Stories from the LKCSB Community

From the glass-clad boardrooms of corporate powerhouses to the verdant campus of SMU, Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) Adjunct Faculty Nina Tan's journey is one of drive, curiosity, and tenacity.

Following an illustrious career in the corporate world, Dr Tan pursued her PhD in Business Management at SMU — delving into Business Management, Leadership and Organisation Behaviours, and Human Resources.

As demographics shift, and services transform, how are businesses meeting the needs of their customers? As Chen Yongchang, SMU PhD candidate in Business (General Management) discovered, seniors are less satisfied than younger customers, and going digital is not always ideal in keeping customers satisfied and loyal.

Is balancing ESG values with revenue generation is an insurmountable challenge? In SMU PhD in Business (General Management) candidate Tianni Xie (Tracy), she proposes that firms are more likely to achieve superior environmental and economic performance (E2) performance by engaging innovation that integrates environmental goal with economic goal, and by making deliberate decisions along the innovation process to achieve both goals.

We speak with Tan Hwee Hoon, SMU LKCSB Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources., whose research interests include Interpersonal Trust in Organisations, on what workplace transparency means during the pandemic and the ways in which companies can cultivate a culture of candour and openness.

"When the top two economic superpowers lock horns in a trade scenario, there will be repercussions felt globally," notes Jonathan Chee, a Doctor of Philosophy in Business (General Management) Graduate at the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business.

What’s in a name? Sometimes, it can clearly signal a changing of the times.