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This study aims to analyze the joint effects of where a service failure occurs and who witnesses it, with a specific focus on Chinese consumers who have varying levels of acculturation.

A 4 × 2 × 2 between-subject factorial design was used, where social presence and the location of the service failure were manipulated and acculturation was measured. Data were collected in Australia and China to contrast perceptions and behavioral responses of Chinese – Australians and Mainland Chinese by drawing on samples of 224 and 264 respondents, respectively.

Results showed significant differences in face, satisfaction and repeat purchase intention ratings following a service failure between Chinese – Australians and Mainland Chinese, as well as among Chinese – Australians with different acculturation strategies. Contrary to expectations, results established that where and with whom a service failure is experienced prominently affect consumer behavior regardless of the acculturation level.

An understanding of the effect of acculturation on a service failure situation is crucial for businesses to successfully compete in a continuously globalized world where migration produces multicultural societies and short-term travel tends to significantly change demands on service provision.

This research presents one of the first studies that go beyond the traditional East/West consumer distinction in studying service failure. This study analyzes the effect of acculturation by itself and together with other variables of interest.

This article describes the National Library of Australia oral history project, Post‐War Chinese Australians, its coverage, procedures and some outputs to date. The importance of community involvement in the project is emphasised. Its broader importance in leading to a re‐examination of the mainstream historical record is also highlighted.

Previous research in the area, predominantly conducted in North America with Hispanics or French Canadians, has provided two alternative models of acculturation. This study examines empirically whether the assimilation model of acculturation is more valid than the “unique behavior”’ model in the case of Australian‐Chinese consumers. Based on 288 respondents of Chinese background but exhibiting contrasting degrees of acculturation, several aspects of consumer behavior, including information search, product evaluation, purchase behavior and post‐purchase evaluation, were examined in the case of three products of increasing involvement, namely toothpaste, stereos and cars. Our results suggest that both views are valid and demonstrate that further research is needed in this area of growing economic significance.

Aims to examine the proposition that consumer sales promotions are more effective when they provide benefits that are congruent with those of the promoted product. This proposition is considered at the ethnic‐group level (i.e. do differences in cultural values at this level have an impact on sales promotion effectiveness?).

A quasi‐experimental design is used to test a series of hypotheses based on a sample of Anglo‐Australians and Chinese‐Australians. The main experiment is informed by the results of two pretests.

First, there are significant differences in consumer cultural values at an ethnic‐group level. Second, despite these differences, ethnicity does not have a significant impact on responses to sales promotions. Third, the expected congruency effects between products and promotion types are not found.

Some of the detailed results match those reported in previous studies, but there are important differences too.

There is a need to be aware of differing cultural values at an ethnic‐group level. Notwithstanding this inference, the second finding suggests that there continues to be scope for using standardised strategies when promoting to different ethnic groups. Finally, considerable caution should be exercised when planning promotion strategies around hoped‐for congruency effects.

New light is cast on the relationship between consumer differences at an ethnic‐group level and the effectiveness of various types of sales promotion for utilitarian and hedonic products.

This paper examines the impact of culture on inter‐firm network development in international marketing. Three research questions about the influence of culture on network development were developed from the literature to focus case data collection and analysis. The data were collected from in‐depth interviews with network managers/owners of firms networking with other overseas firms entering into Australian and Asian markets. Differences and similarities between how overseas Chinese and Australian cultures impact on network development and strategies for developing and maintaining quality and long‐term relationship in cross‐cultural networks were identified. Implications for practice emphasise the importance of cultural adaptation.

This paper examines the dynamics of business networks, that is, how these inter‐organisational networks grow and decline. Three rival theories are investigated: predetermined sequence of stages, evolution of unpredictable states and joinings theory which focus on positioning, repositioning and exit. A case study methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Data were collected from in‐depth interviews with network managers/owners of firms networking with other overseas firms entering into Australian and Asian markets. The findings revealed that inter‐firm network development is an evolution of unpredictable states rather than a predetermined sequence of irreversible stages. In turn, a six “states” model of inter‐firm network development was formulated from data. Implications for managerial practices and further research are advanced.

Marketers are increasingly aware of ethnic subgroups as segments to target with customized offers. This paper aims to investigate the role of ethnic‐related outlet attributes in determining the attractiveness of mainstream and ethnic service outlets to ethnic consumers.

