Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Ych Chairman Robert Yap: Building The Logistics Superhighway One Step At A Time, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Robert Yap, chairman and CEO of YCH Group, was the featured speaker earlier this year in the Singapore Management University’s Wee Kim Wee Centre CEO Talk series. Over a period of 20 years, Yap led his family-owned business from a small transportation company in Singapore to a leading logistics and supply chain solutions provider in Asia Pacific. In recognition of his visionary leadership and industry expertise, Yap won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2007. He spoke to Knowledge@SMU about YCH’s successful evolution and how the future looks for the company.

How Smes Can Leverage Innovation To Become Global Players, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) need to realise that being small is only an interim stage on the way to becoming larger enterprises. How SMEs can grow is to leverage on innovation opportunities to transition to the next stage, says Singapore Management University information systems professor Desai Arcot Narasimhalu, speaking recently on “Innovation -- The tracks that can transform SMEs into global players” at the UOB-SMU Entrepreneurship Alliance Centre.

The Source Of Competitive Advantage In A Family Business Is The Family, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

When family businesses expand overseas, they do well to capitalise on their unique core values and cultures. But these inherent strengths should be tempered to fit into the new environments, advised Sanjay Goel, strategic management and entrepreneurship professor, University of Minnesota Duluth. Goel spoke on the topic, "Sources of competitive advantage in family business – bringing the family back in," at the inaugural Ngee Ann Kongsi annual lecture, Singapore Management University (SMU). He was joined for a panel discussion afterwards by Richard Eu, Robert Yap and Andreas Sohmen-Pao. The panel was chaired by SMU deputy president and provost Tan Chin …

A Tale Of Two Ngos: Bangladesh’S Grameen Bank And Brac, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

How has Bangladesh managed to outperform other low-income countries by doubling per capita GDP growth from 1.6% in the 1980s to 3.3% in the 1990s and beyond? The World Bank cites several key factors including an active civil society and strong partnerships forged by the government with NGOs. Two visionary NGO leaders, Nobel Peace Laureate, Muhammad Yunus (founder of Grameen Bank), and Fazle Hasan Abed (founder and chairman of BRAC), co-winner of the 2007 Clinton Global Citizen Award, visited Singapore in August and Sept 2007 to deliver two lectures on their respective organisations.

Innovations In Philanthropy: The Rockefeller Foundation’S Perspective, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

For nearly 100 years, the mission of the Rockefeller Foundation, “to promote the well-being of humanity by addressing the root causes of serious problems”, has remained the same, even as the foundation continues to adapt its programmes to changing social, economic and cultural needs. It is also a leading proponent of innovation and change in the field of philanthropy itself. Jacqueline Khor, Associate Director, Rockefeller Foundation, delivered a lecture on new trends in philanthropy and the emergence of a new generation of “philanthro-capitalists” at a lecture organised by the Singapore Management University’s Lien Foundation Centre for Social Innovation.

Ua7 Ored Quarterly Newsletter, Sadiq Shah

ORED Quarterly Newsletter

Connecting Knowledge with Businesses and Society to Promote Economic Growth and to Enhance the Quality of Life

Role Of The Sales Manager And Its Intersection With Sales Technology, Stephen Kennelly

Masters

The area of sales management and technology is an expanding and dynamic field of research. Examining the impact and facets of technology in the arena of sales management has been steadily increasing over the past few decades as sales managers and industry seek to benefit from the multiple uses of technology. Large scale quantitative sales research itself in Ireland has been limited over the past 15 years and not since De Burca and Lambkin (1991) performed an analysis of the industry has there been any wide scale research in Ireland. This body of work seeks to follow on from De …

Technological Change Management Strategies In Asian Small-Scale Businesses: Trends In Singapore, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Based on survey data on the change management behavior of Chinese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore, the paper explores how small entrepreneurs are coping with the city-state's turbulent business environment, processes of technological advancement and accelerated change. Differences between so-called opportunistic entrepreneurs and small business ventures are examined. Conceptually, the paper is informed by theories of change management, strategic choice, entrepreneurship and Chinese business. Special emphasis is put on the identification of demographic characteristics of "technological change masters" in Singapore's small business sector so as to gain an understanding of both the dynamism and relative passivity of …

Tennis, Anyone? Lessons On Innovation In A Mature Industry, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Tennis qualifies as the oldest racquet sport in the world. Since 1874, little had changed until the 1970s when the wooden racquet was phased out, followed by a succession of cutting edge designs. How did the classic tennis racquet lend itself to being so thoroughly reinvented? Wharton management professor J.M. Pennings, together with Hann E Kim, professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in Korea, set out to find some answers.

