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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Repairing An Organization’S Image In Times Of Crises: What Strategies To Use When?, Augustine Pang, Benjamin Meng-Keng Ho, Nuraini Malik Jun 2012

Repairing An Organization’S Image In Times Of Crises: What Strategies To Use When?, Augustine Pang, Benjamin Meng-Keng Ho, Nuraini Malik

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The image repair theory has been described as the “dominant paradigm for examining corporate communication in times of crises” (Dardis & Haigh, 2009, p. 101). While the theory, which posits five major strategies and 14 sub-strategies, has been applied extensively, a fundamental question remains: What strategies should be used when? Through meta-analysis of the image repair studies, we examine the persuasiveness/effectiveness in the use of different strategies. This study addresses the call by Haigh and Brubaker (2010) to conduct more studies to understand the use of strategies across different crisis types with a view to providing a template to equip …


Entrepreneurship Education Policies In Singapore, Wee Liang Tan Jun 2012

Entrepreneurship Education Policies In Singapore, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.


Corporate Image Vacuum: Nature, Characteristics And Implications For The Organization, Noraizah Zainal Abidin, Augustine Pang Jun 2012

Corporate Image Vacuum: Nature, Characteristics And Implications For The Organization, Noraizah Zainal Abidin, Augustine Pang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A good corporate image is important to organizations (Benoit & Pang, 2008). Even then, some organizations do not have one (Bernstein, 1984/1989; Walker, 2010). Arguably the first study to explicate the notion of corporate image vacuum through the development of the Corporate Image Grid Framework, this study examines how an image vacuum is generated and what organizations can do to fill it. The framework offers a systematic way of assessing an organization’s image to heighten practitioners’ awareness of image management of their organizations. Four organizations drawn from Fortune 2011 list of 50 most admired organizations are studied: Singapore Airlines, Google, …


Negotiating Crisis In The New Media Environment: Evolution Of Crises Online, Gaining Legitimacy Offline, Augustine Pang, Nasrath Begam Abul Hassan, Aaron Chee Yang Chong Jun 2012

Negotiating Crisis In The New Media Environment: Evolution Of Crises Online, Gaining Legitimacy Offline, Augustine Pang, Nasrath Begam Abul Hassan, Aaron Chee Yang Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examines how crises originate online, how different new media platforms escalate crises, and how issues become legitimized offline when they transit onto mainstream media. We study five social media crises, which includes United breaks guitars and Southwest Air’s too fat to fly. Crises are triggered online when stakeholders are empowered by new media platforms that allow user-generated content to be posted online without any filtering. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter emerge as top crises breeding grounds due to their large user base and the lack of gatekeeping. Facebook and blogs are responsible for escalating crises beyond the immediate stakeholder …


Negotiating Crisis In The New Media Environment: Evolution Of Crises Online, Gaining Legitimacy Offline, Augustine Pang, Nasrath Begam Binte Abul Hassan, Aaron Chee Yang Chong Jun 2012

Negotiating Crisis In The New Media Environment: Evolution Of Crises Online, Gaining Legitimacy Offline, Augustine Pang, Nasrath Begam Binte Abul Hassan, Aaron Chee Yang Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examines how crises originate online, how different new media platforms escalate crises, and how issues become legitimized offline when they transit onto mainstream media. We study five social media crises, which includes United breaks guitars and Southwest Air’s too fat to fly. Crises are triggered online when stakeholders are empowered by new media platforms that allow user-generated content to be posted online without any filtering. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter emerge as top crises breeding grounds due to their large user base and the lack of gatekeeping. Facebook and blogs are responsible for escalating crises beyond the immediate stakeholder …


Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2012: Q1 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu May 2012

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2012: Q1 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence

Between 2011 and 2012, customer satisfaction for the InfoCommunications sector rose by 1.6-points to 65.9-points (on a 0 to 100 scale). This significant 2.5% improvement reverses the downward trend the sector experienced since tracking begun in 2007.


Asia In The Middle East: The Internationalization Of Singapore Private Firms Into The Gcc, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred How, Sharmaine Si Min Neo May 2012

Asia In The Middle East: The Internationalization Of Singapore Private Firms Into The Gcc, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred How, Sharmaine Si Min Neo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.


