the identification of critical gaps in 3ST’s innovation culture based on Rao …

Gamifying An Assessment Method: What Signals Are Organizations Sending To Applicants?, Konstantina Georgiou, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose: The paper aims to expand the authors' knowledge on gamification and the signals sent on behalf of the organization when gamified assessments are used. The authors examine the mechanisms through which the use of gamification into an assessment method may increase the attractiveness of an organization as a prospective employer. Design/methodology/approach: The first study examines, following a longitudinal design, the signals that an organization sends to applicants about the organization's symbolic traits (e.g. innovativeness), through the characteristics of a gamified assessment, in terms of enjoyment and flow and impact on organizational attractiveness. Upon clarifying this mechanism, the second study …

Is Guanxi Still Everything When Doing Business In China?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Research finds that traditional guanxi-style connection-building is no longer the main key to success when doing business in China, and a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs form business ties based on reputation and capabilities

Predicting Success And Failure Factors Of Thai Start-Ups: An Empirical Study Of Start-Up Success And Its Determinants In Thailand, Ajjaree Limpamont

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Innovation is crucial to economic growth in both developed and emerging countries across the world. Its benefits creates impact on individuals, corporate and government stakeholders in improving quality of lives, increasing income levels and boost up economics. While innovations are important, where, and how they are best conceived of, managed, executed, and brought to the society has been of great debate and has attracted a great deal of scholarly inquiry. There have been numerous research findings discussing the wisdom and impact of each of these pathways. While the business start-up is an effective organizational form for harnessing resources and creating …

Asia Embraces Digital Currency And Cryptocurrency, David Kuo Chen Lee

Asian Management Insights

A decade ago, everyone was sceptical about cryptocurrency. Today, Asian governments are harnessing its technology to raise payment efficiency and improve financial inclusion. Initially, the technology was advocated and harnessed by ‘cypherpunks’, that is, individuals who advocate the use of cryptography and other strong encryption technologies to promote social and political change. At that time, being a cypherpunk meant standing on the opposite side of the government; today, I see cypherpunks, otherwise more appropriately known as cryptopunks, working closely with governments.

Smart Manufacturing And Its Implications For Singapore's Smes, Thomas Menkhoff, Surianarayanan Gopalakrishnan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

While Covid-19 and the climate catastrophe continue to make headlines, local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are quietly setting the gears of Smart Manufacturing in motion with a strategic focus on digitising and automating production processes powered by "Industry 4.0" (I4.0) ready business models. A shared view among several interviewees we talked to recently in the context of an ongoing study on the impact of I4.0 on the business models of local manufacturers is that Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT), machine learning, visual computing, automation and digital twining are deemed of great importance for the long-term competitiveness of Singapore's manufacturing ecosystem on …

Innovating In Traditional Real Estate Business Development Based On Value Co-Creation, Ya Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The real estate industry is an important aspect of China's social development and plays a pivotal role in economic growth. With the development of urbanization in my country, the supply relationship in the real estate industry has changed, consumer demand has become more rational, and the real estate industry’s financial and investment attributes have been superimposed on the influence of the real estate industry. The competition among small and medium real estate companies with relatively weak resource endowments has become increasingly fierce. Some land expansion models can no longer adapt to the development of the new situation. How to survive …

Innovating In The Digital Economy, Arnoud De Meyer

Perspectives@SMU

It is all about creating and capturing value, building networks, and scaling up quickly

Pressure To Be Creative: How Employees Respond To Organizational Creativity Pressure, Hye Jung Eun

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Creativity and innovation are vital for organizational growth and success, driving many organizations to increase pressure for employee creativity. Yet, researchers have neglected investigating how employees respond to creativity pressure at the workplace. This dissertation introduces and develops a new scale for the concept of organizational creativity pressure – the pressure on employees to continually develop novel and useful ideas and solutions. The scale is further validated through extensive assessment of content and construct validity, empirically differentiating the construct from similar others such as performance pressure and support for creativity.

