Friday, February 7, 2014

The Rise of Business Anthropology in China

The Rise of Business Anthropology in China

Business anthropology, as a subfield of applied anthropology, applies anthropological
theories and methods in exploring and solving problems in the real business world. It studies
how to improve business efficiency and work processes by observing how people perform in
their workplace. It can help business people to understand the culture of an organization by
studying group behavior. It helps managers dealing with issues of organizational change due to
the merge of companies. Business anthropologists can provide suggestions on marketing
strategies by studying consumer behavior, they can help in product design by discovering what
consumers want and assist multinational corporations understand the cultures of the many
countries in which they operate in the trend of globalization and diversity that has involved the
business world (Jordan, 2010).
China has undergone tremendous economic and social change since it launched economic
reform in the late 1970s. It gradually abandoned its closed centralized economic planning system
and bringing China into a world market-oriented economy. Today, after over thirty years of
development, China has become a locomotive in the world economy and a manufacture base of
consumer goods in the world. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for
price differences, China in 2012 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US
(Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). China’s products can be seen in all corners of the world and
Chinese businesspersons are now going out of China to do business in all continents of the world.
However, China lacks in-depth research on globalized market, business organization and
cultural factors of other countries. Chinese businesspersons have faced many problems in foreign
countries. Their products were even confiscated or burned down in some countries, bringing
tremendous loss to Chinese companies. Inside China, the transition to market economy has
affected business strategies across a wide range of industries in order to meet international
market needs. Chinese business leaders now realize that to better market their products and
services internationally, they must have a better understanding of the international market
environments from a cross-cultural perspective (Paliwoda and Ryans, 2008; Yu et al., 2006).
It is at this critical period in China’s economic development that business anthropology, as a
subfield of anthropology, was introduced and promoted in Chinese universities. Since 2005, Tian
Guang, a business anthropologist trained in USA, has run seminars on business anthropology at
Peking University, Minzu University, Fudan University, among many others. He visited Business
School of Shantou University in 2011 and later was appointed as a foreign expert professor to
offer business anthropology courses to both graduate and undergraduate students at the school. In
May 2012, Tian Guang and Zhou Daming edited a textbook of Business Anthropology, which
was published by Ningxia Renmin Publishing House. On May 17, 2012, the Sun Yat-Sen
University in Guangdong, one of the most prestigious universities in China, held the first
International Journal of Business Anthropology vol. 4(1) 2013 11
international conference on business anthropology in China. At the same time, Minzu University
and Renmin University of China, another two most prestigious universities, jointly hosted a
conference on business anthropology in Beijing. Well-known European and American business
anthropologists, such as Marietta Baba, Allen Batteau, Dominique Desjeux, Ann Jordan, Timothy
Malefyt, Alfons van Marrewijk, Maryann McCabe, Brain Moeran, Patricia Sunderland, among
many others, attended the conferences.
It was at these two conferences, some Chinese scholars pointed out that in the near future
many companies would have to set up a new senior management position together with other
senior executives, which can be entitled Chief Anthropologist, to give advice and suggestions for
the long-term development of the company. The Chief Anthropologist could be the best
candidate for promoting harmony among the internal staffs of the company in order to improve
the working efficiency of employees (Wu, 2012; Zhong and Liu, 2012). The two conferences
were widely reported by the mainstream public media in China. Their influence is far reaching.
Since then, lectures on business anthropology have been given in universities across China.
Shantou University is offering business anthropology training to its students enrolled in Business
School. Yunnan University is going to have a graduate program in business anthropology starts
from September, 2013. Sun Yat-Sen University, North Minzu University, South-Central Minzu
University, Ningxia University, Jishou University, Yunan Financial and Economic University,
among some others, have planned to offer business anthropology courses at the undergraduate
and graduate levels. At the same time, more and more research projects, papers and books related
to business anthropology are coming out in China.
In September 2012, two groups of applied anthropologists run two sessions at the national
conference of anthropology in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. The East China University of Science
and Technology in Shanghai planned to host the international conference on applications of
anthropology in business on May 18-20, 2013; following the conference, the College of History
and Culture at Jishou University planned to run a senior level international forum of applied
anthropologists, among them many are business anthropologists, on May 21-22, 2013. All these
events stated above show that business anthropology has a bright future in China and will soon
boom in China as an academic discipline as China’s social and economic development continues
at a fast speed.
In this new issue, we include seven papers selected from large submissions. In the first
contribution, entitled “Boundary (re-)Constructions as Human-Nonhuman Intra- Actions within
the Workplace”, Dr. W. David Holford of University of Quebec at Montreal puts forward the
concept of boundary (re-)constructions within workplace. He studies this concept through a case
