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Article
Publication date: 5 October 2015

Jon S.T. Quah

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, who governed the country from 1959 to 1990, passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91. The purpose of this paper is to assess…

1018

Abstract

Purpose

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, who governed the country from 1959 to 1990, passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91. The purpose of this paper is to assess his legacy of good governance in Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

The changes in Singapore’s policy context during 1959-2014 are described first before analyzing Lee’s legacy of good governance in Singapore by examining his books and major speeches.

Findings

Lee Kuan Yew’s commitment to meritocracy, empowerment of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau to curb corruption effectively, reliance on competitive salaries to attract the “best and brightest” citizens to join the civil service, and maintenance of the rule of law, constitute his legacy of good governance in Singapore.

Originality/value

This paper will be useful to policy-makers, scholars and readers who are interested in learning about Lee Kuan Yew’s contribution to good governance in Singapore.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 June 2022

Jon S.T. Quah

This paper analyses the role of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister from June 1959 to November 1990, in minimising corruption by implementing a zero-tolerance policy…

8962

Abstract

Purpose

This paper analyses the role of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister from June 1959 to November 1990, in minimising corruption by implementing a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption in Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the analysis of Lee’s beliefs and the policies he introduced to curb corruption in Singapore.

Findings

Lee’s disdain for corruption and his beliefs in meritocracy and the importance of good leadership shaped his commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, which was enforced impartially and sustained in Singapore for the past 62 years.

Originality/value

This analysis of how Lee transformed Singapore into one of the least corrupt countries in the world would be of interest to policy-makers, practitioners and scholars concerned with minimising corruption in their own countries.

Details

Public Administration and Policy, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1727-2645

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 October 2019

Sangwon Lee

The purpose of this paper is to examine the individual and joint effects of the two design dimensions, form design and functional design, and moderating role of product…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the individual and joint effects of the two design dimensions, form design and functional design, and moderating role of product innovativeness and technological sophistication in consumer’s evaluation of new products. Employing theoretical underpinnings from categorization theory, this paper investigates two major research questions. First, what type of form is more advantageous for a radically new product or an incrementally new product? Second, is there an individual difference in consumer evaluations to innovative products with various form designs?

Design/methodology/approach

One pre-test and three between-subject experiments were performed. In Experiments 1 and 2, a two-way between-group ANOVA analysis was performed to examine the effect of form and the degree of technological innovation on attitude toward the product using different product categories (car and camera). In Experiment 3, a three-way between-group ANOVA analysis was performed to explore the impact of form, the degree of technological innovation and consumer technological sophistication on attitude toward the product.

Findings

The results from the three experiments conducted demonstrate that, first, whereas the form design for incremental innovations must be closer to the incumbent products for favorable evaluations, less typical form is evaluated as good as a more typical form for radical innovations. Second, form design of an innovative product matters more to the technologically more sophisticated consumers (experts).

Originality/value

This paper extends the previous design literature and fills the gap of under-researched area by demonstrating that individual difference, technological sophistication, moderates the design effect on consumer evaluation of innovation; providing boundary condition of when the atypical form is not penalized in spite of consumer’s perceived learning cost; examining how the form and function interplay in “high-status product”; and demonstrating how to strengthen the reliability and validity by replicating the study. Managerially, this paper demonstrates that innovating firms can influence the perceived value of new products using form and functionality, and marketing managers who launch really new products have strategic freedom of choosing own product design.

Details

American Journal of Business, vol. 34 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1935-5181

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1998

Jaroslav Mackerle

This paper gives a review of the finite element techniques (FE) applied in the area of material processing. The latest trends in metal forming, non‐metal forming, powder…

4528

Abstract

This paper gives a review of the finite element techniques (FE) applied in the area of material processing. The latest trends in metal forming, non‐metal forming, powder metallurgy and composite material processing are briefly discussed. The range of applications of finite elements on these subjects is extremely wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore the aim of the paper is to give FE researchers/users only an encyclopaedic view of the different possibilities that exist today in the various fields mentioned above. An appendix included at the end of the paper presents a bibliography on finite element applications in material processing for 1994‐1996, where 1,370 references are listed. This bibliography is an updating of the paper written by Brannberg and Mackerle which has been published in Engineering Computations, Vol. 11 No. 5, 1994, pp. 413‐55.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2011

Kerry Raymond Bolton

The aim of this paper is to show that there are workable alternatives to the debt‐finance system in the form of “state credit.”