Transforming A Region Into A Vibrant Entrepreneurial Economy: How To Create The Multiplier Effect, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Sankaran Venkataraman is business administration professor at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, and visiting professor of entrepreneurship and business at the Singapore Management University. At a recent seminar in Singapore, Venkataraman explored the question, “What does it take for a nascent entrepreneurial region to create the multiplier effect necessary to transform itself into a vibrant entrepreneurial economy?” In his view, institutional specialisation, division of labour, the architecture of entrepreneurial sub-systems and intangible cultures all play critical roles.

The Power Of Social Media: Only The Tip Of The Iceberg?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Social media is redefining the way people and companies around the world communicate with one another by dissolving geographical and cultural boundaries. Akanksha Goel, newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of Stuff Singapore -- a gadgets and technology lifestyle publication launched in the UK five years ago -- is a final-year marketing and corporate communication student at Singapore Management University. Goel talked to Knowledge@SMU about how social media compels us to rethink culture, and why companies should take advantage of these new channels to grow their businesses.

An Information Technology Therapy Approach To Micro-Enterprise Adoption Of Icts, Peter Wolcott, Sajda Qureshi, Mehruz Kamal

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has opened up new opportunities for micro-enterprises to improve their businesses. However the challenges to using ICTs are impeding these businesses from growing into the drivers for development that they can be. This suggests that a potentially important driver of development needs to be supported. This paper investigates the adoption of ICTs in eight micro-enterprises in an underserved community of Omaha, Nebraska. Following an action research study, this research provides insight into the key challenges and opportunities facing micro-enterprises in their use of ICTs to create value for their businesses. Its contribution …

Games People Play: Can Singapore Power-Up Fast Enough To Claim A Share Of The Bounty?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

According to PricewaterhouseCooper’s latest "Global Entertainment and Media Outlook" , the Asia Pacific region is projected to top overall global spending on video games over the next five years. In Singapore, the government invested half a billion Singapore dollars (US$325 million) in 2006 in the interactive digital media (IDM) services sector. Singapore Management University professor of management Ted Tschang has been paying especial attention to the gaming and related industries, sub-sectors of IDM. In an interview with Knowledge@SMU, Tschang discusses the role of global culture as a critical success factor, and Singapore’s efforts to get into the game.

Entrepreneurial Opportunities And Market Analysis Of The Information Technology And Software Development Sector Of Pakistan, Toshio Fujita, Hassan Tajuddin

Business Review

This study investigates the Information Technology and the Software Development sector of Pakistan. It discusses the reasons for the lack of trust in Pakistani IT companies and different problems faced by an entrepreneur starting an IT company in Pakistan. The data was analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The findings are discussed with reference to previous research, and implications for entrepreneurial setups are noted.

Going Organic In Singapore: Kemena Enterprise Ltd And The Uob-Smu Entrepreneurship Alliance, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

According to British business research company Organic Monitor, the market across Asia for organic food is set to hit US$1 billion this year. Singapore, too, has been swept up in this organic wave. Last year, the country’s share of the Asian organic food market reached US$40 million. Kemena, a two-year-old company which supplies a range of health products in Singapore, has become the first to introduce organic infant formula into the Singapore market. The company was recently involved with the United Overseas Bank (UOB)-SMU Entrepreneurship Alliance which provides funding for small and medium-sized enterprises to hire student consultants. Knowledge@SMU interviewed …

Learning How To Innovate: Standard Chartered Bank's Ilab@Smu Challenges Students To Bridge Technology And Business, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

"The future of banking is in Asia and the key driver is innovation," according to a statement from Standard Chartered Bank and the Singapore Management University, which together established an innovation centre -- the Standard Chartered iLab@SMU -- in early 2006. Students can work with iLab on projects where they are exposed to a corporate environment and issues relating to managing intellectual property. As an example, several students were recently given the challenge of investigating the viability of voice biometrics authentication technology at the bank. Knowledge@SMU interviewed both the students and bank executives for their views on how the process …

