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Business Research at James Cook University in Singapore

Introduction

Our Business discipline brings together scholars in the areas of banking and finance, business management and marketing, tourism and hospitality, and urban planning. We aim to develop cutting-edge market-relevant research to meet industry needs and influence the academic community, by employing the most up-to-date analytical tools. In addition, our discipline has one research center and one research cluster to group our talents together and focus on specific research and consultancy endeavours that have a significant impact on Asia and tropical regions. We organise events such as public lectures, industry roundtables, and academic conferences on topics related to management, marketing and sustainability. Our Business team also leverages on the Singapore campus of James Cook University’s research capability in environmental science and social sciences to conduct interdisciplinary research and consultancy to better serve industry partners.

Our faculty members have developed research agendas in three main areas:

Banking and Finance Our faculty focus on up-to-date research topics, such as asset pricing, market microstructure, international stock markets, banking efficiency, banking competition, costing and forensic accounting, etc. With their strong domain knowledge in stock market, banking industry and accounting fields, as well as techniques in employing advanced statistical analysis methods and tools, researchers in the Business discipline publish high impact and quality driven research.

For further information on our courses, email [email protected] or visit www.jcu.edu.sg

Management and Marketing Our faculty in management and marketing fields spearhead relevant and high-impact research on governance and sustainability issues that are pertinent to Asia. This includes corporate governance and corporate sustainability, circular economy, knowledge management and innovation, operational management, international strategies of multinational firms from emerging economies, international trade and policy, and business law. Their research has been published in prestigious journals and has brought insights to various industry partners.

Tourism and Hospitality, and Urban Planning Researchers in tourism and hospitality are constantly exploring the latest developments that benefit industries and societies in the tropics. Researchers welcome industry and government policy makers to collaborate on projects in areas such as Agritourism, Quality Tourism, Urban-Rural Tourism, Service Excellence in Hospitality, and Heritage Tourism.

Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia (CITBA)Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia (CITBA) leverages on our collective research strengths to focus on projects and research on international trade, economic policy and business issues in Asia, which provides important practical and policy implications to the region.

Global Business Systems Research ClusterOur Global Business Systems Research Cluster embarks on projects exploring ways to improve the sustainable development of businesses in the tropics, with findings particularly relevant to Singapore, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Business research atJames Cook University in Singapore

Profile

www.jcu.edu.sg | 3

BackgroundProfessor Bhati’s research investigates resilience planning in tourism, sustainable development of cities, and scholarship of learning and teaching. In particular, he is interested in technology and the role it has as a catalyst for tourism industry changes, “Smart City” as a mechanism for future sustainable development, and the need for tourism to deliver United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recent projects have explored tourist vandalism and effectiveness of stakeholder responses to tourism developments. A/Prof Bhati’s other projects include incorporating ‘work integrated learning’ (WIL) based learning strategies in tertiary education.

He has been successful in securing collaborative grants through the Australian Government’s Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT), the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), external industry grants and several internal research grants. His current research interests include tourist behaviour management, resilience planning, and scholarship of learning and teaching.

Areas of expertise

• Tourist behaviour management

• Smart technologies and sustainable tourism

• Resilience planning in tourism

• Scholarship of learning and teaching

Impact of research• Contributed to the development of a set of intervention

strategies to address vandalism at visitor attractions

• Provided an understanding of UN Sustainable Development Goals and achievement of the goals in tourism

• Increased understanding of new genres in tourism such as industrial heritage railways tourism and dark tourism in Asia

• Informed National Research Council Thailand’s position paper on the review of tourism police in Bangkok

• Enabled the capability of numerous higher education institutions to enhance student experience and graduate global citizenship

Top five publications

• Salter, P., Halbert, K., Howard, E., Singh, M., Miles, D., Jones, P., Bhati, A., Wong, C. & Han, J. (2018). Local connections, global perspectives. In T. Hall, T. Gray, G. Downey, & M. Singh (Eds.), The Globalisation of Higher Education: Developing Internationalised Education in Research and Practice (pp. 61-78). Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Bhati, A. & Pearce, P. (2017). Tourist attractions in Bangkok and Singapore: Linking vandalism and setting characteristics. Tourism Management, 63, 15-30.

• Bhati. A, Hansen, M. & Chan, C. (2017). Energy conservation through smart homes in a smart city: A lesson for Singapore households. Energy Policy, 104, 230-239.

• Bhati, A. & Pearce, P. (2016). Vandalism and tourism settings: An integrative review. Tourism Management, 57, 91-105.

• Chaiechi, T., Pryce, J., & Bhati, A. (2015). Macroeconomic impacts of the tourism industry and the contemporaneous feedback effect: An Australian case study. Tourism Economics, 21(3), 685-696.

Prof Abhishek Singh BhatiCampus DeanHead (Singapore) Learning, Teaching and Student EngagementVice President (Regional) International Tourism Studies Association

PhD Business (Tourism Management), James Cook University, Australia MBA (Hospitality and Tourism), Tourism Institute of Australia, AustraliaMBA (Marketing Management), Maastricht School of Management, NetherlandsBA (Economics), University of Mumbai, India

FurtherInformation

JCU Research Profile

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BackgroundDr Thiru has over 15 years of tourism related research experience. As an academic, he has combined his professional experiences to discover and expand practice-informed research. Dr Thiru’s research interests are varied, but his core specializations reside in service excellence, and cultural and luxury tourism.

Dr Thiru coined the term ‘affinity tourism.’ Affinity tourism refers to the propensity of guests to partake in ‘familiar’ and ‘similar’ cultural experiences to those of their hosts. He volunteers his time as an editorial board member for Asia Tourism Research Journal and is a reviewer for a number of high quality tourism and hospitality journals. He has published over 28 academic works and welcomes collaborations with scholars and PhD students from the field of tourism and hospitality.

Areas of expertise

• Evaluation and design of marketing strategies for Meetings, Incentive travel, Conferences and Events (MICE) business

• Development of cultural and luxury destinations

• Sustainable beach tourism

• Professional development of industry capabilities in service excellence

Impact of research

• Identified strategies for sustainability of traditional cultural performances in post-modern travel destinations

• Collated observations on various aspects of Shared Service Centers (SSC) operations and made these available to the SSC companies in Malaysia and Singapore

• Contributed to a better understanding of the complexity between vandalism and seeking blessings at spiritual sites

• Enabled the capability of students through joint research and publications


• Klimkeit, D., & K., Thirumaran (2018). Management of Shared Service Centers in Asia: Examples from Malaysia and Singapore. Munich, Germany: GRIN Verlag.

• Thirumaran, K., & Raghav, M. (2017). Luxury tourism, emerging destinations: Research review and trajectories. Asian Journal of Tourism Research, 2(2), 137-159.

• Pham, V. P. Q., & Thirumaran, K. (2016). Managing development of resort destinations in Southeast Asia: Emerging and peripheral Phu Quoc Island. In P. Mandal, & J. Vong (Eds.) Development of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry in Southeast Asia. Managing the Asian Century (pp. 83-95). Singapore: Springer.

• Thirumaran, K., Dam, M. X., & Thirumaran, C. M. (2014). Integrating souvenirs with tourism development: Vietnam’s challenges. Tourism Planning & Development, 11(1), 57-67.

• Thirumaran, K. (2009). Renewing bonds in an age of Asian travel: Indian tourists in Bali. In T. Winter, P. Teo, & T. C. Chang (Eds.) Asia on Tour: Exploring the Rise of Asian Tourism (pp. 127-137). Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis.

Dr K ThirumaranHead of Academic Group Business, IT & ScienceSenior Lecturer Hospitality & Tourism ManagementJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD, National University of Singapore, SingaporeMA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USAGraduate Studies, Oxford University, UKGraduate Studies, University of Iowa, USABSc & MA, Indiana State University, USA

FurtherInformation


BackgroundDr Kamble completed her PhD in hospitality and tourism with her ethnographic study on tourism as a catalyst to foster social cohesion in the post-war regions of Sri Lanka. Her research interests include tourism planning and development, tourism social cultural impacts, sustainable tourism, social cohesion and social capital through tourism.

