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Full-Text Articles in Business
Money Changers Have Their Own Fintech Disruption To Grapple With, Aurobindo Ghosh
Money Changers Have Their Own Fintech Disruption To Grapple With, Aurobindo Ghosh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In a commentary, SMU Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) and Director of the Citi Foundation-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults Aurobindo Ghosh discussed the outlook for money changers in a world of multi-currency apps. He however noted money changers still have a role to play, and shared his views on how money changers can respond to technological disruption.
Asset-Rich And Cash-Poor: Which Older Adults Value Reverse Mortgages?, Joelle H. Fong, Olivia S. Mitchell, Benedict S. K. Koh
Asset-Rich And Cash-Poor: Which Older Adults Value Reverse Mortgages?, Joelle H. Fong, Olivia S. Mitchell, Benedict S. K. Koh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Home equity represents a substantial share of retirement wealth for many older persons, particularly in Asia where national housing policies have encouraged home-ownership. This paper explored the potential for reverse mortgages to help 'asset-rich and cash-poor' older Singaporeans unlock their home equity while ageing in place. The empirical analysis was based on a nationally representative survey of home-owners age 50+ in the 2018 Singapore Life Panel (N = 6,258). Our analyses showed that the average older home-owner holds some 60 per cent of total net wealth in housing equity, suggestive of high demand potential for reverse mortgage products. Nevertheless, actual …
Inflation Expectations Can Be A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, Aurobindo Ghosh, Khyati Chauhan, Muskan Bagrodia
Inflation Expectations Can Be A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, Aurobindo Ghosh, Khyati Chauhan, Muskan Bagrodia
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In a commentary, SMU Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) Aurobindo Ghosh, SMU postgraduate student and Research Assistant for the SInDEx Project Muskan Bagrodia and International Monetary Fund Economic Research Assistant Khyati Chauhan weighed in on why inflation expectations matter as much as economic data. They discussed how inflation expectations can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, and shared the key takeaways of the quarterly DBS-Sim Kee Boon Institute’s Singapore Index of Inflation Expectations (DBS-SKBI SInDEx) survey. They concluded that effective communication on inflation control measures, in addition to credible policy decisions, will help consumers feel assured and refrain from basing purchasing decisions …
Trust And Retirement Preparedness: Evidence From Singapore, Benedict S. K. Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Joelle H. Fong
Trust And Retirement Preparedness: Evidence From Singapore, Benedict S. K. Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Joelle H. Fong
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Trust is an essential component of any financial system, and distrust can undermine savings and economic growth. Our study draws on the Singapore Life Panel to assess how trust ties to older respondents’ (1) pension plan participation and withdrawals; (2) life, health, and long-term care insurance holdings; and (3) stock market engagement. We show that the widely-used ‘trust in people’ question is uncorrelated with household behaviours related to retirement preparedness. Instead, trust in private and public financial representatives is positively associated with pension savings, investments, and insurance holdings. Financial literacy also plays an important and consistent role in retirement decision-making.
Emergence Of Private Markets And Exchanges As An Alternative Source Of Financing For Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises (Sme) In Singapore, Ser Keng Ang
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the engine for growth for any economy, whether big or small and developed or emerging. In the US, small firms with less than 500 employee represent 99% of all employers, provide over 80% of net new jobs and account for about one-half of the national workforce. Singapore is no exception. Hence, the well-being of the SME sector in Singapore bears huge importance in the growth and development of its economy.In practice, financing of private companies, particularly small companies, is a challenge. In general, their small size makes private firms more susceptible to exogenous shocks. …
Go Big With Economic Push To Fight Covid-19, David Fernandez
Go Big With Economic Push To Fight Covid-19, David Fernandez
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Economic policymakers need to focus on taking bold and immediate action in order to tackle the pandemic crisis.
