Volume 07 Issue 1 | Published on 03 Jun 2020
The Future of Retailing
- How Technology is Driving Business Change [PDF | HTML]
The COVID-19 pandemic has very quickly evolved beyond a health crisis to also become an economic one. The emergence of the epidemic in China and its rapid spread to the rest of the world is expected to shrink the global economy by at least 2.2 percent, which is more severe than the contraction during the 2008 global financial crisis.
- Learn, adapt, and move on: An interview with Rajesh Lingappa [PDF | HTML]
RedMart’s co-founder and former CTO shares his entrepreneurship journey of continuous learning. Rajesh Lingappa, co-founder and former chief technology officer of RedMart, talks about his entrepreneurial journey in the world of technology. How did you start your entrepreneurial journey?
Volume 06 Issue 2 | Published on 25 Nov 2019
Corporate Innovation
- Redefining Corporate Strategies and Functions [PDF | HTML]
Traditional corporate planning–marked by a march towards a series of deliverables, detailed spreadsheets that project costs and revenue into the future, and review meetings according to an annual calendar—is not enough to succeed in today’s business environment.
- Kick-starting economic growth: An interview with Dr K. V. Subramanian, India's Chief Economic Advisor [PDF | HTML]
Dr K. V. Subramanian emphasises the importance of higher investment rates, good quality loans, and structural reforms for boosting India’s economic growth. What are your thoughts on the Indian economy today?
- From bitcoin to blockchain, and back again [PDF | HTML]
In the context of the current FinTech revolution, it remains to be seen how the wealth of knowledge on new technologies and business models in the area of finance can effectively and efficiently drive change and seize the new opportunities being created in the vast and fast-paced world of digital and crypto-assets.
Volume 06 Issue 1 | Published on 27 May 2019
AI Gets Real
- Profit, People and Planet [PDF | HTML]
On behalf of the Editorial Board of Asian Management Insights, its authors and readers, I would like to thank our outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Dr Philip Zerrillo, who founded the magazine and invested signifi cant efforts to advance its profile these past five years.
- Corporate sustainability: An interview with Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact [PDF | HTML]
Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, talks about building awareness for corporate sustainability in Asia, in this interview with Havovi Joshi. How does the UN Global Compact look at corporate sustainability?
- AI gets real at Singapore's Changi Airport (Part 1): A learning journey [PDF | HTML]
Ranked as the best airport for seven consecutive years, Singapore’s Changi Airport is lauded the world over for the efficient, safe, pleasurable and seamless service it offers the millions of passengers that pass through its facilities annually.1 Much of Changi Airport’s success can be attributed to the organisation’s customer-oriented business focus and
- Family togetherness: The key to business sustenance [PDF | HTML]
Family-controlled businesses are the dominant form of business organisation across the world, and particularly so in many Asian countries. A major challenge that family businesses face is the lack of togetherness or cohesion among the members of the owner family, especially across generations.
- Recognising and developing leadership in Asia [PDF | HTML]
Across many countries in Asia, we are witnessing local leaders rise to the level of country leader or managing director in their home country. However, when it comes to taking on regional roles in global fi rms, many of these leaders are unable to work effectively across borders.
- Responsible leadership: A behavioural perspective [PDF | HTML]
An array of scandals has rocked the world in recent times, such as financial malpractices (Arthur Andersen, Lehman Brothers, the LIBOR scam), unethical practices (FIFA mismanagement), and environmental damages (Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Volkswagen emission controls). All of which the critics of capitalism are not unhappy to report and embellish in great detail.
- Doing business in Thailand: An interview with William Heinecke, founder and Chairman of Minor International. [PDF | HTML]
William Heinecke, the founder and Chairman of Minor International, a Bangkok-based multinational company operating in hospitality, restaurants and lifestyle brands distribution, shares his journey as an American-born Thai businessman and serial entrepreneur.
- A recipe for success for Asia's F&B franchising [PDF | HTML]
Asian food and beverage (F&B) brands are exploding in popularity all over the world. Since 1999, Asian fast food restaurants have grown by 500 percent globally, making it the single fastest-growing food category, outstripping the growth of the next four, i.e.
