Numerous studies report the failure of western e-commerce experiences to effectively engage the Chinese customer. While culture shapes significantly customers’ interpretation of their e-commerce experience we have not considered the way (dis)satisfactory determinants shape managerial action outside the western world. Our action research design, spread over a six-year period, integrates critical incidents to facilitate managerial reflection. We surface a new dimension of respect, while revealing important distinct interpretations of existing dimensions. Our narrative, which integrates a prototypical e-commerce experience, acts to crystallise fundamental insights for the management of Chinese e-commerce encounters.
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