Industry Collaborations
Our School has collaborated with businesses, as well as professional and government bodies on high profile industry research projects which have generated much industry interest and spun-off other studies focusing on the research findings submitted by our faculty.
Salary & Career Snippets Revelation #2: Accountancy – Possibilities, Perspectives and Purpose
Industry Partners:
Joint study by ISCA and SMU
Targeted at students, educators, and parents, Snippets Revelations #2: Accountancy – Possibilities, Perspectives, and Purpose builds on the success of the first edition by providing an in-depth exploration of the accountancy profession. This edition highlights the diverse career trajectories within the field, with a particular focus on salary trends and comparisons with other professions.
This new edition features the career stories of 11 seasoned professionals, each offering a unique perspective on the pathways within accountancy. Through their personal journeys, the guide showcases the varied roles and opportunities available in the field, underscoring the dynamic nature of the profession and its potential for growth.
Faculty Collaborators:
- Dr Clarence Goh, Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice)
- Dr Gary Pan, Professor of Accounting (Education)
- Dr Seow Poh Sun, Professor of Accounting (Education)
Commissioned by SGX Group
This research examines the societal implications of SGX RegCo’s transition from a size-based to a risk-based quarterly reporting regime.
The study highlights the effects of reduced reporting frequency on information asymmetry, investor behavior, and market efficiency and helps refine disclosure policies to ensure a balanced approach that maintains investor confidence without imposing undue regulatory costs on firms. The results of the study can facilitate corporate governance discussions by assessing how reporting flexibility influences managerial decision-making and earnings management practices.
Faculty Collaborators:
- Dr Wang Jiwei, Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice)
- Dr Prasart Jongjaroenkamol, Senior Lecturer of Accounting
Joint study by ISCA, Deloitte, SMU and SMF
The second study, “Sustainability Transformation: The Role of Accountancy and Finance Professionals in the Singapore Manufacturing Sector”, reveals that sustainability is already reshaping the Singapore manufacturing sector. The majority of companies surveyed (70%) have started their sustainability transformation in one form or another, and many have initiated discussions. However, on the whole, only 37% of companies have implemented sustainability initiatives, and 21% have reported on sustainability. Sustainability is also becoming a new business norm for the manufacturing sector; the study shows that 62% of companies believe that their industry peers have aligned their business strategies to sustainability targets. The expansion of sustainability into the manufacturing sector has led to accountancy and finance professionals potentially playing a bigger role in their organisations, particularly in aligning the sustainability objectives with business objectives. The associated higher-value tasks include keeping abreast of sustainability trends and needs to respond to emerging sustainability challenges effectively, improving energy efficiency to optimise resource utilization and reduce environmental impacts, and exploring sustainable alternatives to make informed decisions and adopt more eco-friendly practices.
Faculty Collaborators:
- Dr Wang Jiwei, Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice)
- Dr Holly Yang, Associate Professor of Accounting
- Dr Zhang Liandong, Professor of Accounting
Joint study by ISCA, EY, SMU and SAC
Sustainability is a megatrend offering new opportunities and jobs for the accountancy sector. This study found three key trends in sustainability that will expand the current job roles and skills required for accounting and finance professionals. The three key trends are: 1) decarbonisation of the environment, 2) more companies participating in sustainability reporting, and 3) the expansion of green finance. Given these sustainability trends, accounting and finance professionals must be equipped with sustainability and sustainability-related knowledge and skills to meet the increasing demands in these three areas.
Faculty Collaborators:
- Dr Wang Jiwei, Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice)
- Dr Holly Yang, Associate Professor of Accounting
- Dr Zhang Liandong, Professor of Accounting
Adopting a Risk–Intelligent Approach to Digital Transformation: Four Traits of Digitally Mature Organisations
Industry Partners:
Deloitte-SMU Collaboration
With the proliferation of digital transformation programmes across organisations, leaders are beginning to understand just how complex these programmes are. Whether they are organisation-wide programmes or taking place in pockets throughout the organisation, digital transformation programmes come with high expectations, tight timelines – and are often fraught with change, uncertainty, and risk.
Faculty Collaborators:
- Dr Gary Pan, Professor of Accounting (Education)
- Dr Seow Poh Sun, Professor of Accounting (Education)
- Dr Yuanto Kusnadi, Associate Professor of Accounting (Education)
- Dr Clarence Goh, Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice)
