Title: The impact of ethnic-religious identification on buyer-seller behaviour: a study of two enclaves

Authors: Curt H. Stiles, Carlos L. Rodriguez, Craig S. Galbraith

Addresses: Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA. ' Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA. ' Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA

Abstract: This study examines the behaviour of buyers and sellers in two ethnic enclaves, Catholic Hispanics and Muslim Arabs, within a US metropolitan area. Based upon a sample of 42 small ethnic businesses, a rudimentary activity matrix is constructed for each enclave to reveal the purchases of materials, services, and labour and the sales of finished and semi-finished goods and services. Results suggest that ethnic firms are dependent on co-ethnic business in their enclave, tend to rely more upon the ethnic enclave for labour inputs than for other resources, and that start-up firms rely more on intra-enclave economic exchange than do more mature ethnic firms. The perceived advantage of intra-enclave buying and selling is argued to lie in a sense of ethnic identification that comes primarily from a religion, either Catholic or Muslim, common to each enclave. The dependence on religious organisations for services by new ventures is seen to lessen as the venture matures.

Keywords: ethnic enclaves; religion; entrepreneurship; Catholic Hispanics; Muslim Arabs; USA; Untied States; buyer-seller behaviour; ethnic firms; intra-enclave business; ethnic identification; start-ups; globalisation; new ventures.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2007.013717

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2007 Vol.1 No.1, pp.20 - 33

Published online: 22 May 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article