In a commentary, SMU Senior Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources Paul Lim discussed whether the ‘996’ work culture commonly associated with Chinese companies would dominate Singapore’s workplace as more Chinese firms set up operations here, and if Singapore can continue to uphold fair workplace norms.
SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing Shilpa Madan said that Coca-Cola Company’s Share A Coke campaign feels charmingly low-key in an era when everything is personalised. She contrasted its low-tech embodiment against predictive and generative algorithms, calling it unexpectedly fun and warm. She also highlighted how possessions act as memory cues and how finding one’s name on a can, sharing it in real life, and the social content that spins out of it can stretch a single brand encounter across time and across channels.
In a study co-authored by SMU Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Michael Schaerer, findings revealed that people who make aggressive first offers do walk away with better deals, but also face dramatically higher chances of losing the deal entirely and permanently damaging how the other person views them. The researchers cautioned that negotiators should tread carefully when the relationship matters, when dealing with multiple issues, or when they need the other person’s goodwill down the road.
The renminbi (RMB) has appreciated significantly over the past six months as US dollar weakens. SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian pointed out that the People's Bank of China (PBoC) has not followed suit with easing measures, but rather maintained policy restraint under deflationary pressures, with its core objective of maintaining the overall stability of the RMB exchange rate.
Commenting on Singapore’s competitive dining landscape, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami said that in a market saturated with cafes and local coffee shops, Luckin Coffee's app-based ordering system and takeaway model made it stand out, while allowing it to save on rent and automatically generate user data.
Crisis management simulations in executive education courses are now being recalibrated to address geopolitical instability, digital threats, and supply chain disruptions. SMU Professor of Communication Management (Practice) Augustine Pang stressed that the realism of crisis simulation exercises is a key advantage, as executives gain hands-on experience and practical skills that traditional classroom teaching often cannot provide.
SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said in a CNA interview that the one-stop webpage launched by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is important for giving commuters real-time, cross-line information during maintenance or disruptions, helping to ease anxiety and build trust. He added that the initiative is a low-cost but effective way for LTA to restore commuter confidence, and suggested clearer thresholds for when delays should be formally announced.
Singapore’s business schools are seeing stronger and earlier-than-usual demand for their Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes ahead of the 2026 intake, driven in part by tighter visa regimes in Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Amongst the institutions that reported higher interest, SMU noted an increase in earlier enquiries from international full-time applicants.
Sharing his insights on the struggles of department stores in Singapore to survive, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami pointed out the difficulty of hiring retail staff willing to work long hours on their feet while providing personalised service to diverse customers. Assoc Prof Ramaswami also said that Singapore's status as a shopping destination for tourists had declined in the last decade for multiple reasons.
SMU Associate Professor of Strategic Management Ted Tschang said that when organisations do not set people up to use artificial intelligence (AI) reliably, employees will not trust it and will not adopt it. Assoc Prof Tschang added that becoming comfortable with AI takes time and practice, but most organisations rarely make time for this. He then suggested that human resources (HR) leaders create a space for safe learning and experimentation, and to do so effectively, HR leaders need to develop AI fluency.
