| This research examines the scale, functions, dynamics and impact of ethnic networks among Chinese-owned firms in three producer service sectors of Los Angeles: accounting, banking and computer distribution. Each sector has a significant presence of Chinese-owned firms; and each exemplifies respectively professional, capital, and distributional services.;The research has found ample evidence indicating that ethnic networks play a central role in the internal operation and external organization of Chinese producer service firms. Drawing insights from both ethnic studies and economic geographical literature, I examine ethnic networks from four perspectives. First, I argue that the use of ethnic networks should not be attributed to cultural preferences as argued by culturalists, nor is it forced upon because of no choice as argued by structuralists. Ethnic networks are utilized because they provide valuable economic advantages. Not only do they enhance the access of ethnic entrepreneurs to economic resources such as capital, labor and information, as stressed by previous literature; but more importantly, I argue, they provide an efficient and effective tool to address transactional concerns and needs for ethnic firms. Second, matching the configurations of ethnic networks in different sectors with the transactional characteristics in that sector, I demonstrate that transaction interpretation is a prominent explanation for the use of ethnic networks. Third, in the context of global production and services, and especially in the case of Chinese ethnic networks, I illustrate the critical roles of transnational networks and their implications for the development of three types of Chinese producer service firms. Fourth, I argue that the development of ethnic networks is contingent upon local conditions, and also has geographical consequences for the locations of ethnic producer service firms. Taking ethnic networks into accounting enables us to better explain the location patterns of producer service firms.;The research design integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data are collected from surveys, interviews and existing statistics, business directories, and documents. |
