Strategic Management Policy Commons^™

Optimal Control For Transboundary Pollution Under Ecological Compensation: A Stochastic Differential Game Approach, Ke Jiang, Ryan Knowles Merrill, Daming You, Pan Pan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

To account for previously ignored, yet widely observed uncertainty in nature's capability to replenish the natural environment in ways that should inform ideal design of ecological compensation (EC) regimes, this study constructs a stochastic differential game (SDG) model to analyze transboundary pollution control options between a compensating and compensated region. Equilibrium strategies in the stochastic, two player game inform optimal control theory and reveal a welfare distribution mechanism to form the basis of an improved cooperative game contract. A case-based numerical example serves to verify the theoretical results and supports three key insights. First, accounting for various random disturbance factors, …

2019 Asia Insights: Building A Great Place To Work For All: The Untapped Power Of Gender Diversity In Asia, Richard Raymond Smith, Evelyn Kwek, Tyler Thorpe

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Through this study, we hope to increase understanding of the context, considerations and practices to leverage the amazing diversity of our region. We hope to learn more about what makes a strong workplace culture, particularly in Asia. We turn our attention to the topic of diversity and inclusion, with a focus on gender diversity in the Asian workplace. This is one of the largest studies in Asia to highlight gender differences and evaluate how psychological safety, inclusion and belonging result in strong teamwork which in turn contributes to building high performing great workplaces.

Dare To Be Different? Conformity Versus Differentiation In Corporate Social Activities Of Chinese Firms And Market Responses, Yanlong Zhang, Heli Wang, Xiaoyu Zhou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Building on the literature on optimal distinctiveness, this study explores the effects of conformity and differentiation in corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on the evaluations by security analysts and the responses of the financial market in general. We develop the argument that while conformity in CSR scope enhances analyst coverage, differentiation in CSR emphasis leads to more-favorable analyst recommendations and higher market value. This suggests that firms may be able to simultaneously conform in CSR scope and differentiate in CSR emphasis to achieve optimal distinctiveness. To further enhance our understanding of the variation in the relationship between conformity/differentiation and the …

Implementation Of A Multi-Agent Environmental Regulation Strategy Under Chinese Fiscal Decentralization: An Evolutionary Game Theoretical Approach, Ke Jiang, Daming You, Ryan Knowles Merrill, Zhendong Li

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Evolutionary game theory (EGT) provides a powerful tool with which to unpack the interactive strategies of polluting enterprises (PEs), local government regulators (LG), and central government planners (CG) in China. Here, the prevailing institutional system of fiscal decentralization sees regulatory mandates set by the CG and enforced at the LG level. This delegation shapes managers' incentives when deciding the degree to which firms will incur costs to reduce pollution and comply with state directives. Manager's choice sets draw shape from decisions at the LG level, where regulators balance the pursuit of environmental quality with the economic payoffs of tacit collusion …

The Impact Of An Electrical Mini-Grid On The Development Of A Rural Community In Kenya, Abubakr Bahaj, Luke Blunden, Christopher Kanani, Patrick James, Issac Kiva, Zoe Matthews, Heather Price, Hildah Essendi, Jane Ealkingham, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Electrical mini-grids can provide electrification to rural communities far from the national network. However the benefits of such schemes are disputed. We observed changes in two matched trading-centres in Makueni County, Kenya, neither of which were initially electrified. During the study a solar photovoltaic mini-grid scheme (13.5 kWp) was constructed in one of the trading-centres. After electrification there were relative increases in the number of businesses and business income. Comparing the households in the areas around the trading centres, perceived wealth increased more around the electrified trading centre. Qualitative interviews indicated improvements in service provision by the local school and …

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

Sustainable Digital Finance In Asia: Creating Environmental Impact Through Bank Transformation, Ryan Knowles Merrill, Simon J.D. Schillebeeckx, Sofie Blakstad

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Data is arguably the most valuable resource in the digital economy. Used effectively and responsibly it has the potential to serve as a driving force in creating a more sustainable world. The potential is especially potent in the financial sector given its central place in the financial system, and its access to and use of data.Using technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), mobile technology, internet of things (IoT), and the cloud, data can be captured by sensors in the environment and structured to integrate sustainability into existing financial products and services. These can be creatively combined into entirely new …