Employing Social Capital By Small & Medium Enterprises To Bear Fruit From Wireless Communications, Abdelnasser Abdelaal, Mehruz Kamal, Peter Wolcott

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Wireless and mobile communications can save Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) significant time, money, and effort due to the mobility, flexibility, and ease of use mobile devices provide. SMEs that use such innovations can improve productivity, decrease costs, and enhance the quality of the business process. Lacking technical skills and financial resources, SMEs need special support from local communities and governments in order to survive the severe competition of big chain stores. This paper proposes a model for SMEs to adopt new innovations—those of wireless communications—by employing social capital. We have used a case study approach to show that social …

Mike Mccue's Vision For The Convergence Of The Phone And The Web, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

When Mike McCue founded Tellme in 1999, its initial product was a voice-driven information service, what might be termed a "voice portal." Today, the company's voice-recognition systems power directory assistance services from AT&T, Verizon and Cingular along with automated 800-number customer help lines at companies like Merrill Lynch and Federal Express. But McCue still harbors dreams of a broader voice-driven web, one which will provide consumers with new ways of using the phone to interact with the universe of information. He discussed this vision, and others, during a recent interview with Knowledge@Wharton in Tellme's Mountain View, Calif., offices.

What's In A Name? For Apple, A Focus On The Digital Living Room, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Apple's name change from Apple Computer to Apple on January 9 highlights the company's new reality: CEO Steve Jobs' strategy today revolves around converged consumer devices much more than around personal computers. How successful will this new strategy be in the face of competition from Microsoft, Sony, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia and others who are looking to dominate the digital convergence domain?

Opportunity Missed: A Brief Look At Entrepreneurship In The U.S. And China, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

The promise or threat of China’s economy has fired the American imagination ever since the first Yankee clipper ship captains voyaged there in the 1780s. Whether perceived as a limitless market for American goods or as an intimidating rival, China is indeed a force to be reckoned with. At first glance, Reed Hundt’s In China’s Shadow is another in a recent spate of books probing the nature of China’s startling rise over the last 30 years. Yet Hundt, former chairman of the FCC during the presidency of Bill Clinton, has written a book whose subtitle is more indicative of his …

The Puzzle Of Insular Domains: A Longitudinal Study Of Knowledge Structuration And Innovation In Biotechnology Firms, Gerald George, Reddi Kotha, Yanfeng Zheng

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this study we explain the puzzle of insular domains: insular domains are niches where new innovation is built on the knowledge within the domain. Given the nature of knowledge needed for new innovation in an insular domain the puzzle is why do new firms enter these niches? In a longitudinal sample of 128 biotechnology start-ups founded from 1980 to 1999 we explain why start-ups enter insular domains and how the start-ups develop technology capabilities.

Netcore Ceo Rajesh Jain: 'In India, The Future Of The Internet Will Be Built Around The Mobile Phone', Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Seven years ago, Rajesh Jain ignited a dot-com storm in India when his portal, IndiaWorld, was sold to Sify, an Internet service provider, for $115 million. Today, he is CEO of Netcore, a Linux-based messaging software firm, and also maintains an active blog, emergic.org. Jain met with Knowledge@Wharton at his offices in Mumbai to discuss how mobile phones could hold the key to the Internet's evolution in India and other emerging economies.

Giving It Away : Free Technology Transfer To The Irish Sme Sector, Peter Kavanagh, Andy Maguire, James J. Casey

Articles

One of Europe’s major weaknesses lies in its inferiority in terms of transforming the results of technological research and skills into innovations and competitive advantages. (European Commission, 1995, p. 8.)

