The Star Association’s Free Live Shows

May 1, 2020 | News | 1

The Star Association’s Free Live Shows

Friday, May, 1, 2020 By Star Association

The Star Association’s Free Live Shows

Friday, May, 1, 2020 By Star Association

“Happy Labour Day! Free #TheStarShow 1st event by the wonderful events industry peeps, brought to entertain all in honor of front liners and backenders ! #sgeventsunited Id be singing !!!! Scared or not ? Tonight 8:30pm on Star Association FB page!” (View here)

“While they lost their income and jobs The Singapore Talents Artists Resources pull a show together!” (View here)

About Us

We aim to elevate standards, champion professional interest, and enable beneficial partnerships.

Our Vision

To unify & empower the Events & Entertainment industry to produce and perform to the highest quality

Our Mission

Elevate standards
Champion the interest and well being of our members
Enable mutually beneficial partnerships

Our Committee

The Executive Committee is made of Performing Artistes, Master-Of-Ceremonies, Disk-Jockeys, Audio Visual Lighting Professionals, Event and MICE Organizers, Event / Technical Support Providers, and like-minded Entrepreneurs.

(Visit their page)

Youth Volunteers Help to Turn the Tide on Coronavirus

Apr 30, 2020 | The Latest

Youth Volunteers Help to Turn the Tide on Coronavirus

Wednesday, April 29, 2020, by Decent Jobs for Youth

Youth Volunteers Help to Turn the Tide on Coronavirus

Wednesday, April 29, 2020, by Decent Jobs for Youth

Youth Rights and Voices

Shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Economist’s front page depicted the world with a “CLOSED” sign. The coronavirus pandemic has indeed halted business as usual and disrupted the lives of people around the world. Even though some countries are cautiously planning “re-opening”, still more than 80 per cent of the global workforce remain affected by lockdowns and movement restrictions. As the epicenter of the pandemic moves from continent to continent, a global recession of perhaps unprecedented scale is following suit. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that in the second quarter of 2020 working hours will decline by an equivalent of 305 million full-time jobs.

COVID-19 caused economic hardships will likely disproportionally affect young workers, as detailed in this Youth Rights & Voices Blog Post. For example, for students and young jobseekers alike, the current pause on hiring decisions has taken a particular high toll. This includes those in school and college relying on their summer job to finance their studies and planning their internship, as well as those preparing to leave school behind and looking for full time work.

However, any obstacle is often an unrecognized opportunity. Despite the dangers posed by the pandemic, young people are turning the crisis into an opportunity for collective action, carving out their own niche to support their communities as volunteers. For instance, a community organization based in South Sudan, #DefyHateNow, connects youth through digital means who collaborate to fight misinformation and raise awareness on coronavirus prevention and protection. Youth activists in Syria organize mask and hand sanitizers distribution campaigns – young people took a similar initiative in Nairobi’s Mathare slum. Young Chinese students and workers have been sourcing medical protective equipment to support frontline health care professionals. Similarly, in Canada, groups of volunteers are using 3-D printers to produce face shields and other protective equipment.

These are just a few of many examples how young people have channeled their creativity and compassion towards driving positive action. While volunteering often takes place in communities, mobilizing people willing to help at a large scale has become a national effort, too. In Egypt, 480,000 volunteers registered to support the distribution of facemasks and hygiene kits all over the country. In England, over 1 million people signed up at a volunteering scheme of the National Health Service and through local volunteering centers and charities, primarily to support vulnerable people confined to their homes.

This shows that volunteering not only connects people but also helps to overcome social exclusion. Keeping communities together, volunteering contributes to social cohesion and can support disadvantaged groups in face of poverty and during times of crises. UN Volunteers reports that the most comprehensive estimate of global volunteering today puts the global informal and formal volunteer workforce at 109 million full-time equivalent workers. Some 70 per cent of global volunteer activity occurs through informal (direct person-to-person) engagement, while 30 per cent takes place formally through non-profit organizations or various associations. The UN General Assembly resolution on Volunteering for 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights the powerful contribution volunteerism plays for the implementation of the SDGs and encourages countries to “invest in measuring the scale and contribution of people’s voluntary efforts”.