She is also actively involved with leading journals as a reviewer of research papers and gained experience through membership of scientific committees for conferences. She is a continuing reviewer for the BEST EN Building Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Education Network and ad-hoc reviewer for the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, the Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality, and the Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events. She has chaired conference sessions and is also a member of the scientific committee for the Asia-Euro conferences in tourism and hospitality.

Dr Kamble is a qualitative researcher and has supervised research in both hospitality and tourism related fields, drawing on her considerable industry experience and qualifications in hospitality, as well as tourism. She has also consulted for the Seychelles Ministry of Tourism, and published research pertaining to tourism impacts, tourism development and policy reviews of tourism development post-war in Sri Lanka.

Areas of expertise

• Tourism planning and development

• Tourism policy and governance

• Tourism social cultural impacts

• Social cohesion and social capital through tourism

• Responsible Tourism

• Sustainable Tourism

• Qualitative research methodology

• Hospitality management

Impact of research

• Developed a framework for assessing the potential of tourism to act as a catalyst for social cohesion in divided contexts

• Provided an understanding of tourism’s role in shaping identity or image of a destination and its social policy

• Increased understanding of the complexities and challenges in developing tourism in a post-war context in multicultural, divided societies

Top publications

• Kamble Z. (2013). Book Review. Kastarlak, I.B. & Barber, B. (2012). Fundamentals of Planning and Developing Tourism. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism, 2(1).

• Kamble, Z. & Bouchon, F. (2014). Tourism planning and a nation’s vision: A review of the tourism policy of Sri Lanka. Procedia-Social and Behavioural Sciences, 144(2014), 229-236. doi/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.291

• Kamble, Z. & Bouchon, F. (2016). Developing a framework for assessing social cohesion via tourism. Tourism Review, 71(4), 272-286. doi/10.1108/TR-08-2015-0035

Dr Zilmiyah KambleLecturer Hospitality & Tourism ManagementJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD, Taylor’s University, MalaysiaMSc, Leeds Beckett University, UK

FurtherInformation


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BackgroundDr Zohre Mohammadi completed her PhD in tourism, with her thesis focused on ‘Children’s Holiday Benefits and Motivation, Nostalgia and its Implications’. Her PhD work received highly positive feedback from the referees and was unanimously chosen by the members of committee in the panel as the best PhD thesis over the past few years. Working as a Research Fellow at James Cook University in Singapore is of particular interest to Dr Mohammadi because it offers a new challenge in an extremely stimulating and enjoyable environment in the area of her research interest.

In particular, Dr Mohammadi offers substantial thoughts on events, activities and amenities for children with respect to tourism behaviours. These interests align closely with the Singapore Tourism Board policies to introduce new emerging markets, such as children and family tourism. Dr Mohammadi believes this competitive market can be attributed to Singapore’s strengths in hygiene factors, presence of international branded family entertainment, variety of attractions and ease of getting around by public transport, which makes it a potential target destination for the children and family market. Her other research interests include tourism behaviour, marketing, new emerging markets, and tourism sustainability. Dr Mohammadi has published a number of papers, articles, and book chapters in these specific areas within her broader discipline. She has also been involved in a range of strategic planning and reengineering projects in Iran such as designing a strategic plan for a company specialized for health tourism and a project with a national airline examining the feasibility of desert tourism. In addition, Dr Mohammadi benefits from using innovative qualitative methods in conducting her research and she feels quite confident in deploying and exploring this approach more extensively across her future research activities.

Areas of expertise

• Tourism behaviour

• Children in Tourism

• Tourism marketing

• New emerging markets

• Local communities

• Qualitative research methodology

Dr Zohre MohammadiResearch Fellow, TourismJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Tourism Management), Allameh Tabataba’i University, IranMA (Tourism Management-Marketing), Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran

Impact of research • Developed a tourism-based analytical model for children’s

holiday drawings

• Provided an understanding of the role of children in tourism as active agents

• Increased understanding of nostalgia and childhood destinations revisited

• Contributed to an understanding of reverse immigration to rural communities in a World Heritage Area as a result of tourism developments

• Confirmed the effectiveness of tourism development on women’s social freedom and self-determination in rural communities

Top five publications• Pearce, P. L., & Mohammadi, Z. (2019). Savouring Persian travel:

Analysing tourists’ memories. In A. Correia & M. Kozak (Eds.) Experiencing Persian Heritage. Bingley Emerald Publishing Limited.

• Buckley, R., Shekari, F., Mohammadi, Z., Azizi, F., & Ziaee, M. (2019). World Heritage Tourism triggers urban–rural reverse migration and social change. Journal of Travel Research.

• Pearce, P. L., & Mohammadi, Z. (2018). Love, romance, and behaviour: Finding Juliet, finding meaning. In J. Rickly & M. Vidon (Eds.) Authenticity & Tourism: Materialities, Perceptions, Experiences. (pp. 71-87). Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited.

• Karoubi, M., Ziaee, M., & Mohammadi, Z. (2018). Designing an analytical qualitative model of children’s tourism attitude towards social development through intangible assets. Journal of Iranian Social Development Studies (In Persian), 10(3), 45-66.

• Pearce, P.L., Oguchi, T., Wu, M., & Mohammadi, Z. (2016). International Studies in Savouring: Coding recollections of intensely remembered tourism experiences. 6th Biennial ITSA Conference, University of Greenwich, London, 17-19 August, 2016.

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BackgroundSimona Azzali is a planner, designer, and urbanist who is passionately interested in working across traditional disciplinary boundaries to solve urban problems. Her research interests transcend scale and discipline and include all aspects of urbanism and sustainability of tropical cities with a strong emphasis on the impact of socio-cultural factors in shaping the built environment. Her research also covers planning and designing people-oriented urban spaces, walkability and pedestrianisation, and mega-events and their impact on the built environment.

At the Singapore campus of James Cook University, Dr Azzali coordinates the Master of Planning and Urban Design and teaches modules on Planning and Sustainable Urbanism. She is also a member of James Cook University’s Tropical Urbanism and Design Lab, an interdisciplinary team of geographers, architects, sociologists and planners interested in tropical urbanism.

Prior to commencing her appointment at James Cook University in Singapore, Dr Azzali worked and researched for various renowned academic institutions such as the National University of Singapore, University College London, Politecnico di Milano, and Qatar University, where she also undertook her PhD studies. Dr Azzali has published extensively in top international journals and presented her work at several international conferences. Her teaching experience covers four different universities in Milan, Doha, and Singapore, where she has taught core modules, elective courses, and studios. She has also contributed to organizing several events, workshops, and initiatives on urban planning, design, and architecture.

Areas of expertise

• Urban planning and design for the tropical built environment

• Liveability and sustainability of public spaces

• Design of people-oriented public spaces

• Urban regeneration and renewal processes

• Walkability and pedestrianization

• Spatial practices of migrant communities

• Environment-behaviour studies

• Mega Sport Events and their impact on the built environment

Dr Simona AzzaliLecturer in Urban DesignJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD in Urban Planning and Design, Qatar University, QatarMSc in Digital Design, Politecnico di Milano, ItalyLaurea (MSc + BSc), Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Impact of research • Developed a framework for the appraisal of mega-event

sites and venues, and implementation of strategies and recommendations to maximise their post-event and long-term use

• Investigated the impact of socio-cultural dimensions on the built environment by implementing a walking-tour assessment procedure for the appraisal of perceptual, social, and functional attributes of open spaces in Asian cities

• Investigated the effectiveness of form-based code guidelines to improve walkability in Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) neighbourhoods

• Developed several e-learning and e-collaboration projects aimed at implementing innovative teaching strategies, and new methods and technologies for teaching architecture and design

Top five publications• Azzali, S., & Tomba, M. (2018). Urban development and

planning practice in Doha. MEI – Middle East Insights Series, 2018, 1-12.