Technology transfer is a key aspect of economic development and research administration. These concerns are shared equally between academia and industry on both sides of the Atlantic. As technology is developed at a greater rate, concerns about the technology transfer will heighten. This article focuses on technology transfer in Ireland, particularly in the SME (Small and Medium size Enterprises, under 250 employees) sector. As the main Lisbon Objective has not …

Assessing The Success And Evaluating The Benefits Of Government-Sponsored Regional Internet-Trading Platforms For Small And Medium Enterprises: A Western Australian Perspective, Denise E. Gengatharen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Internet has been viewed as an opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to efficiently compete in the global arena with their larger counterparts by overcoming distance and size. However, research has shown that actual uptake of Internet e-commerce by SMEs has been lagging behind that of larger companies. Fearing a growing digital divide between large companies and SMEs, some governments have taken specific measures to encourage SME participation in ecommerce. One of the more direct government initiatives to hasten the progression of SMEs on the e-commerce adoption curve is the creation, sponsorship and management of regional Internet trading …

Created' Enclaves For Enterprise: An Empirical Study Of Singapore's Industrial Parks In Indonesia, Vietnam And China, Caroline Yeoh, Siang Yeung Wong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The dynamics of globalization have prompted governments to re-examine accustomed policies, and search for alternative strategies, in order to re-position their economies for the future. This paper explores the spatial context of state involvement in the new economics of competition, with the focus on Singapore's much publicized, and controversial, orchestration of its state enterprise network to encapsulate economic space for Singapore-based firms to expand into the Asian region. This strategic initiative is promulgated on the exportability of Singapore's æstate credibilityÆ, systemic and operational efficiencies, and technological competencies, to locations where these attributes are less certain. A logit model is applied …

Obesity, Educational Attainment, And State Economic Welfare, Martin W. Sivula Ph.D.

MBA Faculty Conference Papers & Journal Articles

For the first time in history, estimates of the overweight people in the world rival estimates of those malnourished. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) ranked obesity among the top 10 risks to human health worldwide. In the early 1960s, nearly half of the Americans were overweight and 13% were obese. Today some 64% of U.S. adults are overweight and 30.5% are obese. Even more alarming, twice as many U.S. children are overweight than were twenty years ago, a 66% increase. Non-communicable diseases impose a heavy economic burden on already strained health systems. Health is a key determinant of development …

Adequacy Of The 1995 Antitrust Guidelines For Ip Licensing: Commentaries From The 2002 Ftc And Doj Hearings, Clovia Hamilton

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

In 1995, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted new guidelines for the licensing of intellectual property rights without violating antitrust laws. The 1995 Antitrust Guidelines for the Licensing of Intellectual Property (IP Guidelines) state the antitrust enforcement policy of the DOJ and the FTC.1 The IP Guidelines drafted by the DOJ and FTC (the agencies) does not provide practitioners with a sufficient level of comfort as they attempt to predict the enforcement initiatives relative to intellectual property licensing.2 The IP Guidelines are inadequate because they misunderstand the nature of intellectual property markets and provide …

Notes From An ‘Intelligent Island’: Towards Strategic Knowledge Management In Singapore’S Small Business Sector, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay, Benjamin Loh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This essay outlines some of the benefits and challenges of implementing strategic knowledge management systems in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with reference to respective initiatives in the Republic of Singapore. The article addresses following research questions: What is knowledge management (KM) and why has it become an issue? How can SMEs benefit from strategic KM? What are the potential pitfalls of KM applications in small firms? What are the strategic imperatives of using KM in SMEs? Do small and large firms require different KM systems? What are the critical success factors which have to be considered during implementation? How …

University Technology Transfer And Economic Development: Proposed Cooperative Economic Development Agreements Under The Bayh Dole Act, Clovia Hamilton

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

Technology transfer enables private industry and academia to make practical use of advanced research, development, and technical expertise. Indeed, universities are a rich source of science and technology that can support local government and business development as well as economic growth. Thus, it is essential for research universities to transfer their wisdom to the public for its use and benefit. Today, universities operate in an economic climate that requires both capital and knowledge; takes advantage of government technology initiatives (namely the Bayh- Dole Act);' and serves as a catalyst for the creation of a large number of new, incubated companies. …

High-Tech Transportation Corridors Are In Vogue: Proposed Federal Transportation Policy Amendments, Clovia Hamilton

Winthrop Faculty and Staff Publications

When there is an economic downturn, cities are forced to develop a strategy to revitalize. Increasing the transfer of high technology into the marketplace stimulates the economy. High tech industries are industries that include relatively high percentages of scientific and technical workers, or industries that make relatively large expenditures in research and development. "[I]n difficult economic times, political stakeholders in the technology transfer process usually view success in economic impact terms, and often from short-term and parochial perspectives-how many jobs in my state next year?" Examples include the expansion of the suburban space economy in the 1980s that produced new …