As part of a UN wide effort to support volunteering, ILO is collaborating with UN Volunteers (UNV) on measuring the impact of volunteering and has conducted a global review of national best practices. The ILO also supports research on the relationship between volunteer work and labour market prospects for youth, as a contribution to the UNV-International Federation of the Red Cross Global Technical Meeting on Volunteering, which will take place later this year. “Volunteering plays an important role in promoting social justice and human and labour rights“, summarized Moussa Oumarou, ILO Deputy Director General for Field Operations and Partnerships, upon the signature of the ILO/UNV Memorandum of Understanding on 9 March 2020.

Volunteers are also contributing to the UN system’s COVID-19 response. To date, UNV has deployed already 6,000 volunteers with 50 UN partners. National UN Volunteers have joined efforts to mitigate the economic, social and health impacts of this crisis, and to safeguard progress made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This entails working closely with national governments, community groups, the health sector and industry to respond to this crisis. For example, in South Africa, volunteers joined forces with national authorities to help with preparedness and response planning, train health workers and others on infection preventions measures and support the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

In Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters, one representing danger and the other opportunity. Business as usual might indeed be “closed” since the onset of COVID-19. No pandemic though can stop empathy and human ingenuity, which is why so many young people are unlocking the potential of volunteerism to do good and make a difference in their communities and beyond. Demonstrating how a rights-based, human-centred vision can translate into positive change in the everyday life, they are role models for all of us.

by Amal Mowafy (ILO) and Jonas Bausch (ILO)

ICSB & GOOGLE Collaborate

Apr 29, 2020 | The Latest

ICSB & GOOGLE collaborate to support SMEs

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

ICSB & GOOGLE collaborate to Support SMEs

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

ICSB is proud to announce a major collaboration with GOOGLE to support SMEs.

We invite all ICSB members to join two FREE Webinars with GOOGLE!

WEBINAR #1: MAY 6, 2020 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET.

Title: Manage Your Business Remotely in Times of Uncertainty.

Learning objective: Discover tools, tips, and resources to help you manage your business remotely during the COVID-19 crisis. Learn how to update critical business information online to keep customers informed, and how to host virtual meetings and events. We’ll also share the latest resources from Google and other partners to help support small businesses.

RSVP to tune in: g.co/grow/smallbizlivestream. In the “how did you hear about this livestream event” you can let the Google team know that you heard from ICSB! You can ask questions live during the event on Twitter by using #smallbizlivestream.

WEBINAR 2: MAY 12, 2020 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET.

Title: ICSB & GOOGLE: Connect with Customers and Manage Your Business Remotely

Learning Objectives: Mrs. Randi Penfil (from Google) discuss and show how communities navigate this time of uncertainty, we know this is a uniquely challenging time for small business owners. To help, we’ve gathered some useful resources and Google tools to help you update critical business information online to keep customers informed, host virtual meetings and events, and access documents from anywhere. During today’s webinar, we will discuss Google My Business, Google Hangouts, and Google Drive.

Register Link: (Click Here)

Moderated by: Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy, ICSB Executive Director
Seats: 100 only available (session seats stop after 100 attendees enter)

We look forward to seeing many of you with ICSB & GOOGLE!

MSME Sustainability Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Apr 28, 2020 | The Latest

MSME Sustainability Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuesday April, 28, 2020 By Dr. Jeffrey Alves

MSME Sustainability Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuesday April, 28, 2020 By Dr. Jeffrey Alves

Governments and NGOs were quick to offer programs to help sustain MSMEs (micro, small and medium sized enterprises) through this crisis. Given the recognized importance of MSMEs, these initiatives will turn out to be as critical as the support of the health care industry in assuring the sustainability of communities, countries, and the global economy.

Even now, though, there is a question of whether these efforts will be enough.

