His current research interests involve work at the Marketing/International Entrepreneurship interface and particularly work that addresses a more effective public/private sector interaction.

PurposeGuided by resource-based theory, this investigation examines the extent to which knowledge sharing as part of interfirm collaboration serves as a performance-enhancing strategy; that is, in the context of assisting ethnic minority-owned urban restaurants to survive during a major market disruption. Specifically, the study features owner-managers' perceptions concerning the evolving environmental circumstances associated with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachData collection took place among owner-managers of urban restaurants in a Canadian city during the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020. This featured semi-structured interviews with restaurants' owner-managers originating from various ethnic origins together with secondary data where possible. Data analysis followed an adapted Gioia approach.FindingsExamples of interfirm collaboration include restaurants' owner-managers leveraging social capital and sharing knowledge about the effects of legislation and health guidelines on operating procedures, together with good and bad practices where firms have pivoted their business models via take-outs, patio dining and in-room dining. Irrespective of the strength of network ties (within and across ethnic communities), owner-managers were motivated to share information to facilitate their survival. Nevertheless, this study raises questions over the extent that certain decision-makers exhibit strategic flexibility responding to environmental conditions together with their respective ability to engage/retain customers plus service-oriented employees. In addition, a question is whether some owner-managers will continue to collaborate with their competitors after COVID-19 ends, and if so, with whom and the magnitude of activities. In particular, “trust” via psychological contracts and “complementary strategies” among partners across coethnic and different ethnic origins are key considerations.Originality/valueA body of knowledge exists addressing the notions of both interfirm collaboration and market disruptions in the broader cross-disciplinary literature. However, the interfirm collaborative practices of small firms with ethnic minority ownership that are otherwise rivals remain under-researched. More specifically, interfirm collaboration as a survival strategy for owner-managers during the market disruption arising from a crisis situation features as an original contribution.

South‐Asian restaurant owners in the UK need to avoid employing a business model that operates on threshold capabilities, but rather need to learn from the more dynamic capabilities of rivals in the sector in order to help sustainability.

᭹Owner-managers of Chinese restaurants in the UK have a need to continually monitor their business practices to obtain an advantageous position in a competitive business environment.᭹ Specific attention to elements of the 'marketing mix' -product, place, price and promotion -is likely to positively benefit many owner-managed businesses. ᭹ Hiring and training of appropriate staff members is important in order to offer enhanced customer service. Summary This paper considers the importance of cultural factors within ethnic minority-owned firms' business practices and provides a contribution to the growing body of knowledge at the marketing-entrepreneurship interface. Specifically, it reports on an empirical investigation into the business practices of a sample of Chinese-owned restaurants operating in the UK.The findings from ten in-depth personal interviews provide an insight into the practices of these businesses. The results indicate that particular cultural issues balanced against resource constraints had a major impact on owner-managers' operations.

This study, underpinned by the Resource-Based View, contributes to our understanding of the dark-side of marketing regarding unwanted and undesirable behaviour that may be detrimental to businesses. It involves regional coopetition (simultaneous collaboration and competition) within New Zealand's wine sector. Owner-managers of 25 vineyards were interviewed to understand their views towards the potential paradox of coopetition together with another 13 managers that worked at the cellar door (38 interviews in total); also, observations of employees at 13 cellar doors to establish whether what owner-managers claimed was implemented as a 'strategy as practice' to customers. In contributing to knowledge, the study finds that although owner-managers of under-resourced firms may advocate the benefits of coopetition to enhance performance, observations indicate that certain front-line employees' practices were inconsistent with the views of ownermanagers. The findings have implications for the way owner-managers recruit, train and incentivise employees to facilitate performance-enhancing service marketing strategies.