Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Cpf Life: Managing Longevity Risk As Singaporeans Live Longer, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

To combat the possibility that retirees might outlive their assets, Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) – the national compulsory savings and social security scheme – made the bold move of mandating annuitisation. This followed the findings of a 2007 government study examining how CPF might respond to an increasing life expectancy as the country's baby boomer generation enters retirement.

How To Be Cool In School? A Dating Expert Offers Smu Students A Five-Step Approach, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

In a just world, we would expect qualities like diligence, persistence and persuasiveness to pay off, but things are a lot more complicated when it comes to attraction. Dating expert David Tian, addresses SMU students on how people ought to better their odds at love and romance.

Income Inequality: Challenges In Bridging The Gap, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Increase social spending. Fine-tune foreign labour policies. Create more job opportunities.

These were just a few of the suggestions made during a forum organized by the anti-poverty group, ONE (Singapore) and Singapore Management University's Wee Kim Wee Centre on how to bridge the income inequality gap in Singapore.

Halimah Yacob, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, said in the forum that a concern with income inequality is its impact on social mobility, as people need to have “a sense of hope and optimism that they can aspire to a better life”. How each society …

The Deng Xiaoping Legacy: Leading Changes And Transforming China, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

No leader of the 20th century had made greater impact than Deng Xiaoping. Under the late Chinese leader's tenure, which lasted from 1978 to 1992, hundreds of millions of Chinese were lifted from poverty. The chaos that was the Cultural Revolution gave way to steadfast economic development that turned China into a key player in the world economy.

Daddy’S Advice For Life, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

ANTHONY A. ROSE , speaks about his book, "Daddy's Logic", which is based on real-life experiences and anecdotes of some of the most inspirational people in the world, ROSE looks back over 30 years of shared experiences with his late father-as well as over 21 years of career experiences in working with many of `Daddy's Heroes`-to define and share Daddy's Logic for success in both the personal and professional spheres of one's life.

Change For The Singapore Tiger, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Singapore, dubbed one of Asian’s economic tigers, has enjoyed much progress in less than a century. While it was recently declared the world’s richest country, the voices of its citizens, to relook the future of the country has never been louder since its post-independence years. The dialogue session held in August 2012, was organised by the government’s feedback unit, REACH, and SMU’s student political association "Apolitical" to gather views from young Singaporeans on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech.

Are Us Economic Variables Useful For Chinese Stock Market Forecasts?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

How does the US economy affect China’s? While much had been written about the decoupling between developed and the emerging economies, one scholar has put forward a contrarian view.

Political Participation: Influences And Implications, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

From the understanding of topical issues to activism, education has been said to play a major role in promoting political participation. Past research has shown that the educated would display stronger tendencies to vote, join political parties and engage in civic activities. However, if education predicts political participation, why do some countries with lower education rates face higher chances of political unrest? For instance, the average schooling in East Asian countries exceeds the average for Latin American countries. Yet, Latin America experiences higher levels of political unrest.

Will The Obama Administration Change Tack On Protectionism Before Things Get Worse?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The new American government under President Barrack Obama is not the biggest cheerleader for free trade. With its own domestic economy entering this steep downturn, talks of protectionism in one form or another have been voiced every now and then. Catchy buzzwords like “Buy America” are gaining traction. The temptation to turn inwards, driven by the obligation to votes is growing stronger.

Free Trade: Roadmap For Us-Asean Ties, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

In the past decade, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has evolved as a regional hub in Asian regionalism due to the bloc’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with major economies in the Asia Pacific. Yet, the US remains the only Pacific power that has not initiated any form of formal FTA with ASEAN.

Twitter: High On Celebrity Gossip, Low On News Discussion, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Twitter is regarded as a highly popular platform for online communications. It was said to have played a role in facilitating – 140 characters at a time – social movements that supported key events such as the Arab Spring. And because Twitter messages (or 'tweets' as they are called) are compact and quickly transmitted, they are widely used to spread and share breaking news, personal updates and spontaneous ideas.

Adaptability In Socio-Political Contexts: Moving Beyond Ability And Intelligence, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment is critical for success, if not, survival. Most people would acknowledge that change management can sometimes be a discomforting and bumpy process. This applies not just with individuals and organisations, but also with governments. While the former two may adapt privately, governments, represented by politicians and public officers, often have the unenviable task of demonstrating adaptability under the watchful eyes of their public. Slip-ups, trips and falls thus come at greater costs, which go well beyond mere embarrassment.

Human Trafficking: An Ancient Trade With A Modern Face, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

If we believe that advances in science, health and human rights have led to a more civilised society than before, think again.

Making Babies: Getting Into The Mood For Love, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The pursuit of a perfect partner by women can betraced back to thousands of years ago when the world was still a society of hunters and gatherers. Back then, men tended to provide the family with meat and protection while women stayed at home to plant crops and take care of junior.

An Inside Job: To Get On The Right Career Track, Look Within, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Many people may dream about becoming a doctor, but only a few can join the profession. Candidates to the job must not only possess exceptional academic ability, but also, the physical and psychological stamina for typically long, intense shifts that involve giving comfort to the unwell.

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.

Good Reputation: A Reputation For Doing Good, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

When a global food powerhouse saw hungry students who had to attend school without food in their stomachs, it decided to step in and help in ways that it knew best.

Part Of The Job: The Positive Side Of Office Politics, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Backstabbing, gossiping, and the dangerously, flirtatious dance of the corporate moth around the office fire – also known as workplace politics – can be a costly affair. A 2002 British survey found that managers spent an hour a day engaged in politics. Such actions and more cost the UK an estimated 7.8b GBP in productivity loss a year.

Markowitz 2.0: Innovations For Asset Allocation, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The economic wreckage from the 2008 global financial crisis dealt a blow to the theoretical foundations of finance and economic. Many of these theories, such as Markowitz’s Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), were considered received wisdom and taught in practically all business schools. But now they appeared inadequate to the task of handling the “fat-tails” and “black swans” of extreme market events. These crashes were also occurring far more often than predicted by these theories.

What Could Derail The India Express? Economists Speak Out, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

For the investors and businesses still swooning over India's red-hot growth, a pair of economists delivered a splash of cold water to their faces on February 23 during a talk organized by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Advanced Study of India.

The Worth And Values Of Education, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Singapore’s education minister Heng Swee Keat surprised parents and educators when he indicated last September at his first major policy address a desire for education in Singapore – which has come under criticisms for its emphasis on grades- to return to the basics of moulding students’ characters.

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.

The Central Role Of Information Systems In Managing Crises, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Crisis management research recognises the importance of timely information in coordinating a suitable and rapid crisis response. However, the transmission of information would depend on the information systems assets available, how they work with other resources and how they facilitate coordination – areas that have not received much scholarly attention.

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.

When To Say “I Love You”: Before Or After Sex?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The words “I love you” is symbolic as it represents romantic devotion; a desire to bring the relationship to a higher, more serious level. It is no wonder that saying it for the first time in a relationship can be daunting.

Risk Management In A Volatile Market, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

As stock markets around the world whipsaw in a manner that bewilders even the seasoned trader, an academic has suggested for financial institutions to look more closely at linking dynamic loss tail distributions to contagion modeling for effective risk management.

Broadening Boards: How Directorships Should Adapt For Challenging Times, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

"Will good governance lead to greater profitability and business sustainability?" This was the question that framed the lively panel discussion that involved talk on a broad range of issues, from gender diversity to boardroom theatrics.