I applaud these programs but am concerned about the fairness and equitable treatment with which they were conceived and are being implemented. By whatever definition is used, the vast majority of global MSMEs employ less than 20 employs. Here in the U.S. 62% of firms employ less than 5 employees, another 17% employ between 5 and 9, and 10.5% employ between 10 and 19. And data suggests that the percentage of firms globally with less than 5 employees is even higher.

So what do all these statistics mean? It means that 89% of the program in the US should be directed to firms with less than 20 employees, the real micro and small businesses. This would put $588 billion, or $110,000 on average, into the hands of these 5.3 million firms. Even assuming program leakage (fees, etc.), this would be a tremendous and equitable boost to companies that typically cannot afford the expensive accountants, lawyers, and consultants to walk them through the approval process. This is an especially challenging problem in countries where political and economic power is concentrated and graft, in all its many

ICSB on the BBC “Business Matters: More government money for US small businesses.”

Apr 27, 2020 | The Latest

ICSB on the BBC “Business Matters: More government money for US small businesses.”

Monday, April, 27, 2020, By Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

ICSB on the BBC “Business Matters: More government money for US small businesses.”

Monday, April, 27, 2020, By Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

Following the recent 388 to 5 passing of the Congress bill to add an additional $484 billion to help small businesses, the BBC reviews the reasons for the necessity of this addition as well as how this money might affect small businesses. Dante Disparte, the Head of Policy at the Libra Association, announces that 36.4 million Americans have applied for unemployment claims, demonstrating the enormous turmoil for both American employees out of work and the small businesses who no longer have the resources to keep their staff on the books nor their doors open.

Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy, executive director of the International Council for Small Business and George Washington University deputy chair of the Department of Management of GW School of Business, begins by describing these additional funds as “excellent news;” however, later, he admits that we need more. As the first wave of support did not reach many small businesses, this original inadequacy “lost” many SMEs for good. Those that decided that they had to close their doors will most likely not be looking for a recovery plan. The uncertainty of timing, logistics, and aid could have played a major role in their endings. Dr. El Tarabishy does point to a “middle-class,” so to speak, of small businesses that have yet to close their doors, yet who remain in limbo. Their journey will certainly be characterized by their ability to access financial support, specifically that of this most recent stimulus addition.

When asked if there was a risk that the first round of funding, Dr. El Tarabishy stated that the money most certainly did not go to the right people. In the “frantic effort” of the first dispersion, the government did not consider how the “first come first serve” setup of administering aid was indirectly designed to assist companies, such as franchisees, that have access to banking systems. According to Dante Disparte, this prevents those who truly need it, especially those living or established in vulnerable communities to receive the government support that they need to survive. Disparte believes that this recent intervention is welcome. However, the government must be “sharper” on its administration, meaning that we need not just a comprehensive package but also comprehensive plans to make sure that the small businesses targeted are receiving their rightful aid.

Following, Stefanie Yuen Thio of the Joint Management Partner at TSMP Law in Singapore describes Singapore’s $64 billion Singapore dollar plan, which she believes to be more targeted than the US package. As the Singaporean government works to put “cash directly in the hands” of its constituents, the program seeks to help everyone. When questioned as to where this money is coming, Stefanie points to Singapore’s enormous reserve pool. Therefore, the country is not printing as much money as they are utilizing past savings to support their nation in this crisis.

Taking a moment to speak about Europe’s financial situation and subsequent package, BBC’s Andrew Walker explains the European Union’s recovery fund angled to rebuild. Involving a lot of decision making, this push forward forces us to imagine what it might look like as well as how it will be financed. After an e-meeting amongst EU leaders, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, described seeing a lot of progress, however, while still not receiving all of his wishes to assist Italy. Walker describes that this “collective financial rescue package” is designed to minimize long-term damage by “tidying European economies over the crisis.” Dante Disparte sees this deal as incomplete. He believes that the EU needs a “reminder of solidarity” in order to globally map out a way for global solidarity to prevail.

