Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What Drives The Value Of Financial Analysts’ Advice? The Role Of Earnings And Growth Forecasts, Ohad Kadan, Leonardo Madureira, Rong Wang, Tzachi Zach

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We offer a parsimonious index at the individual analyst level to measure the extent to which an analyst relies on earnings and long-term growth forecasts in producing her advice. Using this index, we evaluate the contribution of earnings and growth forecasts to the investment value of analysts’ stock recommendations. We find that the fraction of analysts’ advice attributed to forecasts varies considerably across analysts and sectors. The investment value of recommendations is higher for analysts who rely less on their forecasts and more on other sources of information when forming investment advice. Investors recognize the superiority of recommendations from analysts …

Revisiting The Design Of Selection Systems In Light Of New Findings Regarding The Validity Of Widely Used Predictors, Paul R. Sackett, Charlene Zhang, Christopher M. Berry, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Sackett et al. (2022) identified previously unnoticed flaws in the way range restriction corrections have been applied in prior meta-analyses of personnel selection tools. They offered revised estimates of operational validity, which are often quite different from the prior estimates. The present paper attempts to draw out the applied implications of that work. We aim to a) present a conceptual overview of the critique of prior approaches to correction, b) outline the implications of this new perspective for the relative validity of different predictors and for the tradeoff between validity and diversity in selection system design, c) highlight the need …

Geographic Distance And State's Grip: Information Asymmetry, State Inattention, And Firm Implementation Of State Policy, Xiyi Yang, Heli Wang, Xiaoyu Zhou

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this study, we develop the argument that geographic distance between the state and local governments undermines the state's capacity to influence the implementation of state policies by local organizations. Drawing from information economics and the attention-based view, we propose that physical distance reduces the state's monitoring effectiveness through two interrelated mechanisms: information asymmetry and state leaders' inattention to distant issues. Using data of Chinese public firms' implementation of environmental activities between 2008 and 2016, we find that firms conduct fewer environmental activities required by the state when they are regulated by local governments that are more geographically distant to …

Constrained By Localized Attention Focus: The Negative Effect Of Firm-Specific Knowledge On Exploratory Firm Innovation, Bilian Ni Sullivan, Kaixian Mao, Heli Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Integrating the resource-based view (RBV) and attention-based view (ABV), this study explores the impact of firm-specific knowledge (FSK) on a firm's exploratory innovation and the role of government support in this process. We argue that firms with a high degree of specificity in their knowledge assets tend to have a more localized attention focus, leading to those firms with less exposure to distant and diverse information and knowledge. Consequently, such firms are likely to have reduced exploratory innovative outputs. However, government resource support could expand a firm's attention focus beyond local searches, mitigating its negative effects. Based on a unique …

Not Getting Laid: Consumer Acceptance Of Precision Fermentation Made Egg, Oscar Z. Thomas, Mark Chong, Angela K. Y. Leung, Tricia M. Fernandex, Shu Tian Ng

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Mounting concern over the negative externalities of industrialized animal agriculture, coupled with falling cost curves of novel food technologies have birthed the field of cellular agriculture: a new category of food technology seeking to reproduce the sensory experiences of animal protein, and promising a cleaner, more ethical way of enjoying animal proteins. This research examines consumer acceptance of precision fermentation (PF) made egg products in Germany, Singapore, and the USA. Using an online survey of 3,006 participants, the study examines demographic and dietary traits that predict willingness to try such products and identifies the reasons why consumers are most attracted …

Leader-Expressed Humility: Development And Validation Of Scales Based On A Comprehensive Conceptualization, Kraivin Chintakananda, James M. Diefendorff, Burak Oc, Michael A. Daniels, Gary J. Greguras, Michael R. Bashshur

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We introduce new leader humility scales capturing a theoretically rich conceptualization of leader-expressed humility aligned with traditional and ethically-grounded philosophies. These scales draw from recent inductive research (Oc et al., 2015) identifying nine dimensions of leader-expressed humility: (1) having an accurate view of self, (2) recognizing follower strengths and achievements, (3) modeling teachability and being correctable, (4) leading by example, (5) showing modesty, (6) working together for the collective good, (7) empathy and approachability, (8) showing mutual respect and fairness, and (9) mentoring and coaching. The first three dimensions overlap with the most prominent conceptualization of leader-expressed humility in the …

