Research on Asia: promise and perils

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the nature and scope of diversity between and within Asian countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper represents a personal retrospective on the promise and perils of conducting research on Asia.

Findings

“Promise” includes the growing research interest and attention on this region. “Perils” include, among others, a failure to recognize the diversity across countries in the region and within a given country. Immigration, rising incidence of bicultural or multicultural identity and brain circulation have all contributed to growing diversity within countries. Future research on this region should take into consideration such intra-national diversity.

Originality/value

Although Asia’s “foreignness” may differentiate it from other regions around the world and, in doing so, contribute to the perception of its homogeneity, the region is considerably more diverse than what it appears to be. Thus, it is imperative to consciously recognize – and incorporate – diversity in a region of growing global importance.

Citation

Tung, R. (2014), "Research on Asia: promise and perils", Journal of Asia Business Studies, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 189-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-03-2014-0025