Stefanie Yuen reminds us to pay attention to China as they are using this moment to expand their power, exemplified by their aid to Italy. As the west attempts to pull away from their created ideals of globalism, we must be aware of the superpowers looking to step up in their place.

Reference News Clip: Business Matters- More government money for US small businesses

The Entrepreneurship Context

Apr 27, 2020 | Gazette

The Entrepreneurship Context

Monday, April, 27, 2020

The Entrepreneurship Context

Monday, April, 27, 2020

What are the constraints, supports and recommendations for new entrepreneurs?

Previous chapters have detailed the rich tapestry of entrepreneurial activity across the globe in its many forms, shapes and sizes, by reporting the results of more than 150,000 nationally representative interviews in 50 economies. This level of detail has allowed the estimation of a range of key entrepreneurship indicators, while the careful adoption of the same methodological approach in each economy has enabled comparisons across those economies.

However, any decision to start and run a new venture will be taken in a specific context, encompassing a wide range of local and national conditions that may facilitate or hinder that new venture. For example, a city or region may encourage entrepreneurial activity by providing quality education in schools and colleges, including entrepreneurship training, or may discourage that same activity by having exorbitant business registration fees or a heavy burden of local regulation and bureaucracy. (Read more…).

Download the Full ICSB Gazette.

Youth and COVID-19 survey

Apr 24, 2020 | The Latest

Youth and COVID-19 survey

Friday, April, 24, 2020

Youth and COVID-19 survey

Friday, April, 24, 2020

ENGLISH

To bring youth voices to the forefront of action and policy responses, the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth (DJY) and its partners including the International Labour Organization, the UN Major Group for Children and Youth, AIESEC, the European Youth Forum, the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and the United Nations Human Rights Office are conducting a survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth rights, with a focus on employment and education.

The survey targets young people from all regions, countries, and backgrounds; those actively engaged in economic activities across sectors and industries; as well as those that are in school and those not in employment, education and training (NEET). The survey results will be shared widely to help inform ILO constituents and Decent Jobs for Youth partners as they navigate these unprecedented times with a profound commitment to protect young people, their rights, voices and opportunities for decent work.

Please help us in distributing the survey to your young members and representatives as well as completing the survey yourself. You can distribute through the following channels:

The survey, available in 15 languages, can be accessed here
A social media campaign can be found on @DecentJobsYouth Twitter as well as @ILO social media channels. Please help disseminate the survey using our social media messages and graphics available here
Forward this email text via email to young people and youth organizations

Let’s fight this pandemic together.

Best regards,

FRANCAIS

Objet: Enquête mondiale sur les jeunes et COVID-19

Pour amener les voix des jeunes au premier plan de l’action et des réponses politiques, l’Initiative mondiale pour l’emploi décent des jeunes (DJY) et ses partenaires, notamment l’Organisation internationale du travail, le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme, le Groupe Majeur des Nations Unies sur les enfants et les jeunes, le Fonds fiduciaire d’urgence de l’Union européenne pour l’Afrique, l’AIESEC et le Forum européen de la jeunesse mènent une enquête sur l’impact de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur les jeunes et le monde du travail.

L’enquête cible des jeunes de toutes les régions, pays et origines; ceux qui participent activement à des activités économiques dans tous les secteurs et toutes les industries; ainsi que ceux qui sont à l’école et ceux qui n’ont pas d’emploi, d’éducation et de formation (NEET). Les résultats de l’enquête seront largement diffusés pour aider à informer les mandants de l’OIT et les partenaires DJY alors qu’ils traversent ces temps sans précédent avec un engagement profond pour protéger les jeunes, leurs droits, leurs voix et les possibilités de travail décent.

Veuillez nous aider à distribuer le sondage à vos jeunes membres et représentants ainsi qu’à remplir le sondage vous-même. Vous pouvez distribuer via les canaux suivants:

L’enquête, disponible en 15 langues, est accessible ici
Une campagne sur les réseaux sociaux est disponible sur twitter @ilo et @decentjobsforyouth social media messages and graphics disponible ici
Transférer ce texte par e-mail à vos jeunes

ESPAÑOL

Los invitamos a participar y compartir ampliamente los siguientes productos con sus colegas jóvenes, redes juveniles y jóvenes beneficiarios. Ayúdenos a asegurar que las voces, ideas y agencia de los jóvenes se pongan a la vanguardia de la acción y las respuestas de política a la pandemia.