1080

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to show that there are workable alternatives to the debt‐finance system in the form of “state credit.”

Design/methodology/approach

The example used for the practical application of “state credit” is the State Housing programme of the 1935 New Zealand Labour Government. The primary sources are mainly the pamphlets of John A. Lee, responsible for the State Housing and Labour finance policies.

Findings

The paper shows that “state credit” was used on a large‐scale for constructive purposes, which not only provided debt‐free funding for an enduring construction programme, but one that did so without accompanying inflation or other adverse consequences which are warned of by orthodox economists.

Research limitations/implications

The paper focuses on a single example of the use of state credit, albeit an important and large‐scale one.

Practical implications

State credit was used in a major way during the 1930s to overcome unemployment while constructing something lasting and of enduring social benefit. It is a method that can be reapplied in the present time at a period where debt is reaching crisis point from entire nations down to families and individual consumers; with the most common remedy suggested relief being “austerity” and welfare cuts.

Social implications

State credit is a means of achieving large‐scale public works, while reducing unemployment, and reducing taxes, rates and prices which generally incorporate into costs the servicing of debts. The social implications are wide‐ranging.

Originality/value

The 1935 State Housing programme had endured as part of an iconic New Zealand social experiment, but one of which the method of funding is now virtually unknown.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 38 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 July 2016

Bilal Fayiz Omar and Nidal Omar Zallom

This study aims to investigate the relationship between different themes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and companies’ market value (measured by Tobin Q) for Jordanian…

2178

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between different themes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and companies’ market value (measured by Tobin Q) for Jordanian firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) for the period 2006-2010.

Design/methodology/approach

The annual reports of 26 companies on the ASE for the years 2006-2010 were selected for this study. Three industrial sectors were chosen: chemical; food and beverage; and pharmaceutical and medical (P&M). The CSR is measured by constructing an index consisting of four themes which are as follows: environmental 9 items; human resources 16 items; community 7 items; and products 7 items. The study adopts Tobin Q as the dependent variable to measure the market value of corporations. Two control variables were included in the regression analysis for their possible effects on the CSR and company’s market value relationship: size and leverage. This study performs a multiple regression analysis model to test the effect of the four CSR themes: environmental, human resources, community and products on the market value measured by Tobin Q.

Findings

The results revealed that environmental, community and product activities decreased market value in the food and beverage industry, while human resources activities had no effect on market value in the same industry. Moreover, the community theme was found to have a negative effect on market value in the P&M industry, while the three other themes were found to have no effect on market value in the same industry. The four themes had no effect on market value in the chemical industry.

Research limitations/implications

The current study has a number of limitations, which have implications for future research. First, the study focused only on three industrial sectors (chemical, food and beverage and P&M), which limited the results to only these industries. In addition, the CSR concept and its effect on profitability is an important issue for the financial and services sectors. Hence, it would be beneficial to investigate the CSR impact on profitability for the financial and services sectors. Moreover, the study focused only on one country, Jordan. An extension of this study could be a comparison of the CSR effect on financial performance between Jordan and other countries in the Middle East. Furthermore, the measurement of CSR is subject to criticism because it might generate bias according to subjective judgments about CSR items. The CSR items are equally weighted, which might not be acceptable because their nature and effect differ among industries. However, introducing qualitative measures for CSR that reflect various perspectives about CSR practices and implications is essential. Finally, the period chosen for this study includes the years of global financial crisis as well which had eroded the market value of many firms in different industries, and this may form a prominent limitation of this study.

Practical implications

The results of this study have given evidence of the role of CSR in Jordan. The investments in the CSR field could negatively affect or could have no effect on market value. Overall, regulators in Jordan should pay attention to the costs and benefits of CSR among companies. Companies will be encouraged to invest in CSR activities if the benefits on their financial performance exceed the costs (cost-benefit theory). Specifically, companies should select types of CSR activities that enhance their competiveness in the society.