- Corporate sustainability: Beyond the buzzword [PDF | HTML]
According to Jen Boynton, vice president of member engagement at 3BL Media, “Corporate responsibility is simply a way for companies to take responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of their business operations.”1 Looked at this way, corporate social responsibility (CSR) can, in effect, include a whole gamut of business practices and policie
- The global learning crisis: Towards 21st century education in the developing world [PDF | HTML]
In September 2015, the UN General Assembly approved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which, the SDG-4, focuses on the educational goal of ensuring free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education that will lead to relevant and effective learning outcomes. This goal, which is to be achieved by 2030, is ambitious.
- Design thinking: Human-centred economic solutions and shaping common action. [PDF | HTML]
The air was still, and I was going nowhere with the session until I asked the participants about their kids instead of talking more about the bank. The conversations soon turned chirpy as the mothers in the group spoke over one another, sharing their hearts out about their children and their hopes for them.
Volume 05 Issue 2 | Published on 11 Dec 2018
Accidental Captains
- Here’s to an Open Economy [PDF | HTML]
Should we be cheering or jeering? The U.S. trade policy and its impact on Asia are under the spotlight. In ‘Pride and Protectionism’, Mark Zandi, Steve Cochrane, Ryan Sweet, Ruth Stroppiana and Katrina Ell consider current trade policies, noting that if the U.S. implements more protectionist policies, or if its trading partners retaliate, it can have a contagion effect on Asia.
- Singapore’s core values: An an interview with the seventh President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan [PDF | HTML]
The seventh President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan, talks about the challenges and opportunities for the island-state, in this interview with Philip Zerrillo. What is the best position Singapore can take in this volatile world that we are living in?
- Accidental captains: How to sink strategy even before it is executed [PDF | HTML]
Wouldn’t it be scary if captains of ships were hired at random, instead of through a careful selection process? Selecting leaders for critical roles requires an understanding of the competencies needed to succeed in the role, as well as identifying and assessing candidates who are well matched for the role.
- Coming to grips with the reality of eLearning [PDF | HTML]
In boardrooms all over the world today a scenario is played out again and again: Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) enthusiastically pitch the strategy of eLearning while chief executives remain sceptical over the outcomes. For years, eLearning appeared to be the perfect answer for corporations that need to train their employees. And it certainly has its advantages.
- Incentives: Achieving business results with the right pay scheme [PDF | HTML]
Much has been said both for and against using incentives to drive business results—be it revenue and profit, or market share. Despite this, there is surprisingly little research, particularly in Asia, to guide practitioners on how different pay models affect decisions that lead to better company performance.
- Men’s cosmetics: Challenging conventional marketing wisdom [PDF | HTML]
Men and beauty seem to be two contradictory domains because we often rely on an outdated assumption that men only want to appear manly and nothing more. The reality for modern men, however, is significantly different from that perception.
- Pride and protectionism: U.S. trade policy and its impact on Asia [PDF | HTML]
Many of the trade policies of the United States President Donald Trump’s administration are aimed at addressing the perceived adverse impact of trade on the country’s manufacturing employment, and improving trade deals the President sees as not being in U.S. interests. These appear to be worthwhile goals, but crafting trade policy to address them is difficult.
- Globe Telecom: Redefining telecommunications in the Philippines [PDF | HTML]
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.
- Lighting the spark in the Philippines: An interview with Rosemarie ‘Bubu’ Andres, the Global Chair of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization [PDF | HTML]
In this edition, we are introducing a new section called ‘The Entrepreneur’s Corner’, in which we will present Asia’s entrepreneurs and their journeys, complete with the ups and downs, and twists and turns.
- Doing business in Myanmar: Dressing up the bride [PDF | HTML]
As one of the untapped frontiers of newly emerging markets, Myanmar is rich in natural resources, underpopulated but with growing purchasing power, and an easy place to do business. From the outside, the country is very inviting, and there is considerable interest in doing business in Myanmar today. But internally, we have several pockets of obstacles.
Volume 05 Issue 1 | Published on 30 May 2018
The Changing Face of Family Business
- Transformation: The new normal for next-gen family businesses [PDF | HTML]
Times are changing for family businesses around the world. It is no longer business as usual–at least not as far as the next generation is concerned. Increasingly, next-generation leaders are leading their family businesses into new sectors, new products, new services, and new territories. They are testing out new business models, going global, and embracing digitalisation.
- Public-private partnerships: The pro-poor gap evaluation [PDF | HTML]
Between 2004 and 2012, investment in public-private partnerships (PPPs) in developing countries increased nearly six-fold, from US$24.4 billion to US$144 billion, after which, there was a dip for two years before it bounced back to US$120.2 billion in 2015 (Romero and Vervynckt, 2017).