Toma la Encuesta Global Juventud y COVID-19: Diseñada en colaboración con el Grupo Principal de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia y la Juventud, AIESEC, el Foro Europeo de la Juventud, la Oficina de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas, el Fondo Fiduciario de Emergencia de la Unión Europea para África y la Organización Internacional del Trabajo, esta encuesta tiene como objetivo (i) comprender el impacto de la pandemia sobre los derechos de los jóvenes, el empleo y la educación, e (ii) invitar las ideas y propuestas de los jóvenes para abordar la crisis. Los resultados se compartirán ampliamente para informar acciones de política al más alto nivel. Conoce más sobre la encuesta aquí.Ayúdenos a distribuir la encuesta a sus miembros y representantes jóvenes, así como a completar la encuesta usted mismo. Puede distribuir a través de los siguientes canales:

La encuesta, disponible en 15 idiomas, se puede acceder aquí.
Se puede encontrar una campaña de redes sociales en @DecentJobsYouth Twitter, así como en los canales de redes sociales de la @ILO. Ayude a difundir la encuesta utilizando nuestros mensajes de redes sociales y gráficos disponibles en Trello.
Reenviar este texto por correo electrónico a jóvenes y organizaciones juveniles

Русский

Тема: Глобальное исследование по теме “Молодежь и COVID-19

В целях привлечения внимания молодежи к действиям и политическим мерам реагирования, Глобальная инициатива по созданию достойных рабочих мест для молодежи (DJY) и ее партнеры, включая Международную организацию труда (MOT), Основную группу ООН по проблемам детей и молодежи, AIESEC, Европейский молодежный форум, Чрезвычайный целевой фонд ЕС для Африки и Офис ООН по правам человека, проводят исследование о воздействии пандемии COVID-19 на права молодежи с особым вниманием на вопросы занятости и образования.

Данное исследование ориентировано на молодых людей из всех регионов, стран и слоев населения; тех, кто активно участвует в экономической деятельности в различных секторах и отраслях промышленности; а также тех, кто учится в школе, а также тех, кто не занимается профессиональной деятельностью, образованием и профессиональным обучением (NEET). Результаты обследования будут широко распространяться в целях содействия информированию членов MOT и партнеров по программе “Достойная работа для молодежи”, поскольку они, преодолевая эти беспрецедентные времена, проявляют глубокую приверженность делу защиты молодых людей, их прав, голоса и возможностей для получения достойной работы.

Пожалуйста, помогите нам распространить результаты опроса среди ваших молодых членов и представителей, а также заполнить анкету самостоятельно. Вы можете распространять опрос по следующим каналам:

Доступ к анкете исследования на 17 языках можно получить здесь.
Кампанию в социальных сетях можно найти в Twitter как @DecentJobsYouth, а также в социальных сетях МОТ. Пожалуйста, помогите распространить исследование, используя наши сообщения в социальных сетях и графики, доступные здесь.
Пересылайте этот текст по электронной почте молодым людям и молодежным организациям.

Давайте бороться с этой пандемией вместе.

С наилучшими пожеланиями,

Australia shines in the midst of a global pandemic

Apr 23, 2020 | The Latest

Australia shines in the midst of a global pandemic.

Thursday, April, 23, 2020 By: Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy and Ms. Vicki Stylianou

Australia shines in the midst of a global pandemic.

Thursday, April, 23, 2020 By: Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy and Ms. Vicki Stylianou

If everyone looks after their fellow human, then the world will be a better place. Let us make these words the centerfold of our behavior and decision-making during this uncertain time.

