Research - Emerging Markets Institute

Who Gives Back? Evidence from India on Successful Entrepreneurial Exit and Involvement in Philanthropy
The authors delved into a specific micropathway linking commercial entrepreneurship with positive spillover effects for broader society. A journal article in Organization Science by Leena Kinger Hans and Balagopal Vissa.

A foot in the door: Field experiments on entrepreneurs' network activation strategies for investor referrals
This paper examines entrepreneurial network activation — the processes by which entrepreneurs select specific contacts from their existing personal network and persuade the selected contacts to provide referrals to access targeted early-stage investors.
A paper by Balagopal Vissa, Jared Nai,Reddi Kotha, Yimin Lin.
Accepted for publication in Strategic Management Journal

Pay for Performance: When Does It Fail?
The consensus in social psychology is that monetary incentives for performance have a detrimental impact on individual performance. Yes, under certain specific and limited conditions, rewards can reduce performance. Yet pay for performance schemes are ubiquitous. How can we resolve this divergence between theoretical recommendations and observed practices? Nirmalya Kumar and Madan Pillutla recommend solving the problem by designing smarter incentives that avoid these detrimental effects. A Management and Business Review journal article by Nirmalya Kumar and Madan Pillutla.

The Challenges of Work From Home for Organizational Design
While WFH has proven to have certain advantages, organizations should be cautious before fully committing. A California Management Review journal article by Prothit Sen, Palash Deb, and Nirmalya Kumar.

The resilience of family controlled business groups: Survival of the unfit
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a black swan event. It has resulted in an existential challenge for many firms. What will differentiate the resilient from non-resilient firms? A research article by Nirmalya Kumar and Phanish Puranam.

Funding Societies: Using Fintech to Support Small Businesses in Singapore by Anirban Mukherjee, Michelle Lee, Hannah H. Chang
Debt crowdfunding, also referred to as peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, represents an alternative source of loans for businesses to borrow money. This case explores how P2P lending works and how to apply the principles of market segmentation and targeting for an innovative service.

Singapore as an ASEAN Asset Management Hub
Singapore like other ASEAN countries is also confronted with the universal challenge of retirement funding. Nonetheless, the authors argue that Singapore can address such headwind through a number of policy changes and that Singapore is uniquely placed to be the premier Asset Management Hub for the ASEAN region.

The Institutionalization of Family Firms - From Asia Pacific to the Middle East
Family firms account for 70% of GDP in the global economy and 60% of global employment, the importance of long-term value creation extends beyond individual families. INSEAD surveyed 123 family firms in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East to measure their level institutionalization across six key attributes: family ownership and succession, intangible family assets, corporate governance and leadership, growth capabilities, organizational design, and access to capital. This report sheds light on how institutionalizing aspects of a family firm can help ensure its long-term health and survival. Case studies will help families understand their own strengths and weaknesses, learn from their peers, and derive food for thought for improvements within their own businesses.

Gender Equality In Asian Corporate Leadership: Distant Dream Or Achievable Ideal?
Workplace gender parity seems to become increasingly elusive with every step up the Asian corporate ladder. Radical change is imperative.

Building a Cohesive Society by Beatrice Weder di Mauro
The Case of Singapore's Housing Policies" - Singapore is an interesting case study on dealing with and overcoming ethnic and racial divisions. In its short history as an independent state, Singapore has succeeded in forging a cohesive society in a country that was born among race riots.

Athletic CEOs: Leadership in Turbulent Times - Second Edition by Stanislav Shekshnia, Alexey Ulanovsky and Veronika Zagieva
Athletic CEOs: Leadership in Turbulent Times' presents an unorthodox model of effective business leadership for turbulent environments – Athletic Leadership. Athletic CEOs are not humble or empathic; their leadership is grounded in a combination of toughness and adaptability. They deliver superior performance and transform their companies, employees and near-environments by systematically applying a set of meta-practices.

Does Social Similarity Pay Off? Homophily and Venture Capitalists’ Deal Valuation, Downside Risk Protection and Financial Returns in India
This paper examines how social similarity between start-up founders and venture capitalists (VCs) influences VCs' pricing decisions and returns on investments.
A paper by Balagopal Vissa and Kim Claes.
Accepted for Publication in Organization Science

How Sugar Could Save the Borneo Rainforest by Dominique Lecossois
The right business model could unlock the economic and environmental potential of the Arenga palm tree.

Women’s Disempowerment and Preference for Risky Skin Whitening Products: Experimental Evidence from India
Free market advocates consider consumer choice unambiguously welfare-enhancing, but research has shown that consumers are often not able to make choices best aligned with their wellbeing. The authors contribute to this debate in the context of women making decisions regarding skin whitening products widely available in emerging markets.

Thinking Smart: How to Master Work, Life and Everything In-Between
A book by Dr. Nirmalya Kumar, INSEAD EMI's Distinguished Academic Fellow. 
The modern executive faces many challenges. The old days of steady jobs in safe posts are gone. Technology is transforming work, rendering jobs obsolete, and constantly moving the goal posts for performance. How does one keep improving one’s skills and getting more from life? In this scenario of contradictory goals and ambidextrous skills, the secret lies in Thinking Smart. Faced with his own crisis, Nirmalya Kumar, renowned professor, recognised globally for his marketing and strategy expertise, used the experience to come out a winner. 

The New Global Financial Safety Net - Struggling for Coherent Governance in a Multipolar System by Beatrice Weder di Mauro
Since the late 1990s and in particular since the great financial crisis of 2007–2009, the global financial safety net has expanded from barely more than one institution — the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — to a much larger, although geographically patchy, web comprising the IMF, regional financing arrangements (RFAs) and central bank swap lines.