The effect of anomia on ethnocentric tendencies among owner/managers of small businesses : a study from two island microstates

Abstract

Globalization and liberalization are having a profound effect across the world. As countries pursue such policies some of the sectors that were previously afforded protection find themselves in rapidly changing markets. This paper focuses on the small business owner/ managers in the two microstates of Malta and Singapore. It seeks to determine their levels of feelings of helplessness or anomia and considers the possibility that anomia is correlated to ethnocentrism. Although ethnocentrism has in the past been looked at from a consumer perspective this study looks at ethnocentric' tendencies among owner/ managers of small businesses. Data is collected from this group via samples in each of the two countries. Results indicate a statistically significant correlation between the two constructs. Some implications for theory and policy development are considered.