• Clearing the Air: Responding to the Southeast Asian Transboundary Haze Crises of 2013 and 2015

    Over 26 consecutive days from September to October, the transboundary haze of 2015 lingered in Southeast Asia. For Singapore, this episode was one of the city-state's worst and most protracted pollution. The fires originating mostly from Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, produced more greenhouse gases each day than the emissions by the entire U.S. economy. They rendered two million hectares of land barren, incinerating forests, oil palm and pulpwood plantations alike. This was a repeat of the haze pollution two years earlier. How did Singapore, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia as a whole respond to the haze pollution of 2013 and 2015? What did different segments of society do to cope with the pollution? What could companies like Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) that had sizeable stakes in plantations across Indonesia do to improve their operations and public reputation? This case highlights the multifaceted sustainability challenges encountered in the quest for environmental protection and the resolution of transboundary haze in Southeast Asia. The haze is an annual phenomenon; its effects are exacerbated by destructive agricultural practices, climate conditions, inadequate legislation, weak environmental activism and intergovernmental cooperation, and a lack of consumer action. To date, it remains an intractable problem.
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  • Eatigo: Connecting Empty Dining Tables with Empty Stomachs

    Eatigo is a restaurant reservation application (app) founded in 2013 which offered an alternative way of connecting diners to restaurants. The aim was to improve restaurants' profitability by filling up empty restaurant seats during off-peak hours, by offering time-based discounts ranging from 10 to 50 percent. The market for restaurant reservation apps showed potential but there were already entrenched players. With dogged determination to develop a unique value proposition and careful crafting of its business model, the founders managed to shape diners' behaviour and disrupt the modus operandi of the industry to become a leading restaurant reservation app with presence in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and the Philippines. As business gained traction, the founders needed funding to sustain growth. They explored funding options available to small-medium enterprises in Singapore and Bangkok - loan from credit card and banks, government grants, and investment from venture capital companies. There were pros and cons. The size and cost of funding were important considerations. Whilst meeting investors' demands was necessary to secure funding, it may lead to excessive dilution of owner's control. There was also the question on the correct valuation of Eatigo. Which type of funding should the founders choose?
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  • Uniseal - Creating Green Value and Solutions in Urban Living

    With a forecast of economic slowdown in Singapore, Uniseal Creative Solutions Pte Ltd, which specialised in urban greenery solutions, had to decide whether to respond to a public sector tender for the fabrication and supply of Prefabricated Extensive Green Roof Tray System or develop overseas markets.
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