Assessing The Effects Of Post-Crisis Regulatory Reforms On Liquidity In The Singapore Government Securities And Mas Bills Market, John M. Sequeira
Assessing The Effects Of Post-Crisis Regulatory Reforms On Liquidity In The Singapore Government Securities And Mas Bills Market, John M. Sequeira
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The FSB initiated in 2017 an evaluation of the effects of post-crisis regulatory reforms, by developing a framework to assess whether the reforms are achieving their intended outcomes and identify any material unintended consequences. In tandem, MAS established an evaluation framework, which covers four broad impact areas, comprising FIs, financial markets, financial end-users and the broader financial landscape. Internationally, there have been particular concerns over whether post-crisis reforms may have impaired liquidity conditions in specific financial markets. We provide an assessment of the effects of the reforms on liquidity in a key market in Singapore, the SGS and MAS bills …
Inflation Expectations In Singapore: A Behavioural Approach, Alexander Clark, Aurobindo Ghosh, Samuel Hanes
Inflation Expectations In Singapore: A Behavioural Approach, Alexander Clark, Aurobindo Ghosh, Samuel Hanes
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The expectations of economic agents have significant impact on their decisions and are key determinants of macroeconomic outcomes such as inflation, economic growth and unemployment. For example, if a worker believes that consumer prices will rise sharply next year, she would demand a wage increase. Similarly, a homeowner with a fixed interest mortgage might make an early repayment if she expects price levels to fall, knowing that the real value of her mortgage debt will increase. In these cases, expectations about inflation could lead to changes in behaviour and in the aggregate, influence prices and become self-fulfilling.
Utilization Of Csr To Build Organizations’ Corporate Image In Asia: Need For An Integrative Approach, Augustine Pang, May O. Lwin, Chrystal Shu-Min Ng, Ying-Kai Ong, Shannon Rose Wing-Ching Chau, Kristle Poh-Sim Yeow
Utilization Of Csr To Build Organizations’ Corporate Image In Asia: Need For An Integrative Approach, Augustine Pang, May O. Lwin, Chrystal Shu-Min Ng, Ying-Kai Ong, Shannon Rose Wing-Ching Chau, Kristle Poh-Sim Yeow
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been found to be a strong predictor of a favorable corporate image [Gray, 1986. Managing the corporate image: The key to public trust. London: Quorum Books]. Websites have become an essential communication platform [Dawkins, 2004. Corporate responsibility: The communication challenge. Journal of Communication Management, 9(2), 108–119]. This study aims to investigate how CSR can be used in enhancing organizational corporate image. Content analyses of 150 corporate websites of organizations in Asia headquartered in Singapore were conducted, followed by in-depth interviews with public relations (PR) practitioners to examine the motivations behind their CSR engagement. Findings showed …
On The Edge Of Disruption, David K. C. Lee
On The Edge Of Disruption, David K. C. Lee
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The financial system is on the verge of massive disruption. Innovative competitors operating on sleek business models and offering new alternative services are entering at the bottom of the market, where gross margins are low and latent demand is high. As these new entrants scale and progress through higher market segments, they will erode incumbent pricing power.
Buying Insurance The D-I-Y Way, Benedict Koh
Buying Insurance The D-I-Y Way, Benedict Koh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Singaporeans face two key risks in life: dying too young and living too long. The latter risk, commonly known as longevity risk, has been the key focus of the Central Provident Fund Advisory Panel's recent deliberation and recommendations. By saving the Basic Minimum Sum and purchasing a life annuity, Singaporeans can hedge the risk of outliving their lifetime savings.
