Bamboo Networks: Chinese Business Owners and Co-Ethnic Networks in Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

As part of a larger research project examining the settlement of immigrant business owners in Auckland, New Zealand, this research examines the nature of the connections that these Chinese business owners have with their employees, suppliers and customers. The results suggest a significant reliance on networks that involve co-ethnics, especially for the China-born but even for those Chinese business owners who were New Zealand-born. Overall, the research indicates the key role that relational embeddedness plays in the establishment and development of migrant businesses.