Public Sentiments And The Influence Of Information-Seeking Preferences On Knowledge, Attitudes, Death Conversation And Receptiveness Towards Palliative Care: Results From A Nationwide Survey In Singapore, Su Lin Yeo, Raymond Han Lip Ng, Tan Ying Peh, May O. Lwin, Poh Heng Chong, Patricia Soek Hui Neo, Jamie Xuelian Zhou, Angel Lee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Background: Low awareness about palliative care among the global public and healthcare communities has been frequently cited as a persistent barrier to palliative care acceptance. Given that knowledge shapes attitudes and encourages receptiveness, it is critical to examine factors that influence the motivation to increase knowledge. Health information-seeking from individuals and media has been identified as a key factor, as the process of accessing and interpreting information to enhance knowledge has been shown to positively impact health behaviours. Objective: Our study aimed to uncover public sentiments toward palliative care in Singapore. A conceptual framework was additionally developed to investigate the …

The Cost Of Cheap Talk: How Campaign Promises And Default Contributions Affect Donation-Based Crowd Funding Success., Tianci Leon Qiu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Non-profit organisations (NPOs) find it increasingly harder to engage donors and raise funds from the public. Post-pandemic: the emphasis on tactics to raise funds online through donation-based crowdfunding (DCF) platforms has surged in importance for both NPO survival and continued beneficiary aid. However, unlike equity-based crowdfunding platforms where campaign organisers are obligated to provide investors with tangible returns based on funding milestones, NPOs on DCF platforms do not have to adhere to any funding milestones or are beholden to any tangible obligations towards donors. Consequently, NPOs are greatly incentivised to deploy cheap talk – non-binding, unverifiable messages and claims to …

Do Hacker Groups Pose A Risk To Organizations? Study On Financial Institutions Targeted By Hacktivists, Mikko Samuli Niemelae

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Publication date: 5 September 2023

In the digital era, technological progress has been shadowed by an escalation in cybersecurity threats, notably impacting the financial sector. This research critically examines the influence of hacktivist campaigns—particularly those led by groups like Anonymous—on the cyber exposure of financial services firms listed on the NYSE. Employing Synthetic Controls and analyzing 22 treated firms, the study found that such campaigns significantly enhance the target institutions' deep and dark web exposure, with an average increase of 65% per annum in the subsequent two years from the campaign initiation. Crucially, smaller firms display a heightened susceptibility to …

Mentor Holding Behaviours: The Role Of Supervisors And Effects On Protégés, Menzhong Gao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The concept of holding behaviours has emerged as a response to the paradox that arises when employees require support but organisations face challenges in providing it. In today’s workplaces, job demands and organisational uncertainty have escalated, rendering traditional, hierarchical support systems inadequate to alleviate anxiety. Holding environments offer a temporary safe space for employees to express emotions and cope with uncertainty and insecurity.

Despite the importance of holding behaviours in addressing self-reliance and support dilemmas, limited research has been conducted on their antecedents, consequences, mechanisms, and boundary conditions. To fill this gap, this study proposes a trickle-down model that integrates …

Smu Launches Two Innovative Sustainability Programmes – Postgraduate Master Of Sustainability And Undergraduate Second Major In Sustainable Societies, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

Singapore Management University (SMU) will launch a new Master of Sustainability (MST) (永续发展硕士课程) and a Second Major in Sustainable Societies (SSOC) (可持续社会第二主修) as part of a suite of sustainability courses and programmes to develop sustainability leaders and meet the needs of a green economy. The MST is jointly helmed by the School of Social Sciences (SOSS) and College of Integrative Studies (CIS), and SSOC is being offered by the School of Social Sciences as a second major available to all SMU undergraduates.