analysis that involves interactions within as well as between two workgroups in an aircraft
engine manufacturer. He reframes boundary (re-)constructions as intra-action (as opposed to
inter-actions) between humans and objects, which involve shifting boundaries or ‘cuts’
depending on the context, point of views and configurations at hand. Finally, he proposes
specific managerial practices, which may help towards enabling effective boundary constructions
within the workplace.
The second contribution, entitled “Human Resource Outsourcing: Challenges and Emerging
Trends in Human Resource Management”, discusses the evolution of HR outsourcing and how it
has varied overtime. In this article, Dr. Sigamani P and Dr. Shweta Malhotra point out that the
old approach of exclusively delivering services restricted to their domain has been done away
with and HR professionals now strive for improving and corroborating the decisive capabilities
of the firm that drive business strategy. They try to illustrate the instrumentality of HR
12 International Journal of Business Anthropology vol. 4(1) 2013
outsourcing and how different organizations have utilized this tool of strategic HR as an asset to
increase their value. They find that every organization has its own way of exploiting the options
available in an outsourcing agreement, but it depends on the organization to evaluate and select
the best way which serves best the organization’s interest.
In the third contribution, Rima Higa provides us with a detailed ethnographic account of his
personal fieldwork experience at a pig farm and at a marketplace situated in mainland Okinawa,
studying the commoditization of pigs and pork products in industrialized Okinawa, Japan. She
explores the linkages between commercial value and somatic values apprehended by the sense;
that is attributes such as colors, scents and textures. By connecting aesthetic-economic value
with socio-cultural relationships, the author’s research brings insight to questions recently raised
in the field of “Anthropology of the senses”. Her findings suggest that adding sensory values to a
commodity leads to a cultural reproduction and the differentiation of goods not propelled by
market forces but by a localized cultural code.
The fourth contribution provides useful lessons on the limits of corporate social
responsibility initiatives. With 15 years of experience as advisors to international hydrocarbon
companies, Robert Wasserstrom and Susan M. Reider present two case studies highlighting
common challenges faced by social scientists in the oil and gas industry in Ecuador and Nigeria
and efforts to address these challenges. Those challenges range from how to win “broad
community support” to how to provide real, long-term community benefits, as well as how to
avoid paternalism. They argue that anthropologists can help companies design strategies that are
more effective.
Dr. M. Romesh Singh, in his paper “Cultural Paradigm of High Performing Organizations:
An Ethnographic Study in India Context”, examines the cultural paradigm of high performing
organizations in India through ethnographic study. His findings indicate that each aspect of
organizational culture can be seen as an important environmental condition affecting systems and
sub-systems. He proposes that that organizational culture reflects the personality of organizations.
It comprises of the assumption, values, norms and tangible signs of organization members and
their behavior. He argues that the role of culture is increasingly recognized as an important
variable in understanding behavior in organizations. Culture can affect managerial attitudes,
managerial ideology, business governmental relations and technology transfer, etc. Therefore,
understanding the cultural characteristics of high performing organizations has become more
crucial than ever before.
In the sixth article, Hengameh Hosseini points out that one of the foremost global challenges
faced today is global health. The health of people everywhere must be a growing concern for
those involved in the study and practice of health care, thus spurring the emergence of a variety
of globally inclined health related programs and courses across institutions of higher learning in
the United States. After discussing cultural issues relevant to global health and reasons students
need to learn about global health, the author uses his own teaching experience to prove that
global health course can be enhanced by emphasizing anthropological and cultural dimensions of
healthcare, and by utilizing new media technology.
In the last contribution, Emile Kok-Kheng Yeoh from University of Malaya examines the
various theoretical and empirical aspects of ethnic relations and public policy in Malaysia since
the 1969 racial riots. Dr. Yeoh illustrates the historical development of politics and ethnic
relations in Malaysia, the size and strength of ethnic groups, impacts of the New Economic
Policy launched in the 1970s on ethnic relations, and ethnic segregation in the school system. He
points out that economic situations play an important role in interethnic conflict. Dr. Yeoh
International Journal of Business Anthropology vol. 4(1) 2013 13
believes that though the population of Malaysia consists of three major ethnic communities in
terms of intergroup power relationships, Malaysia has always been recognized as a bi-ethnic
state with dual segmentation that entails a constant tension. He concludes that while ethnic
relations have probably improved in Malaysia since the turbulent days of the late-1960s, it is
apparent that much still needs to be done in the years to come.
The papers selected cover diverse topics and countries. We continuously seek articles by
anthropologically oriented scholars and practitioners on topics such as general business
anthropology theories and methods, marketing, consumer behavior, organization culture, human
resources management, cross cultural management etc. Regionally focused contributions are
welcome, especially when their findings can be generalized. We encourage practitioners,
students, community, and faculty members to submit theoretical articles, case studies,
commentaries and reviews. Please send manuscripts, news notes and correspondence to: Dr.
Robert Guang Tian, Editor, IJBA, via e-mail to ijba@na-businesspress.com, or
rgtian@yahoo.com (Gang Chen and Daming Zhou).