Housing Policies In Singapore: Evaluation Of Recent Proposals And Recommendations For Reform, Sock Yong Phang, David K. C. Lee, Alan Cheong, Kok Fai Phoon, Karol Wee
Housing Policies In Singapore: Evaluation Of Recent Proposals And Recommendations For Reform, Sock Yong Phang, David K. C. Lee, Alan Cheong, Kok Fai Phoon, Karol Wee
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The Singapore housing market is unusual in its high homeownership rate, the dominance of HDB housing, and the extensive intervention of the government in regulating housing supply and demand in both the HDB and private housing sectors. Recent rapid population increases in a low interest rate and high global liquidity environment has resulted in accelerated house prices increases in Singapore. Earlier this year, the government launched “Our Singapore Conversation” of which discussion on housing policies constitutes one major component. This “conversation” comes in the wake of several consecutive rounds of measures to stabilize housing prices using various instruments. This paper …
Singapore's Financial Market: Challenges And Future Prospects, David K. C. Lee, Kok Fai Phoon
Singapore's Financial Market: Challenges And Future Prospects, David K. C. Lee, Kok Fai Phoon
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Singapore has successfully developed into one of the leading international financial centers in a short span of less than half a century. The factors of success can be attributed to time, space, and people. Given the complexity and connectivity of today’s markets, there are many challenges in a fast changing environment marked by huge global capital flows and punctuated by crisis after crisis. This chapter will explain the success of Singapore’s financial market and provide the author’s outlook for the island state’s future prospects in the aftermath of the US debt crisis, the Euro crisis, and likely slowdown in emerging …
Informal Banking And Early International Entrepreneurs: The Case Of The Chettiars, Jayarani Tan, Wee Liang Tan
Informal Banking And Early International Entrepreneurs: The Case Of The Chettiars, Jayarani Tan, Wee Liang Tan
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
As moneylenders during nineteenth century colonial period the Chettiars were functioned as informal bankers in Asia. They began as communal entrepreneurs in their clan but grew beyond their domestic borders. Despite their smallness and resources, they were able to internationalize. This paper reports a study into their internationalization examining the manner they were able to successfully venture abroad. We found that external factors like the British protectorate and internal factors like their unique socio-cultural institutions and norms and values served as enabling factors for their internationalization. These include a family culture of training the sons for the business, embracing business …
Financial Sector Liberalization And Its Challenges To The Local Banks: The Experience Of Singapore, Swee Liang Tan, Gilbert Yip Wei Tan
Financial Sector Liberalization And Its Challenges To The Local Banks: The Experience Of Singapore, Swee Liang Tan, Gilbert Yip Wei Tan
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The main theme of the paper is about the challenges that financial sector liberalization poses to local banks. It reviews the experience of Singapore. We begin by explaining the unique circumstances surrounding Singapore. A small city-state controlled by a single party with about 65% majority in Parliament, Singapore has a paternalistic government that can be protective of industries that are strategic to the development of the country. Yet its government is also pragmatic, forward looking and pro-reformists. Because of its unique circumstances, the Singapore experience with liberalization is worth studying. Three key ideas will emerge in the paper. First, the …
Collective Investments For Pension Savings: Lessons From Singapore's Central Provident Fund Scheme, Benedict S. Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Joelle H. Y. Fong
Collective Investments For Pension Savings: Lessons From Singapore's Central Provident Fund Scheme, Benedict S. Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Joelle H. Y. Fong
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Singapore's mandatory national defined contribution pension system permits participants to invest their retirement savings in a wide range of investment instruments if they wish, rather than leaving their savings in Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts to earn interest rates by default. This article asks whether workers seeking to earn higher returns can expect to do better than the CPF-managed default, by moving their money into professionally managed unit trusts. We use historical data to investigate whether fund managers possess superior stock picking and market timing skills, as well as whether they exhibit persistence in performance and offer diversification benefits to …
Cost Structures In Defined Contribution Systems: The Case Of Singapore's Central Provident Fund, Benedict S. K. Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Joelle H. Y. Fong
Cost Structures In Defined Contribution Systems: The Case Of Singapore's Central Provident Fund, Benedict S. K. Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Joelle H. Y. Fong
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Retirement systems are increasingly asked to do an ever-better job of enhancing the performance of pension investments. The Singaporean Central Provident Fund permits pension system participants to keep their money in a government-run investment pool, or if they wish, they may select professionally managed unit trusts for their retirement accumulations. Opting for investment choice also exposes members to additional investment costs not charged by the government-managed account. This paper explores the charges levied by the private fund managers and we show that foreign ownership, active style of management and equity/balanced funds tend to be most expensive. We conclude with a …
Government Ownership And The Performance Of Government-Linked Companies: The Case Of Singapore, James Ang, David K. Ding
Government Ownership And The Performance Of Government-Linked Companies: The Case Of Singapore, James Ang, David K. Ding