In Search Of A Different Accounting Graduate: Entry-Point Determinants Of Students’ Performance In An Undergraduate Accountancy Degree Programme In Singapore, Poh Sun Seow, Gary Pan, Joanne Tay May 2012

In Search Of A Different Accounting Graduate: Entry-Point Determinants Of Students’ Performance In An Undergraduate Accountancy Degree Programme In Singapore, Poh Sun Seow, Gary Pan, Joanne Tay

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This study investigates the association of prior academic achievement, admission interview, critical thinking, mathematical aptitude, gender and age with successful academic performance in an undergraduate accountancy degree programme at a Singapore university. The purpose of revisiting the determinants of academic performance is twofold: firstly, university accounting education in Singapore has changed greatly since Koh and Koh’s earlier study (1999), so this study examines if determinants previously identified as significant continue to be so in the new setting; secondly, the study tests the usefulness of admission interview in identifying applicants who achieve subsequent academic success. All the data on students’ performance …


Internationalization Into The Gcc: Singapore In Retrospect, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Hong Hao Chong May 2012

Internationalization Into The Gcc: Singapore In Retrospect, Caroline Yeoh, Wilfred Pow Ngee How, Hong Hao Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As internationalization becomes, increasingly, the chosen method of (ironically) competing for competitiveness among firms, new and rich frontiers for business come into ever-expanding demand. Among the foremost of these frontiers, the countries of the GCC represent both fertile ground and uncharted waters for internationalizing firms, with cultures as rich as their markets and sometimes byzantine yet fascinating socio-political forces presenting a plethora of challenges to erstwhile investing firms. As a culmination of our research into this region over past years, then, we examine in this paper, as a case study of sorts, the experiences of Singapore firms in the various …


Wage-Vacancy Contracts And Coordination Frictions, Nicolas L. Jacquet, Serene Tan May 2012

Wage-Vacancy Contracts And Coordination Frictions, Nicolas L. Jacquet, Serene Tan

Research Collection School Of Economics

We consider a directed search model with risk-averse workers and risk-neutral entrepreneurs who can set up firms that post wage-vacancy contracts, i.e., contracts where firms can make payments to more than one applicant, and where the payments can be different for each applicant and be contingent on the number of applicants. We establish that the type of contracts the literature focuses on are not offered if firms can post wage-vacancy contracts. We show that there exists an equilibrium satisfying a Monotonic Expected Utility property which is efficient. Furthermore, we investigate the role of wage-vacancy contracts on welfare and competition.


Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: The Value Of Political Connections In Social Networks, Quoc-Anh Do, Yen Teik Lee, Bang Dang Nguyen, Kieu-Trang Nguyen May 2012

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: The Value Of Political Connections In Social Networks, Quoc-Anh Do, Yen Teik Lee, Bang Dang Nguyen, Kieu-Trang Nguyen

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper investigates the impact of social-network based political connections on firm value. We focus on the networks of university classmates and alumni among directors of U.S. public firms and congressmen. Comparing firms connected to elected versus defeated politicians in the Regression Discontinuity Design of close elections from 2000 to 2008, we provide evidence that political connections enhance firm value. However, the value of political connections varies in a more complex way than expected. While connections to powerful members of the Senate generate strong positive impact on firm value, connections to newly elected congressmen are less valuable to firms than …


Off The Cliff And Back? Credit Conditions And International Trade During The Global Financial Crisis, Davin Chor, Manova Kalina May 2012

Off The Cliff And Back? Credit Conditions And International Trade During The Global Financial Crisis, Davin Chor, Manova Kalina

Research Collection School Of Economics

We examine the collapse of international trade flows during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis using detailed data on the evolution of monthly U.S. imports over the November 2006 - April 2009 period. We show that credit constraints and the reduction in the availability of external capital were an important channel through which the crisis affected trade volumes. We identify the effects of credit tightening by exploiting the variation in the cost of capital across countries and over time, as well as the variation in financial dependence across sectors. We find that countries with higher interbank interest rates and thus tighter …


Towards Interactive, Internet-Based Decision Aid For Vaccination Decisions: Better Information Alone Is Not Enough, Terry Connolly, Jochen Reb May 2012

Towards Interactive, Internet-Based Decision Aid For Vaccination Decisions: Better Information Alone Is Not Enough, Terry Connolly, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Vaccination decisions, as in choosing whether or not to immunize one's small child against specific diseases, are both psychologically and computationally complex. The psychological complexities have been extensively studied, often in the context of shaping convincing or persuasive messages that will encourage parents to vaccinate their children. The computational complexity of the decision has been less noted. However, even if the parent has access to neutral, accurate, credible information on vaccination risks and benefits, he or she can easily be overwhelmed by the task of combining this information into a well-reasoned decision. We argue here that the Internet, in addition …


From Boardroom To Parliament, Singapore Management University Apr 2012

From Boardroom To Parliament, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Everyone has different motivations for working, . But the primary incentive for slogging it out in the corporate jungle would be money— at least that is what employers believe. This helps explain why companies are often willing to shell out wads of cash to outbid one another in the labour market for top executives.


Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2011: Full Year Overview, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu Mar 2012

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2011: Full Year Overview, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries with 2011 marking its fifth year of measurement.


The Role Of Faculty Members' Cross-Cultural Competencies In Their Perceived Teaching Quality: Evidence From Culturally-Diverse Classes In Four European Countries, Alain De Beuckelaer, Filip Lievens, Joost Bucker Mar 2012

The Role Of Faculty Members' Cross-Cultural Competencies In Their Perceived Teaching Quality: Evidence From Culturally-Diverse Classes In Four European Countries, Alain De Beuckelaer, Filip Lievens, Joost Bucker

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In the field of higher education, it has often been claimed that in culturally-diverse classes high levels of cross-cultural competence will result in better teaching performance among faculty. Unfortunately, to date this relationship has not been tested empirically. In this study, we examine the nature of this relationship using course-related survey data from faculty members (N = 46) teaching management-related courses to master's students (N = 1,219) in four EU countries (Belgium, France, Germany, and The Netherlands). Results demonstrate that cross-cultural competence (in particular showing a high degree of cultural empathy and being open-minded) is an important asset for faculty …


Us Government Efforts To Repair Its Image After The 2008 Financial Crisis, Andrea A. Chua, Augustine Pang Mar 2012

Us Government Efforts To Repair Its Image After The 2008 Financial Crisis, Andrea A. Chua, Augustine Pang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Globalization has intensified the interaction and interdependency among countries. The need to maintain good reputation and establish good relationships should dominate public diplomacy efforts (Hiebert, 2005). Using the US financial crisis 2008 as a case study, this study examines how the world's only superpower repaired its image when it was accused of triggering the financial meltdown that impacted the world economy. Few studies have examined repair strategies by nations. The need to undertake more empirical research to understand how the image-rebuilding rhetoric can aid diplomatic efforts remains relevant today.


Is Specialization Desirable In Committee Decision Making?, Ruth Ben-Yashar, Winston T. H. Koh, Shmuel Nitzan Mar 2012

Is Specialization Desirable In Committee Decision Making?, Ruth Ben-Yashar, Winston T. H. Koh, Shmuel Nitzan

Research Collection School Of Economics

Committee decision making is examined in this study focusing on the role assigned to the committee members. In particular, we are concerned about the comparison between committee performance under specialization and non-specialization of the decision makers. Specialization (in the context of project or public policy selection) means that the decision of each committee member is based on a narrow area, which typically results in the acquirement and use of relatively high expertise in that area. When the committee members’ expertise is already determined, specialization only means that the decision of each committee member is based solely on his/her relatively high …


Enhancing Internal Communications: How Microsoft Cuts Through The Clutter, Singapore Management University Feb 2012

Enhancing Internal Communications: How Microsoft Cuts Through The Clutter, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

How do you communicate with 5,000 employees across 17 countries in a simple yet effective and compelling way? This was a question that Jovina Ang had to answer back in 2010, when she joined Microsoft Services Asia as marketing communications director.


Large Mutual Fund Families: Bigger May Not Always Be Better, Singapore Management University Feb 2012

Large Mutual Fund Families: Bigger May Not Always Be Better, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Size is not everything but it may be intuitive for the novice investor to place his money in a mutual fund from large fund families thinking that it will outperform the smaller ones.


Manipulation Of Online Reviews: An Analysis Of Ratings, Readability, And Sentiments, Nan Hu, Indranil Bose, Noi Sian Koh, Ling Liu Feb 2012

Manipulation Of Online Reviews: An Analysis Of Ratings, Readability, And Sentiments, Nan Hu, Indranil Bose, Noi Sian Koh, Ling Liu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As consumers become increasingly reliant on online reviews to make purchase decisions, the sales of the product becomes dependent on the word of mouth (WOM) that it generates. As a result, there can be attempts by firms to manipulate online reviews of products to increase their sales. Despite the suspicion on the existence of such manipulation, the amount of such manipulation is unknown, and deciding which reviews to believe in is largely based on the reader's discretion and intuition. Therefore, the success of the manipulation of reviews by firms in generating sales of products is unknown. In this paper, we …