• Azzali, S. (2017). Mega-events and urban planning: Doha as a case study. Urban Design International, 22(1), 3-12.

• Azzali, S. (2017). The legacies of Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: An evaluation of the Adler Olympic Park. Urban Research & Practice, 10(3), 329-349.

• Salama, A., and Azzali, S. (2015). Examining attributes of urban open spaces in Doha. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): Urban Design and Planning, 168 (2). pp. 75-87.

• Azzali, S. (2015). The Impact of rapid motorization and urban growth: An analysis of the city of Doha, Qatar. The Arab World Geographer, 18(4), 299-309.

FurtherInformation


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BackgroundProf Emmanuel Adegbite’s widely cited research on corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and corporate finance has been published in world-leading academic and professional outlets. His research has received prestigious awards and, in collaboration with others, he has secured close to £500,000 in funding. Prof Adegbite works closely with businesses, NGOs and governments in promoting corporate accountability, especially in emerging and developing economies.

Areas of expertise• Strategies for good corporate governance

• Board performance and appraisal

• Corporate governance regulation

• Corporate social responsibility as a governance framework

• Corporate governance and sustainability

• Africapitalism

Impact of research

• Developed world-leading and internationally excellent research which draws heavily from Accounting, Finance, Financial Management, Business Ethics, Institutionalism and Political Economy, and is predominantly framed around Corporate Governance, Corporate Accountability, Corporate Social Responsibility and Management Control.

• Critically explored the meaning and practice of corporate accountability across geographies (e.g. Nigeria, UK) and practice domains (e.g. financial services and markets, and SMEs) and its implication for responsible corporate behaviour and practice.

• Brings a unique corporate accountability (institutionalist) perspective, as well as an African voice, to accounting scholarship and my publications have presented implications, not only to the academy but, to the business sector and polity, especially in developing economies.

• My research has continued to be appreciated by peers in the global management academic community as shown in the rising number of citations. These include citations in leading

journals on the Association of Business Schools (ABS) list, and leading international policy outlets.

• My research has continued to be recognised outside academia. In June 2015, the Financial Times (in “This is Africa”, a publication by the UK Financial Times) invited me to write an article on governance in Nigeria. In January 2015, the “World Finance” described me as a leading expert on corporate governance in Nigeria. I am regularly invited to speak at academic and practitioners events/conferences.

• Received the Vice Chancellor’s OSCAR Award nomination for Outstanding Contribution to Research Excellence at De Montfort University in 2017. I received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2014 at Durham University. I received the International Business Review Best Paper Award for 2015. I was nominated for the International Management Division CGIO Best Paper in International Corporate Governance Award at the 2017 Academy of Management Annual Meeting. I was awarded the Best Reviewer Award at the 2017 Academy of International Business Annual Meeting.


• Adegbite, E., Amaeshi, K. & Amao, O, (2012). The politics of shareholder activism in Nigeria. Journal of Business Ethics, 105(3), 389-402.

• Adegbite, E. (2015). Good corporate governance in Nigeria: Antecedents, propositions and peculiarities. International Business Review, 24(2), 319-330.

• Judge, W.Q., Wei Hu, H., Gabrielsson, J., Talaulicar, T., Witt, M.A., Zattoni, A., Lopez-Iturriaga, F., Chen, J., Shukla, D., Quttainah, M., Adegbite, E., Luis Rivas, J., & Kibler, B. (2015). Configurations of capacity for change in entrepreneurial threshold firms imprinting and strategic choice perspectives. Journal of Management Studies, 52(4), 506-530.

• Nakpodia, F. & Adegbite, E. (2018). Corporate governance and elites. Accounting Forum, 42, 17-31.

• Egbe, I., Adegbite, E., Yekini, K. C. (2018). The influence of multinational enterprises on subsidiaries: Context matters. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 31(2), 703-724.

Prof Emmanuel AdegbiteProfessor Governance and ManagementJames Cook University (Singapore)

Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, Durham University, UKPhD, CASS Business School, University of London, UKMSc, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK

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FurtherInformation


BackgroundDr Desti Kannaiah has worked in India, Malaysia, Dubai, Vietnam and Singapore. Prior to joining James Cook University in Singapore in 2011, Dr Desti worked as a Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University in London and in Dubai, and at RMIT University in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has been teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels for the past 35 years. He was also formerly the Head of the Accounting Department of a leading business school in Singapore. He has been an examiner for a number of UK and Indian universities since 1999. He has presented several international conference papers and written journal articles across a range of disciplines. Dr Desti has been an invited keynote speaker, guest lecturer and a resource person at international conferences, and at overseas universities and colleges since 2015.

Dr Desti enjoys the challenges of the tertiary-level academic environment, along with opportunities to infuse international and cultural dimensions to his research. He regularly supervises research projects undertaken by MBA students at James Cook University in Singapore, and in the past has supervised MPhil scholars. Currently, Dr Desti is an external examiner of PhD dissertations for about 17 Indian universities. Dr Desti was awarded the Best Lecturer of the Year 2013 by James Cook University in Singapore and he was awarded the title of the Best Overall Lecturer by the Thames Business School, Informatics Group Singapore for the year 2001. He is keen to supervise PhD scholars in the areas of Management Accounting and Financial Accounting.

Areas of expertise• Activity Based Costing (ABC)

• International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

• Foreign direct investment (FDI)

• Corporate governance and effective financial reporting

• Problem-based learning

• Forensic accounting

Memberships and other qualifications• Chartered Accountant, Australia & New Zealand (CA, ANZ)

• Fellow of Certified Practising Accountants, (FCPA, Australia)

• Fellow Member, Association of International Accountants (FAIA, UK)

Impact of research• Shed some light on the factors that contribute to the decision

to implement an Activity Based Costing system in different organizations and provided a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and empirical literature on the dimensions of ABC implementation experiences in 36 different studies published over the past 15 years. The modal factors that have dominated the implementation of ABC systems were top management support, IT support, and willingness to use an ABC system after its implementation.

• Big data analytics-application of artificial neural network in forecasting stock price trends in India. Analyzed the stock price trends and predicted values of three top market capitalization stocks, namely RIL, TCS and HDFC Bank, which are listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange in India. If and only if the information relating to the stock prices was pre-processed efficiently using a machine-learning method like an artificial neural network, the forecasting would become more accurate and the investors could ensure earning capital appreciation for their stock investments, which would ensure maximization of wealth in the long run.


• Kathiravan, C., Selvam, M., Desti, K, Lingaraja, K., & Thanikachalam, V. (2018). On the relationship between weather and Agricultural Commodity Index in India: a study with reference to Dhaanya of NCDEX. Quality and Quantity. (In Press).

• Sigo, M. O., Selvam, M., Maniam, B., Desti, K., Kathiravan, C., & Vadivel, T. (2018). Big data analytics-application of artificial neural network in forecasting stock price trends in India. Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies Journal, 23(3). 1-13.

• Kathiravan, et al. & Desti. K. (2018). An empirical investigation of the interlinkages of stock returns and the weather at the Indian Stock Exchange, Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 17(1). 1-14.

• Desti, K. & Jayakumar. A. (2018). Impact of corporate social responsibility practices on consumer behaviour. International Journal of Business and Management, 13(3), 1833-3850, 28-41.

• Desti, K. (2015). Activity Based Costing (ABC): Is it a Tool for Company to Achieve Competitive Advantage? International Journal of Economics and Finance, 7(12), 1916-9728. 275-281.