Singapore Resilience Study, Paulin T. Straughan, Grace Cheong, Wensi Lim, Rachel Ngu, Yan Er Tan, Yen Cong Wong

ROSA Research Briefs

This study was conducted in partnership with Income Insurance and ROSA to establish the baseline measurement of resilience in the Singapore population so as to provide the benchmark for future longitudinal studies and render visible the significance of resilience to well-being. In view of the COVID19 pandemic, notable emphasis has been placed on resilience as a vital quality to better prepare our population against future uncertainties and maintain well-being in spite of adversity. Through this study, a set of validated measures were developed to assess resilience levels across the four domains – mental, social, physical and financial resilience. The present …

Disrupting The Grid: Encountering Fire And Smoke Through Energy Infrastuctures, Deepti Chatti, Sayd Randle

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Experiences of fires are mediated by energy infrastructures and refracted through social inequality and difference. In California, a state marked by increasingly intense and frequent wildfires, the grid is a source of fire risk, with historically marginalized groups bearing the brunt of exposures to wildfire smoke. Drawing on research conducted by one of the co-authors in collaboration with California’s Karuk Tribe and Blue Lake Rancheria Tribes, this empirically grounded review article expands our understanding of grids. Extant scholarship presents the grid as a networked infrastructure mediating access to energy and one’s relationship to a collective and the state. We extend …

Interim Rationalizable Implementation Of Functions, Takashi Kunimoto, Rene Saran, Roberto Serrano

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper investigates rationalizable implementation of social choice functions (SCFs) in incomplete information environments. We identify weak interim rationalizable monotonicity (weak IRM) as a novel condition and show it to be a necessary and almost sufficient condition for rationalizable implementation. We show by means of robust examples that interim rationalizable monotonicity (IRM), found in the literature, is strictly stronger than weak IRM and that IRM is not necessary for rationalizable implementation, as had been previously claimed. These examples also demonstrate that Bayesian monotonicity, the key condition for full Bayesian implementation, is not necessary for rationalizable implementation. That is, rationalizable implementation …

Quantifying Taxi Drivers' Behaviors With Behavioral Game Theory, Mengyu Ji, Yuhong Xu, Shih-Fen Cheng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

With their flexibility and convenience, taxis play a vital role in urban transportation systems. Understanding how human drivers make decisions in a context of uncertainty and competition is crucial for taxi fleets that depend on drivers to provide their services. As part of this paper, we propose modeling taxi drivers’ behaviors based on behavioral game theory. Based on real-world data, we demonstrate that the behavioral game theory model we select is superior to state-of-the-art baselines. These results provide a solid foundation for improving taxi fleet efficiency in the future.

Merit Transference And The Paradox Of Merit Inflation, Matthew Hammerton

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Many religious traditions and ethical systems hold that individuals accrue merit through their good intentions, acts, and character, and demerit through their bad intentions, acts, and character. This merit and demerit, accumulated by individuals throughout their lives, gives each person a kind of ethical “score” that can determine what they deserve, and influence whether good or bad things happen to them (e.g., divine punishments and rewards, a favourable or unfavourable rebirth, etc.). In some traditions (most notably Buddhism, but also to a limited extent in Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity), “merit transference” is a feature of these merit-based ethical systems. This …

Producers’ Transition To Alternative Food Practices In Rural China: Social Mobilization And Cultural Reconstruction In The Formation Of Alternative Economies, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The shift from the conventional agri-food system to alternative practices is a challenging transition for agricultural producers, yet surprisingly under-studied. Little research has examined the social and cultural processes in rural communities that mobilize producers and construct and sustain producer-driven alternative food networks (AFNs). For AFNs to go beyond just offering “alternative foods” or “alternative networks” and to be constructed as “alternative economies”, this transformation in the producer community is indispensable. This paper presents a case study of a rural cooperative in Shanxi, China. The discontent with both productivist agriculture and the social decay in communities motivated a group of …

Gain-Loss Domain And Social Value Orientation As Determinants Of Risk Allocation Decisions, Ming-Hong Tsai, Verlin B. Hinsz