REFERENCES

Central Intelligence Agency (2010). The World Fact Book. Retrieved in March. 2013 from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html.
Jordan, A. (2010). The Importance of Business Anthropology: Its Unique Contributions.
International Journal of Business Anthropology, 1(1): 3-14.
Paliwoda, Stanley J. and John K. Ryans (2008). International Business vs. International
Marketing. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Wu, Yan (2012). China Needs Business Anthropology. China Minzu Newspaper, June 28, 2012:
p.3.
Yu, LiAnne, Cynthia Chan, and Christopher Ireland (2006). China’s New Culture of Cool:
Understanding the World’s Fastest-Growing Market. Berkeley, CA: New Riders Press.
Zhong, Zhe and Liu, Ning (2012). Business Anthropology Expending the Study Scope of
Anthropology. China Newspaper of Social Science, July 20, 2012.
14 International

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Third International Conference on Applications of Anthropology in Business

The Third International Conference on Applications ofAnthropology in Business
Call for Papers (Tentative)
 
 
In order to promote phenomenon-driven and context based study on management and marketing research in the business world, the Advanced Research College of Applied Anthropology and Business School at Jishou University will host “The Third International Conference on Applications of Anthropology in Business” to be held between May 9-11, 2014 in Zhangjiajie.  The conference will be co-sponsored by the College of Administration, Hebei University, and the North America Business Press (more co-sponsors will be added).  Prior to the conference, there will be a two-day workshop on ethnographic and qualitative research methods in business studies by worldwide famous Business Professor Dr. Russ Belk.
 
The conference would like to accept papers from scholars all over the world, who are interested in the anthropological study of business theories and practices. Please submit your paper proposals to the conference by email: gtian@stu.edu.cn, the deadline for proposal is due on Jan. 15, 2014.  The full paper is due on March. 31, 2014.  The acceptance notice of paper proposal will be issued by March 15, 20014. 
 