Dr Desti KannaiahSenior Lecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Commerce), Nagpur University, IndiaMPhil (Cost Accounting), Nagpur University, IndiaMCom (Costing & Taxation), University of Madras, IndiaMBA (Executive), M S. University, IndiaBCom (Commerce & Accounting), University of Madras, IndiaBEd (Commerce & Accounting), University of Madras, IndiaGraduate Certificate in Education - Tertiary Teaching, James Cook University, Australia

FurtherInformation


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BackgroundDr Thanh Nguyen specializes in the field of banking and finance. She completed her PhD studies on banking efficiency and competition in 2016. Before embarking on a PhD, Dr Nguyen worked in the Trade Finance Department of a commercial bank in Vietnam for eight years, initially as an officer, and working her way up to a managerial position. She worked as a Lecturer in Finance at the Vietnamese-German University in Vietnam for one year before joining James Cook University in Singapore in 2017.

Dr Thanh Nguyen’s research interests include bank competition and efficiency, stock market integration and determinants, and income inequality issues. The models she most typically employs in her research include Data Envelopment Analysis, Stochastic Frontier Analysis, Granger causality, Cointegration, and Generalized Method of Moments.

Areas of expertise

• Operational efficiency and productivity analysis

• Bank performance

• Financial market

• Income inequality

Impact of research • Investigated the interrelationships between cost efficiency,

capital ratio and insolvency risk in Vietnamese banks to characterize the managerial behaviours in these banks. This study had implications for policy makers and bank managers in initiating policies and strategies to improve bank efficiency and stability in Vietnam.

• Examined the comparative levels of efficiency, innovation and competition and then examined the effect of competition on innovation of banks in Vietnam, China and India. This study recommends that to improve bank cost-reducing innovation, the relevant policy may be speeding up the deregulating process to promote competition to reduce the price–cost margin in all the three countries; and that and Chinese and Indian banks may constitute a relevant benchmark for Vietnamese banks to improve their operating cost efficiency.

Dr Thanh NguyenLecturer, Business James Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Banking & Finance), Griffith University, AustraliaBBanking & Finance, MBanking & Finance, University of Economics, Vietnam

• Evaluated the degree to which the Vietnamese stock market is correlated to some leading stock markets around the world. The study results revealed information on the feasibility of policy initiatives to enhance stock market integration in Vietnam, and on the benefits of diversification across Asian stock market.

• Investigated the effects of stock market indicators, banking, and Foreign Direct Investments inflows on income inequalities in developed and emerging market economies around the world. This study has policy implications in fighting the growth in income disparity.

Top five publications• Nguyen, T. & Nghiem, S (2019). The effects of competition on

efficiency: The Vietnamese banking industry experience. The Singapore Economic Review (in press).

• Nguyen, T., Nghiem, S., Roca, E. & Sharma, P. (2016). Efficiency, innovation and competition: Evidence from Vietnam, China and India. Empirical Economics, 51 (3), 1235-1259.

• Nguyen, T., Nghiem, S, Roca, E. & Sharma, P. (2016). Bank reforms and efficiency in Vietnamese banks: Evidence based on SFA and DEA. Applied Economics, 48 (30), 2822-2835.

• Nguyen, T., Nghiem, S. & Roca, E. (2016). Management behaviour in Vietnamese commercial banks. Australian Economic Papers, 55 (4), 345-367.

• Nguyen, T., Roca, E. & Sharma, P. (2014). How efficient is the banking system of Asia’s next economic dragon? Evidence from rolling DEA windows. Applied Economics, 46 (22), 2665-2684.

FurtherInformation


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BackgroundDr Thong specializes in securities valuation and trading with a focus on market microstructure and behavioral finance. He publishes in various international refereed journals, such as Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting (RQFA), Asian Development Review (ADR), etc. His research interests are Investments, Corporate Finance and FinTech.

Dr Thong also develops various investment strategies and applications based on his research and experience in the securities markets to enhance investors’ returns across countries. Currently, he works on various industry projects to bring his finance knowledge and expertise to the real world by looking into the securities exchange policies and the fee-based financial planning industry. In the meantime, Dr Thong is writing a handbook on Corporate Finance: Theory and Application.

Areas of expertise

• Investments

• Corporate Finance

• Wealth Management

• Real Estate Investments

Impact of research • Provided significant empirical research evidence and implication

on decision making for the policy makers.

• Processed information in the financial markets using theoretical financial modelling and skills.

• Developed effective securities trading strategies to enhance teaching and learning experience at tertiary level.

• Established strong network with both industry and academia over last 20 years.

Top publications

• Charoenwong, C., Ding, D. K., & Thong, T. Y. (2016). Decimalization, IPO Aftermath, and Liquidity. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting (RQFA), 47, 1303 – 1334.

• Ang, S. J., Ding, D. K., & Thong, T. Y. (2013). Political connection and firm value. Asian Development Review (ADR), The MIT Press, 30, 131 – 166.

• Krishnamurti, C. & Thong, T. Y. (2008). Lockup expiration, ensider selling and bid-ask spreads. International Review of Economics and Finance (IREF), U.S.A., 17, 230 – 244.

• Ding, D. K., Lim, C. Y., & Thong, T. Y. (2008). Firm diversification and earnings management: Evidence from seasoned equity offerings. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting (RQFA), U.S.A., 30, 69 – 92.

Dr TY ThongLecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD Finance, NTU, Singapore MBA Accountancy, NTU, Singapore MSocSc Economics, NUS, Singapore BA Economics, NTU, Taiwan

FurtherInformation


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BackgroundDr Huiping Zhang received her PhD in Finance in 2011. Before she joined James Cook University in Singapore, Dr. Zhang was an Associate Professor of Finance at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in China.

Dr Zhang’s area of research focus includes empirical asset pricing, market microstructure and international stock markets. She focuses on the effects of liquidity on stock returns and the measurement of liquidity in emerging markets. She also conducts research on the impact of media coverage on stock liquidity and returns in the Chinese stock market. Her work has been published in top-tier finance journals such as the Journal of Financial Economics, Financial Review, and the International Review of Finance.

Areas of expertise

• Market microstructure

• Asset pricing

• International financial markets

Impact of research • Proposed a new measure of stock liquidity and found strong

evidence that the measure outperforms the existing liquidity proxies in the emerging stock markets.

• Examined various investment strategies in the equity market such as the risk premium of stock liquidity level and liquidity risk. Research findings show that international investors ask for a significant return compensation for illiquid stocks. Moreover, this illiquidity premium co-moves across different countries and gets higher in market crashes.

• Her research findings show that two global policy risk factors, which capture the policy risk from government instability (GOVLMH) and the quality of bureaucracy (BURLMH), are significantly and positively related to equity returns. A country with weaker economic and institutional conditions has an increased risk exposure to the BURLMH factor, whereas a country with high democracy has more risk exposure to the GOVLMH factor. Her research has revealed the importance and complexity of policy risk in international equity markets.


• Lam, S., Zhang, H. & Zhang, W. (2018). Is policy instability priced in international equity markets? International Review of Finance

• Amihud, Y., Hameed, A., Kang, W., & Zhang, H. (2015). Stock liquidity and the cost of equity capital in global markets. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 27, 68-74.

• Amihud, Y., Hameed, A., Kang, W., & Zhang, H. (2015). The illiquidity premium: International evidence. Journal of Financial Economics, 117, 350-368.

• Kang, W., & Zhang, H. (2014). Measuring liquidity in emerging markets. Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, 27, 49-71.

• Kang, W., & Zhang, H. (2013). Limit order book and commonality in liquidity. Financial Review, 48, 97-122.

Dr Huiping ZhangSenior Lecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD Finance, National University of Singapore, SingaporeMaster of Management, Shandong University, ChinaBachelor of Law, Shandong University, China

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BackgroundProfessor Ng’s research focuses on diversity and inclusion, including public policy on fair treatment (e.g., employment equity and affirmative action) in the workplace, managing diversity for organizational competitiveness, public service motivation, and managing an intergenerational workforce. He received a $123K grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada (with G. Sears and K. Arnold) to study diversity and inclusion practices in 2016-2019, and a $158K grant from SSHRC (with S. Lyons and L. Schweitzer) to study an intergenerational workforce in 2008-2011. He has served as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Theme Committee of the Academy of Management, and of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. Professor Ng has received several teaching and research awards including the Elwood F. Holton III Research Excellence Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal and an Associate Editor for Personnel Review.