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In an emerging economy, the alternative to government control is often no governance. We investigate the governance structure of government-linked companies (GLCs) in Singapore under the ownership/control structure of Temasek Holdings, the government holding entity, which typically owns substantial cash flow rights but disproportional control rights and exercises no operational control. We compare the financial and market performance of GLCs with non-GLCs, where each has a different set of governance structure, the key difference being government ownership. We show that Singaporean GLCs have higher valuations and better corporate governance than a control group of non-GLCs. The results hold even when …
Conceptualization Of Trust, Commitment, And Understanding The Relationships Between Trust, Commitment, And Willingness To Try Internet Banking Services, Siew Tong Fock, Hian Chye Koh
Conceptualization Of Trust, Commitment, And Understanding The Relationships Between Trust, Commitment, And Willingness To Try Internet Banking Services, Siew Tong Fock, Hian Chye Koh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
This paper examines trust and commitment and their antecedents and consequences within the context of Internet banking, based on data collected from a survey of 500 Singapore undergraduates. After the establishment of a conceptual model that links trust and commitment to the willingness to try Internet banking, the empirical findings show that higher levels of trust and commitment are significantly associated with a greater willingness to try Internet banking. The paper also investigates security, ethics, privacy, openness, the speed of response, quality of information, regulatory control, technology advancement, and reputation as determinants of trust. Of these, security, regulatory control, technology …
Corporate Divestitures And Spinoffs In Singapore, Francis Koh, Winston T. H. Koh, Benedict S. K. Koh
Corporate Divestitures And Spinoffs In Singapore, Francis Koh, Winston T. H. Koh, Benedict S. K. Koh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
This paper discusses the different forms of corporate divestitures, the motives for this corporate activity, and the empirical findings about their economic outcomes. A sample of corporate divestitures is also used to identify the main motivations in the Singapore context. We conclude that divestitures are carried out to achieve operational efficiency and gain incremental profitability and liquidity. Using share price data around the event-dates, we show that announcements of divestitures generally lead to significant increases in the returns of the parent company. The positive abnormal returns are related to the relative size of the divestitures and the computed accounting gains. …
The Quality Of Analysts Earnings Forecasts During The Asian Crisis: Evidence From Singapore, Roger Loh, Mujtaba Mian
The Quality Of Analysts Earnings Forecasts During The Asian Crisis: Evidence From Singapore, Roger Loh, Mujtaba Mian
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Examines the efficiency of security analysts' earnings forecasts in Singapore. Regression of actual earnings change on forecasted change; Extremism in forecasted change; Impact of business crisis on the quality of earnings forecasts.
Venture Capital And Economic Growth: An Industry Overview And Singapore's Experience, Francis Koh, Winston T. H. Koh
Venture Capital And Economic Growth: An Industry Overview And Singapore's Experience, Francis Koh, Winston T. H. Koh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
This paper provides an overview of the venture capital industry, and its development in Asia and Singapore. Venture capital plays an important role in innovation and economic growth. Indeed, the resurgence of the United States as a technology leader is intimately linked to the success of Silicon Valley. As Singapore enters the next phase of economic development, the creation of internal engines of growth is an urgent task. The Singapore government has done much to provide an environment for entrepreneurship to thrive. Its success at replicating the Silicon Valley culture will be important for Singapore's future economic success.
An Investigation Of Price Discovery In Informationally-Linked Markets: Equity Trading In Malaysia And Singapore, David K. Ding, Frederick H. Harris, Sie Ting Lau, Thomas H. Mclnish
An Investigation Of Price Discovery In Informationally-Linked Markets: Equity Trading In Malaysia And Singapore, David K. Ding, Frederick H. Harris, Sie Ting Lau, Thomas H. Mclnish
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Using transactions data for the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Singapore (SES) for a major Malaysian conglomerate, Sime Darby Berhad, and intraday exchange rate data, we investigate whether and to what extent each exchange contributes to price discovery. Results indicate that the price series are cointegrated. The raw data appear to indicate the presence of arbitrage opportunities, but none exist after taking exchange rate changes into account. Using the common long-memory factors of Gonzalo and Granger (1995, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics 13, 1-9), we show that while the majority of the price discovery (approximately …
Auctions For Transferable Objects: Theory And Evidence From The Vehicle Quota System In Singapore, David K. C. Lee, Winston T. H. Koh
Auctions For Transferable Objects: Theory And Evidence From The Vehicle Quota System In Singapore, David K. C. Lee, Winston T. H. Koh
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
This paper studies the hypothesis that auctions with resale markets result in higher prices. The vehicle quota system introduced in Singapore in May 1990 provides the setting. The Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) necessary to purchase new cars were initially transferable for all quota categories. After October 1991, COEs for four major categories became non-transferable. Our results indicate that while the conversion to non-transferability eliminated speculation, it has also intensified competition among car distributors. Auctions for non-transferable COEs in fact led to higher COE prices in three of the four categories.