Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

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.

After The Tigers: Building A Competitive Citizen Sector, Chris Cusano

Social Space

The citizen sector is a new, yet fundamental idea that underpins the modern phenomenon of social entrepreneurship. Chris Cusano describes how the sector is taking shape and the challenges it faces.

The Role Of The Board And Its Interaction With The Successor's Human Capital In The Asian Family Enterprise, Soo-Hoon Lee, Phillip H. Phan, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examined the human and social capital factors associated with higher post-succession firm performance in family enterprises in Singapore. We also investigated the moderating influence of the board of directors in terms of its service role as stewards of the enterprise. We found that a successor's industry experience and diversity of network ties were positively associated with firm performance and boards that focused their role as advisors to the successor enhanced post-succession firm performance.

When Asian Small And Medium-Sized Family Firms Spread Their Wings, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

Corporate Entrepreneurship As Resource Capital Configuration In Emerging Market Firms, Daphne W. Yiu, Chung-Ming Lau

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Network-based resource capital such as political capital, social capital, and reputational capital are critical in providing firms with special access to various resources and legitimacy in emerging markets. However, how these generic nonmarket forms of capital are transformed into value-adding, industry-specific, and firm-specific uses, which subsequently enhance firm competitiveness, remained unanswered. Adopting a dynamic capability approach, this paper posits that corporate entrepreneurship performs a unique role of resource capital configuration and transformation in emerging market firms by continuously renewing firm competences so that congruence with the changing environment can be achieved. Building on this conceptualization, we argue that the positive …

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.

The Effects Of Entrepreneurial Growth Orientation On Organizational Change And Firm Growth, Wee Liang Tan, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Managing growth in an enterprise as it grows beyond the startup phase is a challenge for many entrepreneurs. One key element that can help or hinder growth is the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial growth has been linked to micro variables (motivations and psychological attributes of the entrepreneur) and macro variables. However, few studies have examined the role of the growth aspirations of the entrepreneur on the necessary elements of organization change related to growth.

This paper reports a study employing a typology of entrepreneurs based on their growth aspirations using an established dichotomous scale devised by Smith to differentiate between what he …

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.

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.

Entrepreneurship As A Wealth Creation And Value-Adding Process, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The author reflects on the development of the meaning of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is the process of doing something different and new to develop wealth for individual and adding value of the society. He emphasizes that the domain of the entrepreneurship is not only limited to business arena. He adds that its spectrum has also covered the scope of activities of several institutions and organizations.

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 …

Incorporating Learning Through Doing In Entrepreneurship Education: The Case Of An University Industry Alliance In Asia, Wee Liang Tan, David B. Montgomery

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

With the developments in Asia, there is little doubt that entrepreneurship education would make it way across from the West to Asia. However, the form and manner it takes may differ because of the context and the definition of entrepreneurship adopted. With the differences in Asia and development of entrepreneurship policies adopted by the Asian policymakers, entrepreneurship education has variations across Asia. This paper outlines one such development in a new university in Singapore, involving the university with an industry alliance.

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.

Managing Change In Asian Business: A Comparison Between Chinese Educated And English Educated Chinese Entrepreneurs In Singapore, Thomas Menkhoff, Ulrike Badibanga, Yue Wah Chay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Against the background of the current rapidly changing business environment, the article examines the organizational change management behaviour of the owner-managers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore. The analysis of survey data is aimed at ascertaining whether there are any differences between Chinese and English educated small (ethnic Chinese) businessmen in terms of Change Management (CM), a dichotomy that is of great historical and politico-cultural significance in Singapore. The survey data show that there are indeed differences between the subgroups (eg with regard to the initiation of a more participatory people management style) but these variations turned …

The Evolution Of The Disclosure Regime In Singapore, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

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.

Optimal Order Quantities With Remanufacturing Across New Product Generations, Shantanu Bhattacharya, V Daniel R. Guide, Luk N. Van Wassenhove

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We address the problem of determining the optimal retailer order quantities from a manufacturer who makes new products in conjunction with ordering remanufactured products from a remanufacturer using used and unsold products from the previous product generation. Specifically, we determine the optimal order quantity by the retailer for four systems of decision-making: (a) the three firms make their decisions in a coordinated fashion, (b) the retailer acts independently while the manufacturer and remanufacturer coordinate their decisions, (c) the remanufacturer acts independently while the retailer and manufacturer coordinate their decisions, and (d) all three firms act independently. We model the four …

Partnering Strategies And Performance Of Smes' International Joint Ventures, Jane Wenzhen Lu, Paul W. Beamish

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The international joint venture (IJV) is an important mode in the internationalization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Internationalization in turn is an entrepreneurial behavior in the pursuit of growth. Partnering strategies in the formation of IJVs can have significant effects on the outcome of SMEs' international expansion. In this study, we examine the performance implications of two types of resources contributed by SMEs' IJV partners, host country knowledge and size-based resources. We develop and test three sets of hypotheses about the longevity and financial performance of a sample of 1117 international joint ventures established in 43 countries by 614 …

Where Should The Action Be - Inside The Classroom Or Outside The Classroom? A Comparison Of The Action-Learning Outcomes In Singapore, China, Korea, New Zealand And Australia, Jens Mueller, Wee Liang Tan, Hanjun Hu, John Thornton

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

Change Leadership In Small Enterprises: Evidence From Singapore, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Leading change processes in an enterprise is a challenge for many entrepreneurs. Numerous elements influence the outcomes of such transformation processes, including the adopted change leadership style, the implementation skills of the entrepreneur, the particular scenario of change in terms of urgency of change and resistance, the scale of change as well as macro variables. This article sheds light on the change leadership approaches of small Chinese entrepreneurs in Singapore. It aims at examining widespread common-sense assumptions that æAsianÆ small entrepreneurs adopt mostly directive-coercive (autocratic) change leadership approaches. We argue that there is indeed a great diversity and heterogeneity amongst …

The Systematic Nature Of Serendipity In Opportunity Discovery: Implications For The Theory Of Entrepreneurship, Reddi Kotha, Dimo Dimov, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper endeavors to disentangle search from serendipity in discoveries of new opportunities. Whereas economic models focus on active search and the tradeoff between its costs and benefits, the Austrian economic tradition posits that individuals do not search for opportunities; it is their alertness that helps them to profit from arbitrage opportunities from the imperfect decisions of others. Further, their alertness reflects their unique prior experience. Yet, despite the intuitive soundness of these ideas, some recent experimental empirical work to test them has highlighted the need for stronger theoretical precision. Are serendipitous solutions better than active search solutions? Can serendipitous …

Social In Social Entrepreneurship: Altruism And Entrepreneurship, Partners In Social Entrepreneurship, Wee Liang Tan, John Joseph Williams, Teck Meng Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.