Areas of expertise

• Human Resource Management

• Diversity and Inclusion

• Managing Across Generations

• Aging Workforce

• Careers

• Public Service Motivation

Impact of research

• The Generational Career Shift Project, a collaboration with Sean Lyons (University of Guelph) and Linda Schweitzer (Carleton University), offers employers new tools to understand and manage generational differences in the workplace.

• Provided guidance to the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and the Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP) Exam Committee with respect to the content of the CCIP exam

• Served as an Academic Observer at the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration

• Developing a Compendium of Diversity and Inclusion Indices to help (1) identify the strengths and weaknesses inherent within popular and established indices, (2) uncover potential biases in indicators that may potentially exist, and (3) encourage the greater use of indices in research and decision making

• Currently investigating anti-American sentiments experienced by American expatriates in Canada, and understanding how nationality can be a basis for workplace harassment and discrimination


• Ng, E. S., & Sears, G. J. (in press). Walking the talk on diversity: CEO beliefs, moral values, and the implementation of workplace diversity practices. Journal of Business Ethics.

• Ng, E. S., Lyons, S. T., & Schweitzer, L. (2018). Generational Career Shifts: How Matures, Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials View Work. Emerald Publishing Limited. doi: 10.1108/9781787145832

• Ng, E. S., & Stamper, C. L. (2018). A Trump presidency and the prospect for equality and diversity. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 37(1), 2-13.

• Ng, E. S., & Rumens, N. (2017). Diversity and inclusion for LGBT workers: Current issues and new horizons for research. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l’Administration, 34(2), 109-120.

• Ng, E. S., & Sears, G. J. (2017). The glass ceiling in context: the influence of CEO gender, recruitment practices and firm internationalisation on the representation of women in management. Human Resource Management Journal, 27(1), 133-151.

Prof Eddy NgProfessor, Organisational BehaviourJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD McMaster University, CanadaMBA Simon Fraser University, CanadaBCom The University of British Columbia, Canada

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FurtherInformation


BackgroundDr Caroline Wong’s industry experiences include domestic and retail banking in Singapore as well as research with the government sector both in Singapore and in Australia. The focus of her PhD thesis was on managing the intangible resources and competencies that have increasingly become sources of competitive advantage in the creative cultural industries such as the film industry.

Dr Wong was a member of the 2007 International Scientific Committee of the KCWS (Knowledge Cities World Summit) that organised the first Global Knowledge Based Development Conference in Monterrey (Mexico) that brought together nearly two hundred specialists from over 30 countries in interactive forum dialogues on a global knowledge-based development agenda.

She was also a member of the panel of international experts on knowledge-based cities known as the MAKCi International Advisory Board between 2007-2009 that recommended, reviewed, selected, and voted for the final list of knowledge-based cities annually. She contributed to online forums, discussions, and nominations of cities for the award of “Most Admired Knowledge City” between the years 2007 – 2011. Her presentation of “Singapore as a knowledge-based city” aptly clinched Singapore the Most Admired Knowledge City (MAKCi) award in 2007 in Monterrey, Mexico. In 2011, Singapore was first place winner in the Most Admired Knowledge City award under the Knowledge Metropolis category and Caroline accepted the award on behalf of the Singapore Government at the awards ceremony.

Dr Wong’s other international engagements included being a distinguished speaker at the EdukCircle International Convention on International Business in 2016 organized by De La Salle University, Philippines, where she delivered a paper on the topic of International Business and ASEAN Integration: Organizational Change & Challenges in the Global Cultural Economy.

Areas of expertise

• Knowledge management

• Knowledge-based cities

• Creative cities and creative industries with special focus on Singapore

• Scholarship of teaching and learning

Dr Caroline WongSenior Lecturer, Business James Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (International Business), Australian National University, Australia GCert Higher Education, University of Queensland, Australia MBA, Australian National University, Australia BA, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Impact of research • The framework (Good Practice Guide) developed in the Local

Global Learning research provides a concise, user-friendly model for practitioners in the application of the following areas: the development of quality local and global service program activities for students; facilitating global perspectives through community-based learning experiences.

Top five publications• Salter, P., Halbert, K., Howard, E., Singh, M., Miles, D., Jones,

P., Bhati, A., Wong, C., & Han, JH. (2018). Local connections, global perspectives. In: T. Hall, T. Gray, G., Downey, & M. Singh (eds.), The Globalisation of Higher Education: Developing Internationalised Education in Research and Practice. Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Wong, C., Delante,L., & Wang, P.J. (2017). Using PELA to predict international business students’ English writing performance with contextualised English writing workshops as intervention program. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 14(1), 1-21.

• Wong, C. & Matthews, J. (2011). Collaboration and Co-production in the Singapore film industry: Opportunities for development through strategic alliances. Journal of Competence-Based Strategic Management, 5, 29-50.

• Wong, C. (2008). A knowledge-based economy: The case of Singapore. International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management, 8(6), 169-180.

• Wong, C., Millar, C. J. M., & Chong, J. C. (2006). Singapore in transition: From technology to culture hub, Journal of Knowledge Management, 10(5), 79-91.

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BackgroundAssociate Professor Adrian Kuah brings over 20 years of experience handling environmental conservation issues, and leading JCU research on circular economy practices like waste reduction, the sharing economy, servitization, recycling, and remanufacturing. More recently, he investigated consumer buy-in in countries like China, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia and published articles on solar photovoltaic tax incentives in China, and green marketing of the circular economy in Europe and Asia. He brings excellent knowledge, global experiences and local connections to water treatment, waste reduction, and energy conservation industries. Between 1996 and 2000, he was instrumental in the feasibility study and implementation of a Deep Tunnel Sewerage System programme in Singapore.

To date, A/Prof Kuah has written over 50 publications, including 19 refereed journal articles in top ranked journals such as the European Journal of Marketing, European Business Review, Thunderbird International Business Review, and R&D Management. With experience as a Chief Investigator and obtaining more than half a million dollars in research grants, he currently leads a cross-campus research team exploring the Circular Economy and Sustainable Livelihoods with colleagues based in Cairns, Singapore and Townsville.

A/Prof Kuah is a member of research committees in James Cook University in Singapore and in the College of Business Law and Governance. He leads the Global Business Systems (GBS) research cluster at James Cook University in Singapore. Research undertaken includes consumer behaviour, corporate social responsibility, labour, and institutional reactions towards new management paradigms. GBS research is classified into three distinctive themes: (a) Sustainability and the Circular Economy; (b) International Business and Human Resources; and (c) Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Areas of expertise

• Sustainability and the Circular Economy

• International Business and HRM

• National Competitiveness

Impact of research

• Advised the Northern Ireland government through evidence-based research on productivity, innovation and competitiveness in small open economies. Through the programme, he facilitated dialogue between policy makers in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Recommendations from this programme were highlighted by then-Economic Minister Arlene Foster during her speech, with economic impact on improving the competitiveness of Northern Ireland and its 1.3 million population.

• Working with a leading entertainment group comprising several hotels, a convention centre and casinos in East Asia on sustainable practices of the circular economy. Appointed as research contributor and contracted to conduct waste stream analysis of plastic flow within a large commercial hospitality operation. Potential impact includes waste capture, reduction and recycling for sustainability impacting 500,000 people.


• Wang, P, & Kuah, A.T.H. (2018). Green marketing cradle-to-cradle: remanufactured products in Asian markets. Thunderbird International Business Review, 60(5), 783-795.

• Kuah, A.T.H., & Wang, P. (2017). Fast-expanding “online” markets in South Korea and China: Are they worth pursuing? Thunderbird International Business Review, 59(1), 63-77.