Following the history-breaking bushfires this year, Australia, along with much of the rest of the world, was pushed into confinement. However, being fortunate in its geographic isolation, the nation has had fewer than 7,000 cases and only 63 deaths, thanks to heavy testing throughout the country. In addition to the 371,000 tests administered, Australia closed its international borders, advocated for social distancing, limited social gatherings, restricted travel, and limited occasions to leave the house, including closing many schools. Aside from the precautions and necessary steps taken to promote citizens’ physical well-being, Australia has put forth many stimulus packages to protect its citizens’ financial well-being. As the country recently recovered from 12 years of debt, leftover from the 2008 global financial crisis, Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, feels as though the nation is now in a good position going forward, in terms of the pandemic, meaning that they can offer full and adequate stimulus packages as well as to prepare health facilities to cope with the increased demands.

The federal government has already put forth three stimulus packages; therefore, coupled with the state and regional packages, Australians are adequately cared for during this crisis. The first federal stimulus package aimed to put cash and liquidity back into the markets by giving tax-free money directly to businesses. The next stimulus package contained a lot more money and specifically aimed at individuals and households. Through these cash payments, small businesses are being funded, which is vital as 97% of companies in Australia are SMEs. Then, the third stimulus package, which was announced on the 30th of March, introduced even more money into the market, 130 billion dollars exactly. This is aimed at households, individuals, and businesses, particularly those businesses in hard-hit domains, for example, hospitality and tourism. With this package, the government intends to spread the package throughout the economy. They work on a flat payment, meaning that some people will receive more than they usually make, while others’ employers will need to add to the flat payment to continue paying certain higher salaries. The current packages work with wage subsidies in the form of job keep-up and job seekers. Therefore, the job keep-up attempts to prevent employees from turning to the job seeker, or unemployment, program. The Australian government wants to support employers in keeping as many employees on their books so that they will be more equipped to bounce back following the reintegration post-corona. These subsidy plans are wholly inclusive. However, they leave out both people that have been working for less than 12 months as well as some visa holders.

“The stimulus packages provide timely support to workers’ households and businesses; while supporting those most severely affected. They are also designed to position the Australian economy to recover strongly once the health challenge has been overcome” (Stylianou, 2020).

In addition to these federal packages, the Reserve Bank of Australia created a $90 billion three-year facility to help banks continue lending to businesses. Rent relief policies have been created as well as relief from insolvency laws. As there were many packages introduced in response to the bushfires, the Australian government has made it possible for individuals and businesses to access both bushfires and corona relief packages. Additional money has been given to childcare facilities, and tax liabilities have been deferred for four months. These initiatives accumulate to $320 billion or 16.4% of the total GDP. This grand sum is reasoned by the idea that the bigger the package and the more support given will have a direct impact on the nation’s ability to “come out of this less scathed.”

In comparing these wage stimulus packages with other countries, it seems as though the UK, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States are all attempting to freeze their economies like Australia. The concept is borne from the idea that if we can put our economy into a state of hibernation, then maybe after it thaws out, it will return to where it was before the pandemic and subsequent economic turmoil. There are differences in opinions as to how and what specific measures are needed to return to normalcy. These differences also depend on the length of the pandemic, in addition to how deeply pushed the suffering appears. All-in-all, Australia is looking to protect people’s health while protecting the economy. The concurrence of this work is what creates such difficulty. However, by focusing on protecting the most vulnerable, while referring to the ILO’s four pillars of the policy response to COVID-19, we might just be able to resurface and create programs that will thrive in our nations and at the global level. There is a current discussion in Australia that the current COVID-19 unemployment program, which is almost double the typical program, demonstrates an inclusive policy that should be kept even after the consequences of the coronavirus have subsided.

Throughout the webinar, Vicki Stylianou, Advocacy & Technical Group Executive at the Institute of Public Accountants and ICSB SVP of Development, shares her view that in protecting the most vulnerable, the government is ensuring that they are building trust with their constituents. When asked about the role of academic research on COVID-19 policy, she states that this information will be most useful when we are recovering, meaning that the academic research on designing market policies will be even more sought out as we begin to envision our new normal. As markets around the world shrink, we need coordinated and committed global organizations to respond in a way that leverages for the benefit of all nations. Vicki finishes her presentation by provoking the audience to reflect deeply with her as she asks questions about funding, economic policies, temporary measures, unemployment, the universal basic wage, supply chain diversification, and other transformations that are coming to fruition as we look to work through this moment in history together.