Based on institutional theory and self‐congruity theory, the paper proposes that two sets of outlet attributes, ethnic‐related and performative attributes, influence the attractiveness of an outlet. These effects are mediated by a business's pragmatic legitimacy, its social legitimacy (in terms of perceived sensitivity to ethnic culture), and the congruity between the consumer's self‐image and the business. A model is proposed and hypotheses derived. They are tested on data from an online survey among 483 Chinese Australian consumers about their use of travel agents. The hypotheses are tested using structural equation modelling.

The study reveals that ethnic‐related attributes play a specific and significant role in determining outlet attractiveness for Chinese consumers in Australia. Although they have a smaller effect than service and price, ethnic‐related attributes contribute positively to perceived attractiveness. Of the performative attributes, customer service has the largest effect; offering competitive prices has the second largest effect. Outlet accessibility has no significant effect while store atmosphere has an unexpected negative effect. Store atmosphere acts as both a performative and an ethnic‐related attribute. The results confirm the hypothesized mediation effects of pragmatic legitimacy, social legitimacy and congruity.

This study contributes to a better understanding of ethnic consumer behaviour and the role of ethnic retail and service outlets in the market place. It provides new insights by drawing from different theoretical frameworks (institutional theory and self‐congruity theory) and conducting an empirical study that uses validated scales in a unique setting among real consumers reporting about their use of a service provider. The results not only demonstrate the role and potential of ethnic attributes, but also how customer service and store atmosphere play a more intricate role than initially expected.

Negotiating with the Chinese is an important topic in international business and cross‐cultural management since China is playing an increasingly active role in doing business with the western countries. The purpose of this paper is to study initial meetings with the Chinese during business negotiation processes. In particular, it seeks to explore the processes of negotiation between the Chinese, Australian and American cultures.

The discussion is based on authentic cases collected from meetings which took place in both China and Australia, and the negotiation cases are analysed in the theoretical framework based on cross‐cultural negotiation processes and intercultural dimensions.

The findings indicate that success of initial meetings is an important key to determine success for business negotiations.

The paper is of value through highlighting the fact that initial meetings with the Chinese can be seen as essential to negotiation since the Chinese tend to develop relationship or guanxi first before the actual negotiation takes place.

Consumer racism (CR) is a highly relevant issue to societies such as Australia and one which has, up until now, been somewhat neglected by marketers. This paper aims to investigate this relatively “new” construct and its impact on product evaluation and subsequent willingness to buy cross‐ethnic products amongst Australian consumers.

This paper uses a quasi‐experiment method. Data were collected from an intercept sample of 212 Australian consumers via personal interviews. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, and hypotheses were tested using regression analysis and two‐way between groups ANOVA.

The results provide evidence that higher levels of CR translate into more negative evaluations of product quality which, in turn, decrease willingness to buy products perceived as originating from the ethnic minority. Further, regardless of the importance of product outcome, CR has a consistent negative effect on product evaluation and willingness to buy amongst Australian consumers.

Future research could be expanded into other ethnic groups and other countries, and could include other moderators such as level of interaction. CR construct can also be examined in service contexts.

The major contributions of the study are the validation of the CR construct and the findings about the impact of it on consumers' willingness to buy cross‐ethnic products via product evaluations in the Australian context.

This chapter is an inquiry into the paradoxes in discourses of ethnicity and race as well as of diversity and inclusion, centering on current movements in higher education. It aims to problematize the essentialized racial structure in American social discourses while re-evaluating academic institutions’ approaches to diversity. With a focus on Asian American students, it employs student narrations and statistical evidence to underline the neglected aspects of the heterogeneity, hybridity, and marginalization of “Asians.” The complex diversity among “Asians” and their ambiguous positionality provide insights into the challenges and paradoxes of our conceptions and practices of ethnicity, race, and diversity in general. On the one hand, I argue about the risk of prevalent practices that, to varying degrees, reconsolidate the black-white dichotomy; as they constantly strengthen disparities between the two races under the premises of the homogeneity within each category, they exclude the experiences of non-black minorities in social spheres. On the other hand, I challenge the disjuncture of diversity in theory versus in practice. While calling for a multiracial coalition to practice diversity and inclusion, I underscore the salience of unbiased perspectives in pedagogical approaches, in which, interethnicity and multiraciality are promoted, as hybrid identities beyond race are recognized. This de-Eurocentric approach ultimately aims to undermine racial essentialization and white supremacy.