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

People often make less risky decisions for themselves than others. We examined how people allocated risks (i.e., determining the ratio of uncertain outcomes to certain outcomes) between themselves and others. We also investigated gain (vs. loss) domain and social value orientation as predictors of risk allocations. The results of three experiments demonstrated that participants were more likely to share their risks equally between themselves and others than distribute risk unequally. In the gain (vs. loss) domain, participants allocated fewer risks to themselves and more risks to the other person for unequal risk allocations. Compared to proselfs, prosocials were more likely …

Princely Adventures In The Sulalat Al-Salatin (The Genealogy Of Kings), Emily Soon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Demographic Structure And Voting Behaviour During Democratization: Evidence From Malaysia's 2022 Election, Sebastian Carl Dettman, Thomas B. Pepinsky

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Malaysia’s fifteenth general election (GE15) was a milestone in the country’s democratization process, with new parties and political movements competing with established political coalitions. In this paper, we investigate how Malaysia’s cleavage structure—a central feature of Malaysia’s prior authoritarian regime—shapes electoral competition in a newly competitive political environment. We find that the “race paradigm” (Milner, Embong, and Tham 2014) remains central to explaining party strategy and coalition behavior in GE15, but that more democratic competition has increased the salience of regional differences—both between peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, and within peninsular Malaysia itself. Our analysis reveals the structural foundations of …

University‐Industry Collaboration In Project‐Based Learning: Perspective And Motivation Of Industry Partners, Gary Pan, Poh Sun Seow, Shankararaman, Venky, Kevin Koh

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Extant research has examined the essence of university-industry partnership from the university’s perspective. However, little is known about managing such partnership from an industry partner’s perspective. Understanding industry partner’s perspective is important as it may help the university to better manage the collaboration process, while keeping the focus on providing students with a positive project-based learning (PBL) experience. This study surveyed 33 industry partners to examine university-industry partnerships in a PBL setting from an industry partner’s perspective. The results show that project output needs to cater to the actual need, requirement, and expectation of the industry partner. Also, there must …

How To Understand China's Approach To Central Bank Digital Currency?, Heng Wang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

China's central bank digital currency (CBDC), digital yuan or e-CNY, is likely to profoundly affect the international financial system. China's CBDC is fast evolving. Understanding the influencing factors of China's CBDC will likely be crucial to explore its future direction. Major influencing factors include (i) China's perception and conception of regulation and technology, (ii) complementarity between China's preferences and CBDC development, (iii) domestic and international legitimacy, and (iv) institutional development. This paper argues that these influencing factors contribute to China's likely approach of selectively reshaping the international financial system. Given the potential wide-ranging implications of the introduction of CBDC globally, …

Reconsidering The Imposition Of Dual Vicarious Liability In The Borrowed Employee Context: The Singapore Approach In Munshi Mohammad Faiz V Interpro Construction Pte Ltd [2021] 4 Slr 1371 And Hwa Aik Engineering Pte Ltd V Munshi Mohammad [2021] 1 Slr 1288, Danny Ong, Aaron Yoong, Louis Yi Hang Lau

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The limits of the law on dual vicarious liability were recently tested in the decisions of Munshi Mohammad Faiz v Interpro Construction Pte Ltd [2021] 4 SLR 1371 and Hwa Aik Engineering Pte Ltd v Munshi Mohammad [2021] 1 SLR 1288, both before the General and Appellate divisions of the High Court. Against the backdrop of these decisions, this case note argues that the approach laid down by the High Court may go some ways in resolving the tension and assist in settling the perennial question of the role of control in dual vicarious liability. In particular, it is argued …

Escape From The Hangman's Noose? Singapore's Discretionary Death Penalty For Drug Traffickers, Wing Cheong Chan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

After nearly fifty years of the mandatory death penalty for drug offences, Singapore amended its law in 2012 to give judges a choice in certain situations to impose a sentence of death or life imprisonment instead. However, this change should not be misunderstood as an alteration in Singapore’s zero-tolerance approach towards illegal drugs. Escaping the mandatory death penalty regime under the new law requires fulfilment of strict conditions. This article reviews the exceptional circumstances that are required before judges are given the discretion to impose the death penalty or not and the application of the new law by the Singapore …