Terrorism In The Middle East: Implications On Egyptian Travel And Tourism, Tamer Z.F Mohamed, Tamer S. Elseyoufi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper attempts to shed the light on challenging issues affecting travel and tourism industry especially in the Middle East such as political, socio-economic and security instability. Due to its geopolitical and historical importance, the paper focuses on the situation in Egypt as a descriptive case study. The methodology relies on historical review and impact assessment to understand the roots and extended branches of instability in the Middle East that led to the Arab Spring, by focusing on the Egyptian case in the last half century. The assessment explains the negative effect of Western and Egyptian policy on extending the …

The Transformation Of Globe Telecom, Havovi Joshi, Christopher Dula, Philip Zerrillo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Redefining telecommunications in the Philippines. Globe Telecom—a major telecommunications service provider in the Philippines—had a long, pioneering history in the communications business. Incorporated in 1935, it was the first international wireless communications company connecting the Philippines to the rest of the world.

Strategic Sequential Bidding For Government Land Auction Sales – Evidence From Singapore, Sumit Agarwal, Jing Li, Ernie Teo, Alan Cheong

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper studies the extent to which equilibrium auction prices are pushed up sequentially due to strategic bidding behaviors in government land auction sales. Using a unique dataset that covers the universe of tendering prices submitted by all developers for all residential land auction sales in Singapore, we find that a tenderer’s bids are significantly higher where there was a previous land parcel sold within two years and located within four kilometers. The elevated price margin decreases with time and geographic distance. Tracking sequential bids submitted by same developers over time, we find that the incumbent winner of a previous …

Creating A Great Workplace For All Singapore: First Steps For Business Leaders, Richard R. Smith, Benjamin Ho

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In a highly competitive business world, the pressure for bottom-line results can be intense – sometimes at the expense of a positive workplace environment. Yet, it seems there are organizations that not only do well, but also have people who trust their leaders, possess deep pride in their work and organizations, and take genuine pleasure in working with their colleagues.

Ndoto Au Ota: Jifundishe's Strategic Planning Process: A Case Study Of An Appreciative Approach To The Strategic Planning Process For A Small Ngo, Margaret Bearor

Capstone Collection

In January 2017, Jifundishe, a small, local nonprofit organization based in Ngongongare, Tanzania undertook its first strategic planning process. I was asked to design and lead this initiative for the organization, finding a way to introduce tools and resources so that they, or a similar organization, could replicate the process in the future. To better reflect the values, culture, and constraints of Jifundishe, the methodology selected to drive the process was Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI is a change model focused on strengths, and an appreciative strategic plan looks to take the best of what you already have and work to …

Rent Appropriation Of Knowledge-Based Assets And Firm Performance When Institutions Are Weak: A Study Of Chinese Publicly Listed Firms, Cuili Qian, Heli Wang, Xuesong Geng, Yangxin Yu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A firm's strategic investments in knowledge-based assets through research and development (R&D) can generate economic rents for the firm, and thus are expected to affect positively a firm's financial performance. However, weak protection of minority shareholders, weak property rights, and ineffective law enforcement can allow those rents to be appropriated disproportionately by a firm's powerful insiders such as large owners and top managers. Recent data on Chinese publicly listed firms during 2007-2012 were used to demonstrate that the expected positive relationship between knowledge assets and performance is weaker in transition economies when a firm's ownership is highly concentrated and its …

The Evolution Of Ownership Structure In Japanese Firms (1962-2012), Jungwook Shim, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this chapter, we investigate the evolution of ownership structure and corporate governance in Japanese firms based on the entire population of listed firms from 1962 to 2012.

China Business At A Crossroads: Institutions, Innovation, And International Competitiveness, Joseph L. C. Cheng, Daphne W. Yiu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As the world's fastest growing economy with over a billion population, China is a country that the world needs to know more about in order to understand and anticipate her global and regional impact. Toward this end, the current special issue seeks to advance knowledge about the changing institutions in China and their impact on China business from both the perspectives of foreign firms investing in China and Chinese firms expanding internationally. Four articles selected from a pool of over 50 submissions are presented here, each covering one or more of the country's changing economic, political, and technological institutions. Collectively, …