• Harding, S., Trewin, D., Penny, A., Ziembicki, M., Dale, A., Ustan, T.S., Tan, D., Waltham, N., Laurance, W.F., Ceclia, R., Yong, W.D., Kuah, A.T.H., Hassan, S., Mcjannet, K., Langston, J., Riggs, R., Mohd Sharif, D.M., & Jamaludin, S.R. (2017). State of the Tropics: Sustainable Infrastructure in the Tropics. James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.

• Kuah, A.T.H., & Weerakkody, V. (2015). Is cost transparency necessarily good for consumers? European Journal of Marketing, 49(11/12) 1980-1986.

• Kuah, A.T.H. (2002) Cluster theory and practice: Advantages for the small business locating in a vibrant cluster. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 4 (3) 206-228.

Assoc Prof Adrian T H KuahAssociate Professor of BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Business Administration), University of Manchester, UKMBA (Strategic Management), University of Strathclyde, UKBEng (Mechanical Engineering), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

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BackgroundDr Adrian Bradshaw’s academic and professional career has taken him around the world from Barbados in the West Indies, through Africa, to the Asia-Pacific and Singapore. He has extensive experience in information technology management, administration and support, and was involved in and has managed information technology projects. He has 20 years of experience working in various countries and cultures. Since obtaining his PhD in the field of Business Management in 2012, Dr Bradshaw’s interests have been in fusing management, business, technology and knowledge into a teaching and research agenda to impact students, academia and industry. He has authored research articles and conference papers and contributed to book chapters across a range of disciplines including knowledge management, project management, marketing and tourism.

Drawing on his experience, Dr Bradshaw has a keen interest in qualitative research and the application of qualitative methods to knowledge management, business management and strategy, technology in business and FinTech. His other interests are in technology entrepreneurship and start-ups. In the area of knowledge management, Dr Bradshaw has contributed to a better understanding of how IT consultants can add value to knowledge creation and dissemination in small and medium enterprises.

Areas of expertise

• Knowledge management – Knowledge creation and transfer in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – In relation to SMEs and impact on Knowledge management in general

Impact of research • Developed a framework to explain how information technology

consultants are a crucial component of the creation and transfer of IT and business specific knowledge in small and medium enterprises. The impact of external sources, like consultants, on knowledge creation and dissemination is an aspect of knowledge management that was previously not well understood. Further research has emerged into the impact of ICT consultants, the impact of the internet and social capital, the impact of software developers and even HR providers.

Dr Adrian BradshawLecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD, University of Canterbury, New ZealandMPhil, University of West Indies, BarbadosBSc (Hons), University of West Indies, Barbados

Top five publications• Bradshaw, A., Cragg, P., & Pulakanam, V. (2012). IS

consultants and SMEs: a competence perspective. In: Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation, pp. 25-33. From: ECIME 2012: 6th European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation, 13-14 September 2012, Cork, Ireland.

• Bradshaw, A., Cragg, P., & Pulakanam, V. (2013). Do IS consultants enhance IS competences in SMEs? Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation, 16, 13-24.

• Bradshaw, A., Pulakanam, V., & Cragg, P. (2015). Knowledge sharing in IT consultant and SME interactions. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 19, 197-217.

• Tjong, B., Bhati, A., Bradshaw, A., & Tang, C. M. (2016). Hedonic shopping motivation: Does it really matter? In P. Mandal & J. Vong (Eds.), Development of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry in Southeast Asia (pp. 51-64). Singapore: Springer.

• Tjong, B., Tang, C. M., Bradshaw, A., & Bhati, A. (2016). Optimum stimulation level and shopping experience: a case of Australia. In P. Mandal & J. Vong (Eds.), Development of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry in Southeast Asia (pp. 97-112). Singapore: Springer.

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BackgroundAfter obtaining his PhD degree in 2016, Dr Eijdenberg worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany (2016 – 2019). Dr Eijdenberg’s research interests are about entrepreneurs(hip) in emerging economies, with particular interests in the personal attributes of entrepreneurs and how these attributes are related to the sustainable growth of their business. Most of Dr Eijdenberg’s research is based on primary data of several hundred questionnaires, and interviews from emerging economies, making him an experienced data collector and leader of research projects in challenging contexts. Dr Eijdenberg’s work has been presented at international entrepreneurship and management conferences such as AoM, ESU, EURAM, ICSB and RENT.

For research and consulting projects, Dr Eijdenberg has secured in collaboration with others close to €500,000 in funding from multiple organisations such as the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education (Nuffic) and the Volkswagen Foundation. In these projects, Dr Eijdenberg is involved as an expert for short and long-term assignments in an increasing number of countries including Burundi, Ethiopia, Oman, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Areas of expertise

• Emerging economies

• Entrepreneurship

• Firm performance

• Informal economy

• Small business

• Sustainability

Impact of research

• As an expert, Dr Eijdenberg has been involved in the delivery and organisation of numerous tailor-made trainings (Nuffic) and summer schools (Volkswagen Foundation) in emerging economies. In these projects, Dr Eijdenberg applied much of his locally sourced research into practice. The projects involved the development of entrepreneurship and management curricula at higher education institutions, soft skills training of entrepreneurs, and value chain optimisation of private sector companies.

Top publications

• Choongo P., Eijdenberg E. L., Chabala M., Lungu J., & Taylor T. K. (2020). The evolution of urban entrepreneurship in Zambia. In: M. N. Iftikhar, J. Justice, & D. B. Audretsch (Eds.), Urban studies and entrepreneurship (pp. 249-269).. Springer: Cham, Switzerland.

• Lepeley, M. T., Kuschel, K., Beutell, N. J., Pouw, N. R., & Eijdenberg, E. L. (Eds.) (2019). The wellbeing of women in entrepreneurship: A global perspective. Routledge: London, UK.

• Eijdenberg, E. L., Sabokwigina, D., & Masurel, E. (2019). Performance and environmental sustainability orientations in the informal economy of a least developed country. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(1), 129-149.

• Eijdenberg, E. L., Thompson, N. A., Verduijn, K., & Essers, C. (2019). Entrepreneurial activities in a developing country: An institutional theory perspective. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(3), 414-432.

• Eijdenberg, E. L. (2016). Does one size fit all? A look at entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation in the informal economy of Tanzania. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 22(6), 804-834.

Dr Emiel EijdenbergSenior Lecturer, Business James Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Entrepreneurship), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NetherlandsMSc (Business Administration), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NetherlandsMSc (Marketing), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NetherlandsBSc (Business Administration), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands

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BackgroundDr Tang has taught business information systems (IS) and management courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels for close to 18 years. At James Cook University in Singapore, Dr Tang specializes in project management, operations management, and supply chain management. To enhance learning delivery, he continues to keep abreast of the latest developments in the fields. He also has many years of experience supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students in their dissertations.

Dr Tang conducts research in the area of business information systems (IS). His major research areas include IS evaluation, strategic IS, and IS business alignment. He is familiar with quantitative research methods and uses software tools like RapidMiner, Tableau, SPSS, SmartPLS, WarpPLS, Amos, Super Decisions, Minitab, and SigmaXL.

At James Cook University in Singapore, Dr Tang founded the Operations and Supply Chain Management Club for students who are interested in the field, and he continues to be a club mentor. Dr Tang’s passion for operations and supply chain management has driven him to organise many field visits for students to many business establishments. He has also supervised student teams to work on real-world, industry-linked projects such as the application of statistical process control in chocolate manufacturing and reusing coffee powder waste for earthworm farming.

Areas of expertise

• Strategic information systems

• IS business alignment

• Strategic management

• Digital innovations

• Lean management

• Six Sigma methodology

• Design for Six Sigma

• Process improvement

• Statistical process control

• Operations management

• Supply chain management

• Project management

Impact of research

• Dr Tang’s papers on IS evaluation and IS-enabled organizational effectiveness have been cited many times in leading information systems journals. His work provides some insight into how organisations can determine the value of their IS investment.