We need to focus on quality, which means that by using the principles of frugal innovation, we will be able to limit the death and destruction of this pandemic. In her closing remarks, Vicki notes that “if everyone looks after their fellow human, then the world will be a better place.” Let us make these words the centerfold of our behavior and decision-making during this uncertain time.

Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy is the deputy chair and teaching professor of the Department of Management at the George Washington University School of Business.

Outstanding Case Writer: Hot Topic

Apr 23, 2020 | The Latest

Outstanding Case Writer: Hot Topic

Wednesday, April, 23, 2020 by Casecentre

Outstanding Case Writer: Hot Topic

Wednesday, April, 23, 2020 by Casecentre

We’re pleased to announce that the UN Sustainable Development Goals are the chosen topic for our 2020/21 Outstanding Case Writer: Hot Topic competition.

The topic

Cases submitted to this competition category can be in any business or management discipline, but must address a topic relating to one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Click a goal below to find out more about it.

Prize and recognition

£1,150 ($1,400; €1,300) and a special trophy. We also announce the result to leading business press worldwide and invite the winner to feature on our website and in our newsletter, which is sent to 52,000 global subscribers. See our previous winners

Who can enter?

You must be a business or management teacher to enter this competition. Cases can be written by a team of two or more authors. Students and research assistants can be part of your writing team, but a faculty member must lead the team.

What is required?

Your case must be relevant to the hot topic. It can be based on field research, published sources or generalised experience. You can submit a single case or case series.

Your case or case series must:

be in English
clearly identify a protagonist and supporting actors
articulate an issue, decision, problem or opportunity
be a maximum of 5,000 words in total, excluding exhibits (you can submit an abridged version of your case if it is over 5,000 words), or 25 minutes if it’s a video case
include a teaching note (no word limit)
have been completed after 1 January 2019
have been tested at least twice in the classroom
be submitted to The Case Centre should it win its category.

How do I enter?

Click here to find out how to enter

Judging

The 2020/21 Outstanding Case Writer: Hot Topic competition will by judged by a panel of internationally renowned case method experts. The panel will be announced soon.

Find out what the judges are looking for

Key dates

2 March 2020	Competition opens
8 October 2020	Submission deadline
February/March 2021	Winner announced

A Visionary, a Colleague, a Friend: A Tribute to Professor David Smallbone

Apr 22, 2020 | The Latest

A Visionary, a Colleague, a Friend: A Tribute to Professor David Smallbone

Wednesday, April, 22, 2020 By Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

A Visionary, a Colleague, a Friend: A Tribute to Professor David Smallbone

Wednesday, April, 22, 2020 By Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy

It seems nearly impossible to describe the essence of someone’s life work in words. Yet, in order to honor Professor David Smallbone properly, it seemed only fitting that we tried. A man that captured everyone’s attention when he spoke, he compelled and challenged us. We gathered together as colleagues to share stories and work through the remembrance of our beloved friend.

Opening up the session, David Storey described David Smallbone as an “exceptional character.” He continued by saying that his exceptionalness was derived from his untraditional background as a small business researcher. David Smallbone began by teaching geography at a secondary school. While working in the history department at Middlesex University, Smallbone’s interests involved small businesses in rural environments. After David Storey and Professor David A. Kirby, Holder of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion assisted Smallbone in his transition from the history department to the business school, David Smallbone found himself working alongside David North. Said to be a “formidable research Dinamo,” Smallbone and North thoroughly changed the small business world in the UK.