 
The themes/topics of the conference include but are not limited to:
 
1.                  Anthropological study of contextual management and marketing phenomenaand cultural issues in the business environment
2.                  Ethnographic methods and applications in business studies
3.                  Business Ethnography Vs. Traditional Ethnography
4.                  Anthropological study of organizational and strategic behavior
5.                  Anthropological study of consumer behaviorbranding, advertising and marketing communication strategies
6.                  Anthropological study of cross-cultural business communications and practices
7.                  Anthropological study of product design and development
8.                  Anthropological study of international business strategies
9.                  The applications of anthropology in business education
10.              Anthropological study of organizational development and change
11.              Anthropological study of entrepreneurships
 
The Academic Committee of the Conference consists of the following scholars:
 
Professor YANG Tianshuo Chair (Confirmed)
Professor GUO Yi, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Dr. Russell Belk, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Dr. Dominique Desjeux, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Dr. Timothy Malefyt, Co-Chair (To Be Confirmed)
Dr. Davide Torsello, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Dr. ZHOU Daming, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Dr. TIAN Guang, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Dr. LUO Kanglong, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
 

The Organizational Committee of the Conference consists of the following scholars:
 
Professor ZHONG Jianpin, Chair (Vice President of Jishou University, Confirmed)
Professor ZHANG Jijiao, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Professor SUN Jianfu, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Professor JIANG Caifang, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Professor David Smith, Co-Chair (Confirmed)
Professor TIAN Guang, Co-Chair (General Secretary for the Conference, Confirmed)
 
Qualified conference papers will be published in the following double bland peer-reviewed academic journals in addition to the conference proceedings:
 
Special Issues on Business Anthropology, The Anthropologist, SSCI indexed
Journal of Applied Business and Economics, Cabell Directory listed
American Journal of Management, Cabell Directory listed
Journal of Management Policy and Practice, Cabell Directory listed
Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, Cabell Directory listed
International Journal of Business Anthropology, Cabell Directory listed
International Journal of China Marketing, Cabell Directory listed
Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Cabell Directory listed
 
The format of the paper:
 
GENERAL FORMAT SETUP:
 
Produced in MS-Word 95 or greater (or equivalent), please no pdf.
1 inch margins on all sides
8.5” x 11” paper size, not A4
Single spacing, from beginning of document
One space after all punctuation
Times New Roman, 12 pt. font
Full justification except where noted
Do not page number
Do not use footnotes or endnotes. If necessary, manually number using superscript and list numbered notes after body of paper and before references.
Paragraphs should be continuous, no line spaces between paragraphs, with a 1/4 inch indentation at each new paragraph no landscape oriented pages or color graphs please.
 
Article title should appear at 2.5 inches (8 hard returns) from top: title should be centered, bold, 14 pt font, Times New Roman. Each author, with affiliation, should be centered below title, with space between first author and title, and each subsequent author/affiliation, 12 pt font, bold, Times New Roman.
After the last author’s affiliation, hard return 4 times and place an abstract of no more than 100 words. Abstract is in italics, 12 pt font, with no indentation.

 

Scale Measurements in Marketing Research

 
Michael Johnson

University of Georgia

 
William Davis
              University of Oregon  (return)
(return)
(return)
(return)

This is where the abstract would start…Do not use the word Abstract…Do not indent

When the abstract is complete, hard return 1 time and start the body of the paper.
 

INTRODUCTION

 
First level headings should be bold, all caps, 12 pt Times New Roman, Left Justified with 1 line space above and below the heading.
 
Second Level Heading
Second level headings should be bold, 12 pt Times New Roman, Left Justified with one space above the heading, none below, using capitals as in a title.
 

Third Level Heading

Third level headings should be italic, 12 pt Times New Roman, Left Justified with one space above the heading, none below, using capitals as in a title.
 
TABLES, FIGURES and GRAPHS: They should be numbered consecutively within each category; thus, a paper might have a TABLE 1, FIGURE 1, and GRAPH 1. Each table, figure, and graph should be self contained and centered along with the headings being centered, all capital letters, bold, 12 pt font, and appear in the body of the paper in its appropriate location (See Table 1). Excessive tables, figures, graphs and raw data are discouraged. They should directly aid in the reading of the article. If needed, but cumbersome, they should be included in an appendix. If an Appendix is included, it should appear after the references. Because the journal is printed in black and white, please do not use color in illustrations.
 