Drawing on the transactional theory of stress (Lazarus & Folkman, …

Academic Leadership Qualities Towards Innovation Endeavours In An Organisation: A Comparative Study Of Malaysia And Singapore Perceptions, Cheng Sim Quah, Sandra Phek Lin Sim, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study employed mixed methods to explore the comparison between Malaysia and Singapore in terms of the contribution of leadership qualities and impacts towards innovation endeavours. Besides that, it also examined the significant relationship between leadership qualities and innovation endeavours in both countries. Findings revealed that operational focus and quality measurement qualities make the strongest unique contribution to explaining the variance, emphasising the importance of innovation. Findings also showed that innovation endeavours have promising impacts on Malaysia and Singapore university students towards enhancing, inspiring and motivating their learning, besides providing them a sense of self-improvement, self-motivation, self-satisfaction, self-efficiency and a …

Regional Economic Impacts Of China's High-Speed Rail Development And Its Institutional Challenges, Hankun Zhao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This article studies the impact of connecting to high-speed rail (HSR) network on regional development and the replication and sustainability of China’s GIUR system, aiming to summarize the experience of China’s HSR, which can provide several policy references for developing countries. This article conducts two research: (1) explore the impact of connecting to HSR network on the urban industrial structure, urban creativity and urban-rural income gap of cities in different regions and cities with heterogeneous locations along the HSR lines in the long and short term; (2) explore the advantages and disadvantages of the Government-Industry-University-Research (GIUR) system in the process …

Disruptive Technologies And Digital Transformation Of The Financial Services Industry In Singapore: Regulatory Framework And Challenges Ahead, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This paper seeks to provide a general overview of the impact of new technologies in the financial services industry in Singapore. For that purpose, it starts by emphasizing that technology has always played an important role in the financial industry. However, new disruptive technologies, as well as the increasing use of data in the financial services industry, have created new challenges and opportunities for the financial sector. While Singapore has managed to address these challenges by adopting one of the quickest and most innovative and comprehensive responses probably observed internationally, financial markets –and particularly the fintech industry– are constantly evolving. …

Pinduoduo: Empowering Farmers With An E-Commerce Platform, Hao Liang, Sin Mei Cheah

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A case study on how Pinduoduo's dedicated portal has helped farmers during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Importance Of Innovation And Entrepreneurship In China’S Social Transformation, Guo Jun Shen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As world’s second largest economy, China has seen tremendous changes since its 1978 “open door and reform” policy. Different reformations in form of policies were planned and rolled out to release the potential of productivity. At the same time, social development also seen a huge progress. How the reformation been transformed to social development and in what degree? This is the question was answered in this dissertation. I studied four major reformations covering: State owned Enterprises (SoE), land, financial liberalization, and science and technology, and their impacts on the social development. At macro level, I identified mediation effects of entrepreneurship …

A Path To Digitalisation Featuring The Dbs Story, Robin Speculand

Perspectives@SMU

Digitalisation of businesses has been rapidly increasing over the last few years and now it has become a necessity, rather than an option, for many. The article provides a path and model for leaders to transform their business. It starts by recognising that businesses need a digital vision driven by customers’ requirements and explains how to build centricity and be ready for the future.

Getting On The E-Commerce Carousell, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Carousell has achieved impressive user numbers. Can the online marketplace now convert that into profitability?

Nurturing Societal Leadership: Activities As Building Blocks, Simon Mckenzie, Jane Sassienie, Sunil Savara

Social Space

We previously discussed the importance of societal leadership in building a better world for future generations—and how societal leaders are driven by a purpose far greater than themselves. In the first article, we introduced the Bridge Societal Leadership Model and outlined the common beliefs observed in many societal leaders. In the second article, we examined their common capacities, such as their remarkable abilities and capabilities.

Leadership Capabilities: Transforming Your Organisation For The Digital Age, Katharina Lange, Flocy Joseph, Markus Bjorn Karner

Asian Management Insights

Leaders of large organisations need to strike a balance between speed and thoroughness, centralisation and decentralisation, and technology and the human touch.

To Transform Or Not To Transform: Academic Libraries In The Age Of Uncertainty, Gulcin Cribb

Research Collection Library

No abstract provided.

What’S In A Name? Industry 4.0 Or Fourth Industrial Revolution Or Digital Transformation, Gulcin Cribb

Research Collection Library

No abstract provided.

Corporate Governance Of Innovation In Singapore Chinese Family Business, Geok Chwee Ong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Despite the large number of research publications on innovation management matters, there is still a gap in the understanding of effective innovation governance at corporate levels. The mechanisms that drive effective governance at firm level to ensure the “alignment of goals, allocation of resources and assignment of decision-making authority for innovation across the company, and with external parties” (Deschamps, 2013) remain unclear. Given the importance of family firms in Asia (and beyond), there is an urgent need to examine those family factors that influence the effectiveness of corporate governance of innovation in Asian enterprise. Against this background, this study attempts …

Innovating Today To Build A Sustainable Tomorrow, Daryl Ng

Asian Management Insights

Daryl Ng, Deputy Chairman of Hong Kong-based real estate property developer Sino Group, speaks about his ideas and ideals on the built environment, sustainability, and how business and innovation can be a force for good.