Contingent Value Of Director Identification: The Role Of Government Directors In Monitoring And Resource Provision In An Emerging Economy, Hongjin Zhu, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Although previous studies have explored the value of government directors, less attention has been directed at the antecedents of government directors' engagement in value-adding activities, such as managerial monitoring and resource provision. Drawing on social identity theory, we offer a novel model that specifies how a government director's dual identifications with the focal firm, and with the government individually and interactively affect his or her governance behavior. An investigation of government directors in China shows that their identification with the focal firm enhances monitoring and resource provision, while their identification with the government affects monitoring and resource provision differently. depending …

International Trade Effects Of Regional Economic Integration In Africa: The Case Of The Southern African Development Community (Sadc), Mengesha Yayo, Sisay Asefa

International Journal of African Development

Empirical studies on regional economic integration process in Africa exhibit sluggish progress, and there by limited level of intra-trade. The existing literature in Africa, particularly in the Southern African regional integration bloc, has neglected the effects of regional economic integration dealing with disaggregated data. This study analyzes trade creation and diversion effects of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) using disaggregated data. The investigation estimates an augmented gravity model using panel data and random effect estimator methods applying instrumental variables where needed.

The results show that intra-SADC trade is growing in the fuel and minerals and the heavy manufacturing sectors …

Thinking Through The Meteoric Rise Of Middle-East Carriers From Singapore Airlines' Vantage Point, Terence P. C. Fan, Mats Lingblad

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The rise of Middle East carriers in the past decade has been nothing less than meteoric. Based on the notion of generic strategy, we analysed the potential for competitors of the leading Middle East carriers to respond in terms of market scope and product characteristics, using Singapore Airlines as a reference. We found that it was generally difficult for Singapore Airlines to compete in terms of market scope, and thus it should concentrate on offering different degrees of differentiation in its products. While the latest small, long-haul aircraft could help increase Singapore Airlines' market scope, this impact would be marginal …

Leveraging Foreign Institutional Logic In The Adoption Of Stock Option Pay Among Japanese Firms, Xuesong Geng, Toru Yoshikawa, Asli M. Colpan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We investigate why Japanese firms have adopted executive stock option pay, which was developed with shareholder-oriented institutional logic that was inconsistent with Japanese stakeholder-oriented institutional logic. We argue that Japanese managers have self-serving incentives to leverage stock ownership of foreign investors and their associated institutional logic to legitimize the adoption of stock option pay. Our empirical analyses with a large sample of Japanese firms between 1997 and 2007 show that when managers have elite education, high pay inequality with ordinary employees, and when firms experience poor sales growth, foreign ownership is more likely associated with the adoption of stock option …

Inter-Generational Transitions Of Family Businesses Using Private Equity: Lessons For China And Australia From Chinese Family-Owned Enterprises In Singapore, Pi Shen Seet, Christopher Graves, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This chapter aims to address some of these research gaps by looking at family-owned SMEs (SMFEs). In particular, it examines the considerations of Chinese SMFES in Singapore when they engage with the private equity (PE) sector as part of the overall capital-raising and harvest strategy.

An Acculturation Program For Foreign-Born Workers At Multinational Companies Transferred To Offices In The United States, Eric Krieger

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study is to create an acculturation program that multinational companies can use to ease the transition of foreign-born employees who are transferred to the United States. There are a number of challenges for these employees, from navigating the logistics of finding a place to live, setting up a bank account and filling out taxes to the social emotional issues of trying to adapt to another culture, build community and be successful in a new work environment. Through interviews with foreign-born employees, Human Resources professionals, and intercultural trainers, qualitative and quantitative data was collected to understand current …

Bringing Africa In: Promising Directions For Management Research, Gerard George, Christopher Corbishley, Jane N. O. Khayesi, Martine R. Haas, Laszlo Tihanyi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Africa is beginning to capture the imagination of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and scholars as an emerging market of new growth opportunities. Over 15 years, the continent has experienced an average growth rate of 5% (World Economic Forum, 2015: v). Out of its 54 countries, 26 have achieved middle-income status, while the proportion of those living in extreme poverty has fallen from 51% in 2005 to 42% in 2014 (African Development Bank, 2014a: 49). Although there are regional differences, the primary drivers of growth have been rapidly emerging consumer markets, regional economic integration, investment in infrastructure, technological leap-frogging, and the opening …

Muddling Through Or Knee Deep In The Big Muddy?, Howard Thomas

Asian Management Insights

A widening gulf between thepractice of managementand academic organisationscharacterises the stateof affairs in business schools today.