• Chaw, L.Y., & Tang, C. M. (2018). What makes learning management systems effective for learning? Journal of Educational Technology Systems, https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239518795828

• Tang, C.M., & Chaw, L.Y. (2016). Digital literacy: A prerequisite for effective learning in a blended learning environment? Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 14(1), 54-65.

• Tang, C.M., & Marthandan, G. (2011). An analytical model to measure IS-enabled organizational effectiveness. International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems, 7(2), 50-65.

• Marthandan, G., & Tang, C.M. (2010). Information systems evaluation: An ongoing measure. International Journal of Business Information Systems, 6(3), 336-353.

• Marthandan, G., & Tang, C.M. (2010). Information technology evaluation: Issues and challenges. Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 12(1), 37-55.

Dr Chun Meng TangLecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Management), Multimedia University, MalaysiaMBA, Utah State University, USAMSc (Business Information Systems and Education), Utah State University, USABSc (Business Information Systems), Utah State University, USA

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BackgroundDr Wang is an active researcher in the areas of Corporate Governance, International Business and Sustainable Business Practice. Much of her research aims to bridge the understanding between East and West, through refining theories developed in the West to Eastern contexts and/or comparing firms and behaviours of individual’s between East and West. Her first research interest is to examine how the institutional environment at different levels influences firms’ sustainable development in corporate governance and international business. Her second research focus is to understand the uniqueness in promoting sustainable business practices in Asia, noting that sustainability is becoming more imperative in emerging economies.

To infuse these issues with novel understandings, she takes on an interdisciplinary research orientation, by drawing on theories in management areas (e.g., strategy, marketing, entrepreneurship, etc.) and other disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, political science, etc.).

Dr Wang has a strong methodological focus – she is well versed at employing different research methods (e.g., archival data, field survey and interview) and analytical approaches (e.g., HLM, SEM, factor analysis, qualitative data analysis, etc.) to address such issues.

Her research has been published in top ranked journals such as International Business Review, Journal of Business Ethics, Management and Organization Review, Corporate Governance: An International Review, etc.

Dr Wang is conducting several projects on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR is an arising topic in corporate governance and business practices. More and more scholars and organizations have recognized the necessity of engaging in CSR as part of their sustainable development. Yet most of the CSR theories and research are developed based on large firms from Western counties. Hence it is imperative to test the validity of and refine those Western-born theories in Eastern contexts. One project Dr Wang is working on together with a research student is to investigate the ways in which Asian SMEs engage in CSR and why they do or do not engage.

Another project investigates the extent to which various investors influence listed firms’ changes in CSR strategy and why they do so.

Several other projects arise from collaborative efforts with academics in Australia and the U.K., as well as industry partners such as Food Bank Singapore. Those projects focus on sustainable business practices and aim to understand consumers’ food waste behavior by applying psychological and sociological theories.

Areas of expertise

• International Business

• Corporate Governance

• Sustainable Marketing

• Cross-Cultural Management


• Wang, P., Yuan, L., & Wu, J. (2017). The joint effects of social identity and institutional pressures on audit quality: the case of the Chinese audit industry. International Business Review, 26(4), 666-682.

• Ma, X., Wang, P., & Li, D. (2017). What determines the establishment of Chinese multinational enterprises’ Asian regional headquarters? Management and Organization Review, 13(1), 85-119.

• Wang, P., Zhu, H., & Bart, C. (2016). Board processes, board strategic involvement, and organizational performance in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(2), 311-328.

• Toru, Y., Hongjin, Z, & Wang, P. (2014). National governance system, corporate ownership, and roles of outside directors: A corporate governance bundle perspective. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 22(3), 252–265.

• Wang, P. & Kuah, A. T.H. (2017). Green marketing cradle-to-cradle: Remanufactured products in Asian markets. Thunderbird International Business Review. Feature Article. DOI: 10.1002/tie.21925.

Assoc Prof Pengji Wang Associate Professor, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD, Strategy and Policy, National University of Singapore, SingaporeMA, Industrial Economies, Nankai University, ChinaBA, Marketing, Nankai University, China

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BackgroundBefore joining James Cook University, Singapore, Dr Mukherjee worked as a Research Fellow at the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI) in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Prior to this she was a Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute of Retail Management in the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, where she currently holds a Visiting Research Position. Previously, she has held teaching positions at the University of Manchester and at London Metropolitan University. Her research interests focus on international retail development in emerging markets and she adopts the scenario planning methodology to study the future of retail development in emerging markets. She has experience in working with retailers such as John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, and global companies such as AMDOCS in her capacity as a researcher and consultant.

Areas of expertise

• Scenario Planning

• Strategic Reframing

• Retail Management

• Emerging Markets issues

• Services Marketing, Customer relationship management

Impact of research

• Dr Mukherjee led the Shopping and Lifestyle research project for the Asian Consumer Institute’s $4 million Pan Asia Wave consumer research project across 10 countries in Asia. She was responsible for designing the research agenda, compiling and disseminating the results and making recommendations to the funding partners. Dr Mukherjee has also adopted the scenario planning methodology extensively in her work in China, India, the UK and Singapore. She has been quoted in Singapore’s Straits Times and Business Times and her work has been published in the Asia Pacific Business Review, Futures, and the International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research. She is editor of the Routledge Studies in International Business and the World Economy series book, Retailing in emerging markets: A policy and strategy perspective, and has written op-eds for the Times of India and the Indian Express. She has also been successful in securing industry funding for her research in the past from Mars Inc. and AXA PPP Healthcare.


• Mukherjee, M. & Cuthbertson, R. (2016). Applying the scenarios method to capture the uncertainties of retail development in emerging markets. International review of retail, distribution and consumer research, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/09593969.2016.1147475

• Ramirez, R. Mukherjee, M., Vezolli, S., & Kramer, A.M. (2015). Scenarios as a scholarly method to produce “interesting research”. Futures, 71, 70-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2015.06.006

• Mukherjee, M., Cuthbertson, R., & Howard, E. (Eds.) (2015). Retailing in Emerging Markets: A strategy and policy perspective. London, UK: Routledge.

• Yahagi, T., & Mukherjee, M. (2009). The process of international business model transfer in the Seven- Eleven group: US-Japan-China. Asia Pacific Business Review, 15(1), 41-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602380802399338

• Mukherjee, M. (2009). Product and service innovation. In J. Reynolds (Ed), E-Business: A management perspective, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Dr Malobi MukherjeeLecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD (Marketing), Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UKMBA, Leeds University Business School, UKBA (Sociology), Presidency College, University of Calcutta, India

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BackgroundDr Jacob Wood is a founding Director of the Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia (CITBA). He specializes in the fields of international trade negotiation and the effect of non-tariff barriers on international trade flows. In addition to this, he published a series of international business studies on financial performance and social business adoption. He also has an interest in employee engagement and the important role it plays within a Human Resources Management context. His research has been published in a range of prominent international journals including Risk Management, Sustainability, Scientometrics, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, Global Business Review, Business Information Review, Social Sciences, and the Journal of Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, amongst others.

Prior to joining James Cook University in Singapore, Dr Wood worked in South Korea for more than 10 years, where he held positions as an Assistant Professor of Industrial Management at the Korean University of Technology and Education and more recently as an Assistant Professor of Asia Business at Chungnam National University. With respect to higher degrees by research, Dr Wood can supervise multidisciplinary projects in the fields of international trade and international business; in particular, Free Trade Agreement negotiations, trade barriers, and the WTO dispute settlement process. With strong collaborative networks throughout Asia and Australasia, the opportunities for significant research are great.

Areas of expertise

• Non-tariff barriers in international trade

• Free Trade Agreement (FTA) trade negotiations

• Knowledge management

• Employee engagement

Impact of research

• Dr Wood has had research cited in internationally recognized publication outlets. His work on international trade barriers and FTA negotiations has been referenced in Scientometrics Journal, Sustainability, and the Journal of Social Sciences. These works have helped identify relevant economic policy provisions that governments can adopt in order to tackle changing marketplace dynamics.