TABLE 1

SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES FROM THE REGRESSION ANALYSIS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FIGURE 1
ERROR CORRECTION EQUATION
 
 
REFERENCES
 
Every reference in an article should provide specific information in the order specified by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA): The acceptable citation style is (Alan, 1981) coming at the final point of the paraphrased citation, or (Davis, et.al., 1999, p.116) coming after a quote.
 
The author's: last name, first initial, middle initial_(year of publication in parentheses)._title of article._ name of publication – italics,_volume number,_both beginning and ending pages of the article. Left Justify all lines of referencing, with double space between references. Two journal and one book examples below.
 
Alan, B.P. (1981). Management Directed Buyouts. Journal of Management, 27, (3), 23-34.
 
Davis, M.R., Jones, L.K. & English, C.P. (1999). Directing LBO’s in Aviation Firms. Journal of Strategic Policy, 41, Fall, 113-127.
 
Johnson, B. (1993). Principles of Banking, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 
 
COPYRIGHT ASSIGNMENT and PERMISSIONS: By accepting publication into the journals listed above, it implies that the Journals have copyright assignment from the authors, and the accepted articles have not appeared or been accepted for publication elsewhere.
 
Note:  THE AUTHORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ACCURACY. PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY!!!
 

The Third International Conference on Applications of Anthropology in Business

The Third International Conference on Applications of Anthropology in Business Call for Papers (Tentative) In order to promote phenomenon-driven and context based study on management and marketing research in the business world, the Advanced Research College of Applied Anthropology and Business School at Jishou University will host “The Third International Conference on Applications of Anthropology in Business” to be held between May 9-11, 2014 in Zhangjiajie. The conference will be co-sponsored by the College of Administration, Hebei University, and the North America Business Press (more co-sponsors will be added). Prior to the conference, there will be a two-day workshop on ethnographic and qualitative research methods in business studies by worldwide famous Business Professor Dr. Russ Belk. The conference would like to accept papers from scholars all over the world, who are interested in the anthropological study of business theories and practices. Please submit your paper proposals to the conference by email: gtian@stu.edu.cn, the deadline for proposal is due on Jan. 15, 2014. The full paper is due on March. 31, 2014. The acceptance notice of paper proposal will be issued by March 15, 20014. The themes/topics of the conference include but are not limited to: 1. Anthropological study of contextual management and marketing phenomena and cultural issues in the business environment 2. Ethnographic methods and applications in business studies 3. Business Ethnography Vs. Traditional Ethnography 4. Anthropological study of organizational and strategic behavior 5. Anthropological study of consumer behavior,branding, advertising and marketing communication strategies 6. Anthropological study of cross-cultural business communications and practices 7. Anthropological study of product design and development 8. Anthropological study of international business strategies 9. The applications of anthropology in business education 10. Anthropological study of organizational development and change 11. Anthropological study of entrepreneurships The Academic Committee of the Conference consists of the following scholars: Professor YANG Tianshuo Chair (Confirmed) Professor GUO Yi, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Dr. Russell Belk, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Dr. Dominique Desjeux, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Dr. Timothy Malefyt, Co-Chair (To Be Confirmed) Dr. Davide Torsello, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Dr. ZHOU Daming, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Dr. TIAN Guang, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Dr. LUO Kanglong, Co-Chair (Confirmed) The Organizational Committee of the Conference consists of the following scholars: Professor ZHONG Jianpin, Chair (Vice President of Jishou University, Confirmed) Professor ZHANG Jijiao, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Professor SUN Jianfu, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Professor JIANG Caifang, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Professor David Smith, Co-Chair (Confirmed) Professor TIAN Guang, Co-Chair (General Secretary for the Conference, Confirmed) Qualified conference papers will be published in the following double bland peer-reviewed academic journals in addition to the conference proceedings: Special Issues on Business Anthropology, The Anthropologist, SSCI indexed Journal of Applied Business and Economics, Cabell Directory listed American Journal