Rinse, But No Need To Repeat, Srinivas K. Reddy

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Unilever promotes water sustainability through product innovation. By October 2007, it had become apparent that competition in the laundry products segment in Vietnam was heating up rapidly. Huyen Bui, the senior brand manager for Comfort at Unilever Vietnam, was contemplating how to stay ahead of long-time rival, Procter & Gamble (P&G), in terms of market share. In April 2007, Unilever launched Comfort One Rinse, a fabric conditioner designed to reduce water use in hand-washed laundry by 66 percent. Six months later, P&G responded by launching Downy One Rinse, a nearly identical product.

Family Ownership And R&D Investment: The Role Of Growth Opportunities And Business Group Membership, Young Rok Choi, Shaker A. Zahra, Toru Yoshikawa, Bong H. Han

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examines whether the influence of family ownership on R&D investment varies depending on growth opportunities and business group membership. Using data on Korean firms over ten years (1998-2007), the study shows that family ownership is negatively related to R&D investment, but the relationship becomes positive when growth opportunities are present. The moderating effect, however, differs between independent family firms and family business groups. The positive influence that growth opportunities have on promoting R&D investment is diminished for affiliates of family business groups. These findings imply that family owners invest more in R&D when their family control goals are …

Institutional Change Versus Resilience: A Study Of An Incorporation Of Independent Directors In Singapore Banks, Lai Si Tsui-Auch, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We examine how Anglo-American capital market logic penetrated into Singapore where relational logic tends to guide business activities and illustrate how domestic banks reacted to this imported logic in the corporate governance field. We argue that the banks’ ability to accommodate competing logics was enhanced by state agencies’ willingness to modify Anglo-American standards to fit the local context. Given the resulting institutional ambiguities in rules, local banks, while incorporating higher outside representation on their boards, reinterpreted the meaning of independence and emphasized the resource provision role rather than the monitoring function of outside directors. The resultant institutional change has been …

West Meets East: New Concepts And Theories, Harry G. Barkema, Xiao-Ping Chen, Gerard George, Yadong Luo, Anne S. Tsui

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Management scholarship has grown tremendously over the past 60 years. Most of our paradigms originated from North America in the 1950s to the 1980s, inspired by the empirical phenomena and cultural, philosophical, and research traditions of the time. Here following, we highlight the contextual differences between the East and the West in terms of institutions, philosophies, and cultural values and how they are manifest in contemporary management practices. Inspired by theory development in management studies over time, we offer insights into the conditions facilitating new theories, and how these might apply to emergent theories from the East. We discuss the …

Expanding Context To Redefine Theories: Africa In Management Research, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

As a scholarly field matures, theories emerge that guide paradigms and shape consensus in academic discourse. Management theories reflect a shared consensus on how individual behaviors or organizational actions result in a certain set of outcomes and under specific conditions. Clearly, theory is paramount to guiding whether models of potential relationships bear out and how and why we would expect a relationship or specific outcome. Yet much of this theory is derived from cumulative empirical evidence from a ‘context’ that has remained a silent partner in our quest for a theoretical contribution. A growing number of papers emphasize the theoretical …

How Product Attributes Influence Internationalization: A Framework Of Domain- And Culture-Specificity, Terence P. C. Fan, Alex Tai Loong Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper introduces two important dimensions of product attributes in the context of internationalization: domain- and culture-specificity. Products can be high or low in domain- or culture-specificity, thereby being one of four broad categories in a two-by-two matrix. This framework of product attributes helps explain a series of gradations on how cultural difference influences the difficulty of selling a product internationally. By examining four cases, one from each of these categories, this paper shows that different product attributes affect the difficulty or ease with which the products of these firms were internationalized. While all four cases were able to derive …

Kinship In Entrepreneur Networks: Performance Effects Of Resource Assembly In Africa, Jane N. O. Khayesi, Gerard George, John Antonakis

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We examine the relationship among structural social capital, resource assembly, and firm performance of entrepreneurs in Africa. We posit that social capital primarily composed of kinship or family ties helps the entrepreneur to raise resources, but it does so at a cost. Using data drawn from small firms in Kampala, Uganda, we explore how shared identity among the entrepreneur's social network moderates the relationship between social capital and outcomes. A large network contributed a higher quantity of resources raised, but at a higher cost when shared identity was high. We discuss the implications of these findings for the role of …