Social implications

The results of this study provide practical implications to several users in the chemical, food and beverage and P&M industries. Managers, investors and other users may pay attention to the impact of CSR strategies on the company’s market value. For example, food and beverage managers may decrease their CSR investments around environmental, community and product activities because these decrease the market value and profitability of the company. However, the CSR investment in human resources does not affect the profitability in this industry. For the chemical industry, managers may not focus on CSR investments in the different activities (environmental, human resources, community and products) because these have no impact on the company’s market value. In regards to the P&M industry, managers may decrease their CSR investments around community activities because this decreases the market value. However, managers may not be concerned with CSR investments in environmental, human resources and products activities because these do not affect the company’s market value.

Originality/value

The relationship between CSR and a company’s financial performance has been tested broadly in the financial and management fields without any conclusive results. Some explanations for the inconclusive results are discussed. Inoue and Lee (2011, p. 791) noted three main issues that remain unresolved in the studies regarding the relationship between CSR and a company’s performance: using samples for different industries, using cross sectional observations and using aggregate CSR dimensions. The current study overcomes the main problems in the previous discussion. In particular, the study will focus on specific industries (chemical, food and beverage and P&M). In addition, the study will use multidimensional CSR measures. Moreover, financial performance will be measured by a single measure (market value) instead of using different measures of financial performance.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1998

Keith Blois

The concept of “trust” has attracted a great deal of attention in recent studies of inter‐organisational relations. In particular it has been suggested that the establishment and…

1386

Abstract

The concept of “trust” has attracted a great deal of attention in recent studies of inter‐organisational relations. In particular it has been suggested that the establishment and maintenance of trust is central to building business to business relationships. Using a well‐known case study the additional insights which a trust approach to the analysis of a business to business relationship offers are considered.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 36 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1997

Jaroslav Mackerle

Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the…

6042

Abstract

Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 July 2018

Jon S.T. Quah

The purpose of this paper is to explain why Singapore is a success story today despite the fact that its prospects for survival were dim when it became independent in August 1965.

142075

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain why Singapore is a success story today despite the fact that its prospects for survival were dim when it became independent in August 1965.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes the changes in Singapore’s policy context from 1959 to 2016, analyses the five factors responsible for its success and concludes with advice for policy makers interested in implementing Singapore-style reforms to solve similar problems in their countries.

Findings

Singapore’s success can be attributed to these five factors: the pragmatic leadership of the late Lee Kuan Yew and his successors; an effective public bureaucracy; effective control of corruption; reliance on the “best and brightest” citizens through investment in education and competitive compensation; and learning from other countries.

Originality/value

This paper will be useful to those scholars and policy makers interested in learning from Singapore’s success in solving its problems.

Details

Public Administration and Policy, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1727-2645

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2011

Byoungho Jin and Ji Hye Kang

The purpose of this article is to assist US apparel firms to successfully market in China. It aims to accurately predict Chinese consumers' purchase intentions toward a US brand…

11780

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to assist US apparel firms to successfully market in China. It aims to accurately predict Chinese consumers' purchase intentions toward a US brand. For this purpose, it proposes a composite model incorporating two behavioral intention models, Lee's model and decomposed Ajzen's model, and empirically tests the composite model.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 747 consumer data were collected in three cities of China, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, utilizing a series of mall intercept method at two levels of shopping malls in each city.

Findings

Among the proposed direct paths to purchase intention (PI), attitude toward the US brand apparel was the most important in explaining contemporary Chinese consumers' purchase intentions, followed by external perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norm (SN). Two Confucian values, face saving and group conformity, did not directly affect PI at all, and face saving only influenced PI indirectly through the increase of attitude toward US brand apparel. Among external PBC (one's controllability toward a purchase) and internal PBC (one's self‐efficacy), only external PBC led to PI.

Practical implications

By examining the two aspects of PBC, the study validated the importance of consumers' resource controllability (i.e. external PBC) in Chinese purchase behaviors in the midst of rapid socioeconomic changes. This approach advances previous studies that primarily viewed PBC as one dimension.

Originality/value

The paper is one of earliest endeavors to consider the decomposed PBC in a composite model. Also, the paper provides early proof that external PBC is more important than internal PBC in purchase contexts.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 82000