• His knowledge management studies have been cited in leading international journals such as the Performance Improvement Quarterly, the Journal of Applied Intelligence and the Human Resource Management Review.

• These studies have mapped out new means of analysing key trends within the human resource management and information technology fields through the use of big data and social network analysis.


• Ying, G., Wood, J., Pan, W., & Meng, Q. (2018). Inventory optimization of airport perishable emergency supplies with replacement strategy facing stochastic occurrence time by CVaR approach reference. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 31, 170-183. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.04.027

• Jun, S., Wood, J., & Park, S. (2018). Multivariate multiple regression modelling for technology analysis. Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 30(3), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/09537325.2017.1309015

• Wood, J., Wu, J., Li, Y., & Kim, J. (2017). TBT and SPS impacts on Korean exports to China: Empirical analysis using the PPML method. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 31(2), 96-114. doi: 10.1111/apel.12186

• Wood, J., Wu, J., Li, Y., & Jang, H. (2017). The economic impact of SPS measures on agricultural exports to China: An empirical analysis using the PPML method. Social Sciences, 6(51), 1-18.

• Wood, J. (2017). An industrial sector analysis of the factors effecting FTA negotiation outcomes. Global Business Review, 18(4) 1-16.

Dr Jacob Wood Senior Lecturer, BusinessJames Cook University (Singapore)

PhD, International Trade, Sogang University, South KoreaMMANT (Banking, Distinction), Massey University, New ZealandPGDIP (Banking, Distinction), Massey University, New ZealandBCom (Management), Otago University, New ZealandBTour (Tourism), Otago University, New Zealand

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CITBA

In today’s increasingly integrated global economy, businesses have sought to develop and nurture new commercial opportunities. At the heart of this change has been Asia, a vibrant, face-paced region abundant in natural and human resources. With significant trade and investment opportunities, Asia has been a key driver within the wider global economy. Given such a premise, it is imperative that more is done to better understand the underlying mechanisms that drive trade and business in Asia.

In order to facilitate this knowledge accumulation process, CITBA brings together scholars and practitioners in the areas of international trade, economic policy and business in Asia. CITBA aims to develop high impact academic research that is internationally recognized, provides meaningful advancements of knowledge, and has strong practical and policy implications for James Cook University, the region, and beyond. Furthermore, CITBA also provides guidance for early career researchers and doctoral students.

The Centre addresses four areas of research inquiry:

International trade

The focus is on intra-industry trade flows, import and export patterns among Asian countries, the impact of Free trade agreements and protectionism on Asian economies, and the role of non-tariff barriers as a neo-protectionist trade policy platform in Asia: for example, to map out the trade policy changes that have been occurring in recent times, and their potential implications for Asia.

Economic policy

The Centre aims to develop a better understanding of the importance the service sector plays in driving economic growth in Asia. For instance, the Centre also drives research initiatives that assess fiscal practices in the Asian region and how governments can better engage with business and the wider community.

International business

The Centre aims to develop new insights on the strategic development of foreign-owned subsidiaries, including their intra- and inter-organizational network relationship development within local and international networks, as well as geographic locational aspects and governance. For instance, how important are governmental support networks for foreign-owned subsidiaries in developing sustainable commercial linkages with local suppliers?

Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia (CITBA)

Sustainable development

The centre aims to address pressing issues facing the 21st century tropical city by adopting an interdisciplinary design thinking approach. The focus will be on the development of urban policies pertaining, but not limited to, urban densification and sprawl, smart design and green technologies, disaster management and resilience, and public health.

In addition to this, CITBA enjoys an extensive external research network having forged relationships with academics in several countries. Through these relationships, the Centre aims to generate research findings that have practical policy and strategic development applications for both the public and private sectors in Singapore and throughout the Asian region. We are constantly looking to actively expand our research collaboration network and welcome requests from all over Asia.

CITBA Team

CITBA was founded as a means of fostering collaboration within both Singapore, and the ASEAN region. With strong academic backgrounds in international trade and business, the CITBA team has worked hard to develop academic ties in Asia. As the primary Business-focused research centre located in the Singapore campus of James Cook University, CITBA is well placed to draw on the wealth of research experience and professional expertise that exist within the Department of Business. CITBA acts as a basis for the development of new, innovative forms of research; it also hosts regular events where experts from around the region share their experiences and knowledge to a wider audience of faculty and students.

CITBA has a well-established group of researchers at the Singapore campus of James Cook University. Members of which have been published in world class journals such as International Business Review, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of World Business to name a few.

For further information, visit www.jcu.edu.au/citba

www.jcu.edu.sg | 23

GBS Research Cluster

The Global Business Systems (GBS) Research Cluster under CITBA investigates economies and systems that require interdisciplinary approaches to create an impact on peoples, societies, and industries in the Tropics. The cluster has grown from 10 members to some 30 faculty and PhD scholars working along major themes: Circular Economy and Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility; Entrepreneurial Leaders; and Virtual Reality Advancements. GBS projects are driven and guided by top JCU researchers in business, sciences, IT and psychology.

The GBS Research Cluster was formed in 2016 with the financial support of its five-year plan by James Cook University in Singapore. This plan includes the study of economies and systems that require good interdisciplinary approaches to benefit peoples, societies, and industries in the Tropics. Several areas of research are being pursued:

Circular Economy & Sustainability

This area of core competency has attracted much interest with 13 JCU collaborators across three campuses. Members are investigating how sustainable circular economy practices may be adopted by businesses and perceived by consumers. The GBS team first introduced the circular economy paradigm in both the California Management Review and Thunderbird International Business Review in 2018, and the team further investigated the marketing of remanufactured goods in Asia. These projects have the capacity to accommodate Higher Degree by Research projects for interested parties. Two members of the GBS research cluster have also contributed to the State of the Tropics Report on Sustainable Infrastructure, published in 2017. In this report, they addressed the sustainable urban and coastal development of the Great Barrier Reef, and reported on challenges facing informal economy infrastructure in Tanzania and public housing in Singapore. The GBS research cluster and James Cook University’s Cairns Institute are also leading a new interdisciplinary Initiative on Circular Economy and Sustainability across three campuses. Alongside colleagues from the social and environment sciences, the GBS team is partnering with companies like Accenture Consulting, Ogilvy & Mather and the Circular Experiment.

GLOBAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS Research Cluster

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

This area of corporate governance and sustainable business practices was initially published in Corporate Governance: An International Review. GBS members have also combined institutional theory and social identity theory to explain how institutional forces shape quality (published in the International Business Review). Members recently examined CSR motivators of mass entrepreneurship and innovation in China, and plan to further investigate consumer perception and acceptance of sustainable luxury goods in Asia.

Virtual Reality Advancement

This interdisciplinary collaboration employs a serious gaming system and virtual reality onto brain entrainment in a human model of Alzheimer’s disease, which is a growing problem in the Tropics. GBS members are creating a gaming platform to examine the effect of gamma wave stimulation in a human model of Alzheimer’s disease. Other researchers have applied brain entrainment in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease and shown that gamma waves reduced amyloid-beta, a protein which is associated with neurodegeneration, and changed the states of microglia. Our experiment consists of three games, two of which involve spatial navigation and motion controls alongside binaural beats in the background. GBS members intend to further examine how virtual reality can overcome barriers to social and interpersonal stress due to culture-specific attributes in the Tropics.

Research projects are available for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers interested in sustainable business systems. Research students are encouraged to think about how their interests align with GBS research interests and to contact the cluster leader Associate Professor Adrian Kuah at [email protected]

www.jcu.edu.sg | 25

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James Cook University Australia offers pathway, undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the Singapore campus of James Cook University.This publication is intended as a general guide. The information is correct at the time of printing. James Cook University reserves the right to alter any course contents or admission requirements without prior notice. Version SIN12/19

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