Commenting on the higher e-wallet limits, Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) and Director of the Citi Foundation-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults Aurobindo Ghosh said that multi-currency e-wallets and apps like YouTrip have flexibility and lower cost of operations compared with a multi-currency bank account, mainly due to the higher regulatory burden that traditional banks have to face. He added, “In general, consumers benefit more using these e-wallets as the exchange rates are more competitive and service charges are lower.
Remarking on the survival of all passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane, which collided with a coast guard plane and caught fire, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan, an airline industry expert, said, "Passengers seemed to have followed instructions in a textbook manner. This is exactly what evacuation policies are designed for -- the airframe itself is not meant to survive the blaze, ultimately."
Commenting on some members of generation Z preferring TikTok over Google, SMU Senior Lecturer of Communication Management Tracy Loh said TikTok is the app of choice for Gen Zs. All their friends are there and TikTok is almost synonymous with the word social media, said Dr Loh, adding that it is natural for youths to use its search function. She also noted that the visual nature of TikTok makes content “very easily consumable and digestible”.
SMU, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Copenhagen Business School are jointly offering a unique 18-month exchange programme spanning three continents for undergraduates. TREBLE (TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education) will enable students to gain exposure to business environments and practices in the United States, Asia, and Europe.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Kenneth Goh discussed why early specialisation in sports poses a risk of burnout among young athletes. He also discussed how early specialisation reflects broader societal mindsets that are detrimental to talent development, and concluded there was a need for societal mindsets to shift towards longer-term and more holistic development to reduce talent attrition caused by burnout.
In light of the recent Budget statement, SMU Professor Emeritus of Finance Annie Koh shares her insight relating to the hopes of Singaporeans for 2024 and how the government can better work with the people to create that shared future together.
In an interview, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan noted that the policy minimises the effort required by each individual airline company to source sustainable fuel, making it cleaner from Singapore’s perspective.
In the second part of a two-part interview, SMU Senior Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Paul Lim shared his insights on organisational resilience in times of hardship. Stressing the pivotal role of leadership during tough times, he emphasised the need for proactive strategies to “buffer the organisation”. He suggested a possible approach is to enhance collaborative communication to foster a positive and supportive workplace.
Commenting on the public transport ridership hitting 93.5 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said public transport ridership is still “somewhat below” what is expected, based on commuting patterns in 2019.
Workforces have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels and inflation has cooled. Yet, tech companies and startups in the US continue to slash their workforce in the first weeks of 2024 after massive layoffs last year. In the first of a two-part interview, SMU Senior Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Paul Lim, shares helpful tips and advice on how to bounce back from a layoff.