Professor David Smallbone’s interests revolved around the factors that influence business performance, transitioning from his geographical roots in the history department, he began to research factors other than simple location and moved towards examining the trends of ethnicity and international movement for small businesses. David Storey remembered this clear evolution as Smallbone searched for an understanding of the environments within which businesses operated. In this way, David Smallbone often studied the relationship between policy and the State in regards to entrepreneurship. David became very interested in the hows and whys of economies transitioning from communist regimes to more market economies.

Friederike Welter recalled meeting Professor Smallbone at a conference in Bulgaria in 1995. At the time, a junior researcher, she made an effort to emphasize David’s large network of colleagues and friends that he had built in Central and Eastern Europe. In every single one of his projects, David was adamant that the curated research is shared not only in journals but also with policymakers. While working in Central and Eastern Europe, David provided mentoring to many researchers, which ultimately led to their decisions to stay in academia.

Robert Blackburn remembered David to be mentally just as sharp, even at the end of his life. A colleague from Kingston College, he recalled his relationship with David as verging on competitive when he arrived in 2004. David was incredibly collegiate. He arrived first in the morning and was always the last to leave at night. His dedication to his work was matched by his innate nature to succeed. Smallbone was said to have a judgment that “could cut through the bullshit,” meaning that he was able to “measure a situation and then act or react accordingly.” David’s professionalism and hard work demonstrated a great example for younger people in his field. Professor David Curby describes Professor Smallbone as the most earnest and conscientious colleague he ever came across.

One day, David asked Professor Curby, which were the best conferences to go to, to which Professor Curby responded ICSB and ECSB. Not only did David attend these conferences; however, he also ended up being the president of both organizations. Professor Curby finished by stating, “I’ll miss him, the community will miss him, and certainly, British academia will miss him.”

Reflecting on my time with David Smallbone, I have a very specific memory of meeting David in London for an ICSB conference with Dell. We were attending a lecture given by Michael Dell when, suddenly, David interrupted Michael and began correcting him. As I imagined the terminus of our ICSB/Dell partnership, I looked around the room to find everyone, including Michael Dell, listening intently to David. After the lecture, Michael Dell’s team reported to us how much they appreciated David’s comments.

Robert Blackburn described a morning conversation on the phone with David. After a night out, both men fell asleep on their train rides home. Robert’s train, luckily, had a scheduled cleaning, which led him almost directly home, whereas David’s train led him so far away that he had to find a taxi to make his way home in the early hours of the morning. David Storey described Smallbone’s incredible dedication as an Arsenal fan. Storey described, “everything has to start with David being unfortunate to be an Arsenal supporter.” Unfortunately for Storey, however, Arsenal won that particular football game that they attended together, and Smallbone never let Storey forget it. Arsenal was Smallbone’s main passion aside from his family and work. Lastly, Friederike premised her story by stating that David would have told it better. They were in Ukraine in the mid-1990s at a bar-less hotel. Suddenly after persuading the receptionist to give them each a beer, a group of firefighters ran through the front doors. At the time, Friederike and David took this as a sign that they might have had too much to drink and that it was time to call it a night, only finding out later that there was just a small kitchen fire somewhere in the hotel.

It was not only his ability to master research topics but more so to do his work effectively while breaking down barriers in British academia and within the domain of international entrepreneurship research that made David Smallbone’s work so impressive and worthy. Following the words from his friends and colleagues, I offered up the idea to create an award that will annually honor Professor Smalbone’s legacy. As an exemplar for future generations, this award will hopefully embody David’s active spirit. Professor Smallbone contributed not solely to academia, but also to people. His research was centered and motivated by his genuine care of the person. It is this attribute that guided his interests in policy and state infrastructure. David, despite his international research, was very locally focused, meaning that he never forgot the grassroots work that must be upheld to develop important research. Updates on this award will be coming soon.

Professor David Smallbone, thank you for your example and contributions. We seek to uphold your legacy by continuing the exemplary that you left for us to follow.

Reference video: ICSB Family pays Tribute to Professor David Smallbone

Written by: Ayman El Tarabishy, Deputy Chair, Department of Management, GW School of Business, ICSB Executive Director

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