- Productivity of society redesigned [PDF | HTML]
Economists disagree about almost everything. The exception to this rule is when they extol the virtues of productivity…as long as one does not dig deeper to find out what it is and how it works. Otherwise, disagreements start. For a start, there is no consensus on how productivity is defined, what production factors it includes, how it is measured and, most importantly, how it is achieved.
- Talent magnets: Three dimensions of a great place to work [PDF | HTML]
Inside any successful business, you’ll find talented people front and centre, and India is no exception. Anyone in India on the hiring side of business can see the critical difference that talent can make and regardless of where your company is operating, the importance of talent cannot be overstated.
- How Fintech startups succeed in financial inclusion to bank the unbanked [PDF | HTML]
Financial inclusion or providing access to and enabling active usage of affordable financial products and services, is a global and pressing issue that, over the last 30 years, has received a lot of attention from multilateral development banks, government bodies and NGOs.
- Data or decisions: Designing business intelligence and analytics function [PDF | HTML]
Why do organisations engage in business intelligence and analytics (BI&A) activities? This seems such a mundane question when BI&A is one of the most talked about practices in the last decade. Given the numerous examples in academic and practice literature, organisations now understand the value of applying data-driven approaches to improve their business performance.
- Negotiating the legal systems in ASEAN [PDF | HTML]
One may ask: What is a thought piece on legal systems doing in a business magazine? The fact is, as one begins to look at the legal and regulatory systems across the world, one quickly finds that these systems are an essential part of a firm’s business environment. Legal and regulatory structures, unique to each country, can facilitate or hinder, enable or limit how a firm operates locally.
- Asia: Embracing disruption confidently with farsighted policies and progressive ideas [PDF | HTML]
In the last few years, the world has witnessed dramatic geopolitical activity, and ongoing technological progress is producing equally dramatic changes around the globe. While the pace of change is staggering, making it increasingly difficult to predict the future, one thing is clear—there are, and will be, winners and losers.
Volume 04 Issue 2 | Published on 28 Nov 2017
The Sustainability Edge
- From rags to riches: Following the East Asian blueprint by governments and firms [PDF | HTML]
In East Asia, the quintessential roadmap for progressing from third world to first, and its approach towards development, has yet to catapult would-be tigers in other emerging markets to the same levels of prosperity.
Volume 04 Issue 1 | Published on 22 May 2017
Navigation Innovation
- The Revival of the Philippine Economy [PDF | HTML]
The greatest opportunity and challenge for the Philippines is in the technology space, with a particular challenge being the maintenance of policy continuity. The Philippine economy has been averaging six percent growth over the past five years. What needs to be done to maintain the momentum?
- Why Every Manager Needs a Sponsor [PDF | HTML]
What do successful managers have in common? The truth is—apart from being great in their jobs, many successful managers often credit their success to someone, somewhere along the way—who not only gave them a pivotal career break, but also pushed them, inspired them and helped them grow.
Volume 03 Issue 2 | Published on 09 Dec 2016
Building Asian Business Schools
- On Inspiration, Aspiration and Innovation [PDF | HTML]
Although it is true that learning never stops, the way we learn is changing every day. The time has come, says Dipak C. Jain, for an Asian model of management education that focuses on Asia-based research and thought leadership. Schools should cross-pollinate and create Asian case studies that can be taught in both western and Asian schools. And the same can be said for nations.
Volume 03 Issue 1 | Published on 17 Nov 2016
National Branding
- The Rustling of Leaves [PDF | HTML]
Earlier this month I watched Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko touch down after nearly a year in space, 340 days to be precise. During their stay they managed to tweet the most spectacular photos of the earth to their followers. Who would have thought it possible to document and share their experience in this way even a few years ago?
- The New Dragon Dance [PDF | HTML]
Is China moving to a new normal? In recent years, there have been concerns about the slowing down of the Chinese economy. One question frequently asked by economists, analysts and business leaders is whether or not China is bracing itself for a hard landing. Or is the dragon settling into a new normal after nearly four decades of exponential growth?
- Education and Leadership: Indispensable for Nigeria’s Economic Development [PDF | HTML]
The former President of Nigeria (1999 to 2007), Olusegun Obasanjo, talks about the nation’s evolving transformation in this interview with Philip Zerrillo. Africa is quite an unknown continent for many people. What are some of the historical legacies and issues that have made Africa what it is today?