Arab spring and Jordanian consumers' animosity toward foreign products: What managers need to know

The recent democratization movement across the region of Middle-East and North-Africa, popularly known as the “Arab Spring”, is likely to have far reaching consequences for business, economic and political environments of the Arab countries. Focusing on Jordan as a proxy for the Arab region and Britain for the West, this paper examines how Jordanian people view British products. Since granting independence to Jordan in 1946, Britain has maintained close diplomatic, political, and trade relationship with its former colony. Based on empirical data, this paper analyzes how different segments within the Jordanian society perceive Britain and its products. The findings indicate that Jordanians do harbor animosity toward Britain and its products, which consequently, result in their unwillingness to purchase British products. The findings further indicate that such animosity is affected by geographical location, educational level, and the extent of xenophobia that people harbor. The paper concludes with a discussion of the managerial implications of the findings in the light of the Arab Spring and makes necessary recommendations for both practitioners and researchers.