The Ethnocentric Bias: Why One Size Does Not Fit All In The World Of Digital Communication, Michael A. Netzley Feb 2012

The Ethnocentric Bias: Why One Size Does Not Fit All In The World Of Digital Communication, Michael A. Netzley

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this chapter Michael Netzley, PhD at Singapore Management University, discusses the opportunity to see beyond traditional markets. Asia is filled with diverse and fragmented markets, more so than we typically find in the West's mature markets. The larger social media conversation reflects values and market assumptions of these mature markets, and all too often the needs of Asia's many emerging markets go unrepresented. Professional communicators must stop relying on advice crafted within different market conditions and instead lead the way forward by producing solid research as the basis for data-driven communication decisions.


The Promise And Challenge Of Ecotourism, Biqi Wu Jan 2012

The Promise And Challenge Of Ecotourism, Biqi Wu

Social Space

The following article is adapted from an ecotourism case study conducted by Wu Biqi. It was supported by the Lien Centre and supervised by Associate Professor John Donaldson of the School of Social Sciences at the Singapore Management University.


Supply Elasticity Of Housing, Kyunghwan Kim, Sock-Yong Phang, Susan Wachter Jan 2012

Supply Elasticity Of Housing, Kyunghwan Kim, Sock-Yong Phang, Susan Wachter

Research Collection School Of Economics

The supply elasticity of housing determines how quickly house prices respond to economic shocks and this has many real economic consequences. Malpezzi and Maclennan (2001) describes its importance in housing market analysis: „most housing models, and most policy analysis hinge on explicit or implicit estimates of the price elasticity of supply of housing: does the market respond to demand side shocks with more supply or higher prices‟. However, as pointed out by Quigley (1979), there exist real analytical difficulties in modeling the supply of housing. Attempting to measure the flow of housing services provided by the stock of housing is …


Information Systems Procurement Process Risk And Control: Insights From A Public Sector Organization, Gary Pan, Manjari Mehta, Poh Sun Seow Jan 2012

Information Systems Procurement Process Risk And Control: Insights From A Public Sector Organization, Gary Pan, Manjari Mehta, Poh Sun Seow

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This case highlights the specific risks and issues that may be encountered in the information systems (IS) procurement process in a country where bribery and corruption are more common. PSO is a large Indian public sector organization involved in energy-related business. Being financially deprived, PSO relied on government funding to build its infrastructures. Besides the funding support, PSO also inherited the bureaucratic structure and the corruption practices. Lately, PSO was involved in several IS infrastructure and applications upgrading projects and wanted to review its IS procurement process. Does PSO understand the process risks in public IS procurement? Does PSO have …


Eco Travel Singapore - Balancing Social And Profit Motives, Biqi Wu Jan 2012

Eco Travel Singapore - Balancing Social And Profit Motives, Biqi Wu

Lien Centre Student Case Studies

No abstract provided.


Impact Investing: Will Hype Stall Its Emergence As An Asset Class?, Philo Alto Jan 2012

Impact Investing: Will Hype Stall Its Emergence As An Asset Class?, Philo Alto

Social Space

From when it was first coined five years ago, “impact investing” has now become more mainstream for traditional investors. However, Philo Alto argues that its development is lagging behind the promise of what it can do, and this, in turn, is hampering its emergence as an asset class in its own right.


Enterprise, Not Aid, For Social Change, Kim Tan Jan 2012

Enterprise, Not Aid, For Social Change, Kim Tan

Social Space

A wind of change is blowing through the world of aid and philanthropy. The old formula of aid and compassion doesn’t work anymore. In its place, Kim Tanproposes a new model based on enterprise and financial capital.


Sense And Sustainability, Ken Hickson Jan 2012

Sense And Sustainability, Ken Hickson

Social Space

Like the proverbial chicken and egg, climate change and sustainability are inextricably linked; it is impossible to decide which comes first, but urgent solutions are needed. Ken Hickson delivers a timely lesson on the four E’s of sustainability—energy, environment, economics and ethics.


Every Business A Social Business: Fantasy Or Destiny?, Ka Kui Tse Jan 2012

Every Business A Social Business: Fantasy Or Destiny?, Ka Kui Tse

Social Space

Business as usual is no longer enough, Ka Kui Tse insits. Corporations should be prepared to transition into social businesses or cease to be relevant.