Differences in networking activities among Australasian entrepreneurs: challenging the universal nature of entrepreneurial networking

This study investigated differences in networking practice among entrepreneurs in the Australasian/Asian region (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Korea, China, India and Hong Kong). Social networks have gained increased attention in entrepreneurship literature. Most previous empirical studies have investigated the impact of social networks in different contexts. Some studies have investigated specific industries and some have investigated specific regional areas (often nations). These specific studies have given birth to a debate on the universal nature of social networks. Basically, two extreme positions can be identified in the entrepreneurship literature, although most research places itself in between these extremes. One extreme position argues that social networking plays a generic and universal role regardless of the culture in which entrepreneurs operate. In contrast, the other position argues that social networking is context determined. Here, networking differs dramatically depending on the culture in which entrepreneurs operate. Although, the theoretical debate has continued for nearly two decades, empirical research on this issue still appears only occasionally. Previous researchers have struggled to interpret their results. Some researchers emphasise the similarities among entrepreneurial networks across cultures, and arguments for a degree of generic entrepreneurial networking are put forward. Other researchers focus on the dissimilarities, viewing entrepreneurial networking as a cultural influenced phenomenon. This controversy might be due to the high degree of cultural commonality among the countries that have been investigated so far (problem 1). However, there have also been methodological problems in that previous research studies often fail to use similar sampling methodologies when regional comparisons are performed (problem 2). This study addresses both these problems.