Effect Of Amended Claim On A Warrant Of Arrest In An Admiralty Action In Rem, Ming En Tor

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Suppose I have filed my statement of claim endorsing the writ in rem, and the Registrar has issued a warrant of arrest reflecting this claim. I then proceed to execute a warrant of arrest to arrest a vessel. Now, suppose, however, I later discover that the original claim stated in the warrant of arrest does not exist. I then substitute the original claim with a completely different claim altogether. Can the warrant of arrest be upheld based on the amended claim and/or cause of action, even if it was not so pleaded initially when the action in rem commenced? This …

"Sissy That Walk”: The Queer Kinaesthetics Of Mobility-Through-Difference, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article advances the idea of ‘queer kinaesthetics’ to show how moving through difference can enable disaggregated individuals to realize a new sense of becoming. Doing so involves rejecting the categories of identity that lead to disaggregation in the first place, and reorienting the self by developing a distinctly and radically (dis) embodied subject position. I illustrate these ideas by exploring the queer kinaesthetics of drag. Drag is most commonly associated with queer, cisgender males embodying otherness in order to come to terms with the disaggregation that many experience in heteronormative society, and through the heterological norms of representation. By …

Acceptance Of Communication Technology, Emotional Support And Subjective Well-Being For Chinese Older Adults Living Alone During Covid-19: A Moderated Mediation Model, Ze Ling Nai, Woan Shin Tan, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Stringent social distancing measures implemented to control the spread of COVID-19 affected older adults living alone by limiting their social interaction beyond their households. During these restrictions, interactions beyond the household could be facilitated by communication technology (CT) such as voice calls, instant messages. Our study provides evidence on how CT acceptance could influence the emotional support and in turn, subjective well-being (SWB) of older adults living alone. We did a cross-sectional survey with 293 community-dwelling Chinese older adults. Participants were surveyed from September to November 2020 and had completed measures on CT acceptance (competency), emotional support, and SWB. PROCESS …

Understanding Multi-Homing And Switching By Platform Drivers, Xiaotong Guo, Andreas Haupt, Hai Wang, Rida Qadri, Jinhua Zhao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Freelance drivers in the shared mobility market frequently switch or work for multiple platforms, affecting driver labor supply. Due to the importance of driver labor supply for the shared mobility market, understanding drivers’ switching and multi-homing behavior is vital to managing service quality on – and effective regulation of – mobility platforms. However, a lack of individual-level data on driver behavior has thus far impeded a deeper understanding. This paper taxonomizes and estimates perceived switching and multi-homing frictions on mobility platforms. Based on a structural model of driver labor supply, we estimate switching and multi-homing costs in a platform duopoly …

The Power Of Identity Cues In Text-Based Customer Service: Evidence From Twitter, Yang Gao, Huaxia Rui, Shujing Sun

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Text-based customer service is emerging as an important channel through which companies can assist customers. However, the use of few identity cues may cause customers to feel limited social presence and even suspect the human identity of agents, especially in the current age of advanced algorithms. Does such a lack of social presence affect service interactions? We studied this timely question by evaluating the impact of customers’ perceived social presence on service outcomes and customers’ attitudes toward agents. Our identification strategy hinged on Southwest Airlines’ sudden requirement to include a first name in response to service requests on Twitter, which …

Advancing And Championing Research: Research Librarians At Smu Libraries, Lip Hwee Tee, Benedict Yeo, Redzuan Abdullah

Research Collection Library

The presenters discuss the critical value that research librarians bring to the research ecosystem of a university. This overview highlights key responsibilities and functions undertaken by research librarians. In their muti-faceted contributions, research librarians provide well-rounded support to the university, across all user segments, in areas of education and research.

Further to that, Research Librarians lead or contribute as key members to strategic developments and service innovations. These include the development of a systematic literature review support service, setup and expansion of an Investment and Data Studio, and research support in SMU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.