Title:
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HIGH CULTURE, HIGH CONTEXT: ONLINE STRATEGIES OF INDIGENOUS CULTURAL ENTERPRISES |
Author(s):
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Megan Cardamone |
ISBN:
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978-972-8924-49-2 |
Editors:
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Sandeep Krishnamurthy and Pedro Isaías |
Year:
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2007 |
Edition:
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Single |
Keywords:
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Indigenous Australians, cultural sector, e-commerce, Internet, fine art, reputation, trust. |
Type:
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Full Paper |
First Page:
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137 |
Last Page:
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148 |
Language:
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English |
Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload
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Paper Abstract:
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Indigenous Australians experience a great demand for their culture, but do not benefit sufficiently from its
commercialization. Recent developments in digital and Internet technology have presented new commercial
opportunities for mainstream enterprises and for greater interaction between global cultures. Indigenous Australians
recognized these opportunities and have adopted Internet technology across a range of sectors. Very little is known about
Indigenous owned enterprises and their e-commerce practices, particularly in the lucrative cultural sector. This paper
draws on a national online survey and enterprise case studies to examine approaches to, and perceptions of Internet
commerce in Indigenous-owned culture sector enterprises. Cultural products (such as art, craft, dance, theatre and
cultural tours) are not traditionally aligned with e-commerce which favours intangible and standardised, easily
comparable products. However some Indigenous enterprises have been highly successful at increasing income and
viability through the online medium. Because of the complex preconditions for selling Indigenous culture, transactions
are rarely conducted fully on the Web. The research found that in examples of successful Indigenous e-commerce,
cultural enterprises first establish social and cultural contexts before achieving economic gains. Social contexts are built
online through relationships and communication, which underscore reputation, and transactions as experiences. Online
construction of a products cultural context is used to ensure authenticity, which can act as a subtle alternative to online
branding and trust. |
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