of Management, Cabell Directory listed Journal of Management Policy and Practice, Cabell Directory listed Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, Cabell Directory listed International Journal of Business Anthropology, Cabell Directory listed International Journal of China Marketing, Cabell Directory listed Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Cabell Directory listed The format of the paper: GENERAL FORMAT SETUP: Produced in MS-Word 95 or greater (or equivalent), please no pdf. 1 inch margins on all sides 8.5” x 11” paper size, not A4 Single spacing, from beginning of document One space after all punctuation Times New Roman, 12 pt. font Full justification except where noted Do not page number Do not use footnotes or endnotes. If necessary, manually number using superscript and list numbered notes after body of paper and before references. Paragraphs should be continuous, no line spaces between paragraphs, with a 1/4 inch indentation at each new paragraph no landscape oriented pages or color graphs please. Article title should appear at 2.5 inches (8 hard returns) from top: title should be centered, bold, 14 pt font, Times New Roman. Each author, with affiliation, should be centered below title, with space between first author and title, and each subsequent author/affiliation, 12 pt font, bold, Times New Roman. After the last author’s affiliation, hard return 4 times and place an abstract of no more than 100 words. Abstract is in italics, 12 pt font, with no indentation. Scale Measurements in Marketing Research Michael Johnson University of Georgia William Davis University of Oregon (return) (return) (return) (return) This is where the abstract would start…Do not use the word Abstract…Do not indent When the abstract is complete, hard return 1 time and start the body of the paper. INTRODUCTION First level headings should be bold, all caps, 12 pt Times New Roman, Left Justified with 1 line space above and below the heading. Second Level Heading Second level headings should be bold, 12 pt Times New Roman, Left Justified with one space above the heading, none below, using capitals as in a title. Third Level Heading Third level headings should be italic, 12 pt Times New Roman, Left Justified with one space above the heading, none below, using capitals as in a title. TABLES, FIGURES and GRAPHS: They should be numbered consecutively within each category; thus, a paper might have a TABLE 1, FIGURE 1, and GRAPH 1. Each table, figure, and graph should be self contained and centered along with the headings being centered, all capital letters, bold, 12 pt font, and appear in the body of the paper in its appropriate location (See Table 1). Excessive tables, figures, graphs and raw data are discouraged. They should directly aid in the reading of the article. If needed, but cumbersome, they should be included in an appendix. If an Appendix is included, it should appear after the references. Because the journal is printed in black and white, please do not use color in illustrations. TABLE 1 SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES FROM THE REGRESSION ANALYSIS FIGURE 1 ERROR CORRECTION EQUATION REFERENCES Every reference in an article should provide specific information in the order specified by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA): The acceptable citation style is (Alan, 1981) coming at the final point of the paraphrased citation, or (Davis, et.al., 1999, p.116) coming after a quote. The author's: last name, first initial, middle initial_(year of publication in parentheses)._title of article._ name of publication – italics,_volume number,_both beginning and ending pages of the article. Left Justify all lines of referencing, with double space between references. Two journal and one book examples below. Alan, B.P. (1981). Management Directed Buyouts. Journal of Management, 27, (3), 23-34. Davis, M.R., Jones, L.K. & English, C.P. (1999). Directing LBO’s in Aviation Firms. Journal of Strategic Policy, 41, Fall, 113-127. Johnson, B. (1993). Principles of Banking, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. COPYRIGHT ASSIGNMENT and PERMISSIONS: By accepting publication into the journals listed above, it implies that the Journals have copyright assignment from the authors, and the accepted articles have not appeared or been accepted for publication elsewhere. Note: THE AUTHORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ACCURACY. PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY!!!

International Journal of Business Anthropology Vol. 4 (2)

International Journal of Business Anthropology Vol. 4 (2)
Table of Contents

Editorial Commentary Substantive Paradigms and Business Anthropology
Alf H. Walle

Anthropological Perspective in HR Management: A case study of China-based Multi-national Corporation
Yan Yan

Insurance Culture in China Under the Conditions of Transformation
Yuanxion Tang, Wenjiang Chen, and Yang Zhou

Factors Affect the Employment Longevity of Staff Working with Clients Possessing Intellectual Disabilities
Michael W. Firmin, Katlyn M. Orient, Heather Steiner, and Ruth L. Firmin

Sensemaking the Small Business Credit Crunch: The Network of Recession and Barriers to Recovery Christopher M. Hartt and Keltie Jones

Does Competitive Intelligence Matter? An Anthropological Way of Thinking
Hong Wang and Luis Borges

Challenges and Emerging Trends in Human Resource Management
Sigamani P and Shweta Malhotra

Saturday, February 9, 2013

International Journal of Business Anthropology Homepage

Please click this link and see the journal's homepage


Volume 4(1)
International Journal of
Business Anthropology
Table of Contents

Editorial Commentary

Boundary (re-)Constructions as Human-Nonhuman Intra-Actions within the Workplace
W. David Holford

Affect, Trust and Friendship: A Case Study of Chinese and Zambian
Relationships at the Workplace
Janny Chang

The Sensory Value of Commodity: Homogenization and Differentiation of
Pigs and Pork in Okinawa, Japan
Rima Higa
Anthropologists, Corporate Responsibility and Oil in Ecuador and Nigeria
Robert Wasserstrom and Susan M. Reider

Cultural Paradigm of High Performing Organizations: An Ethnographic Study in India Context
M. Romesh Singh

The Role of New Technology in Global Health Education
Hengameh Hosseini

Socioeconomic Development and Ethno-Cultural DiversityState Policy and the Evolvement of Pluralism in Malaysia
Emile Kok-Kheng Yeoh



Call for Papers: International Journal of Business Anthropology

ISSN 2155-6237

The International Journal of Business Anthropology is a double blind peer reviewed journal focusing upon business and economic anthropology sponsored by the College of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-Sen University, China, the Faculty of Social Science, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and published by the North American Business Press (NABP) biannually. Given the rapid growth of business anthropology a journal dedicated to the field is much needed.  

Business and economic anthropology uses qualitative and ethnographic methods as an alternative to more formal methodologies, Specific tools include participant observation, informal and structured interviews, and other “naturalistic”, informal, and face to face methods of investigation. Business anthropologists play a key role in developing culturally sensitive policies and strategies in a world that increasingly typified by cross-cultural contact.

The journal seeks articles by anthropologically oriented scholars and practitioners in business and economic world.  Regionally focused contributions are welcome, especially when their findings can be generalized.  We encourage the dialogues between the findings or theories generated from the field of business anthropology and the theories of general anthropology. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, general business anthropology theories and methods, management, marketing, consumer behavior, product design and development, knowledge management and competitive intelligence, human resources management, international business, etc. 

Objectives: 

- Generate an exchange of ideas between scholars, practitioners and industry specialists in the field of applied and business anthropology
-  Encourage bridge building between the practitioner and the academic world
-  Provide a vehicle of communication for anthropologists working within the practitioner world
- Provide a forum for work concerned with qualitative business analysis inspired by anthropological theory and methods

About the Publishers

NABP publishes seven academic journals.  The acceptance rate of NABP journals is less than twenty percent.  The journals are indexed by UMI-Proquest-ABI Inform, EBSCOhost, GoogleScholar, and listed with Cabell's Directory, Ulrich's Listing of Periodicals, and Bowkers Publishing Resources. NABP journals are affirmed as scholarly research outlets by the following business school accrediting bodies: AACSB, ACBSP, IACBE & EQUIS. (For more information consult : http://www.na-businesspress.com/)

Call for Papers
We are always looking for good manuscripts! We encourage practitioners, students, community members, and faculty from all disciplines to submit articles. The Editors and one or more anonymous peer reviewers will review the manuscript prior to its acceptance for publication. In addition to research and academic articles, we feature case studies, commentaries and reviews. We welcome the papers in the area of:
1) Inter-cultural consultancy, training and management
2) Design anthropology and product development
3) Consumer research

4) Ethnography and organizations

5) Marketing and competitive intelligence

6) Human resources management

7) Organization changes

8) International business

9) Economic anthropology

Please send manuscripts, news notes and correspondence to: Dr. Robert Guang Tian, Co-Editor, IJBA, via e-mail at rtian@medaille.edu, or rgtian@yahoo.com or ijba@na-businesspress.com