Applying economic opportunity structure framework in Hong Kong SAR : a study of sectorial business response to pro-democracy social movements

Abstract

This article aims to explore the attitudes of regional and international businesses towards recent pro-democracy protest movements in Hong Kong SAR. It focuses on a sequence of events that emerged in June 2019 and continued until the article was envisaged. To consider complexities, the study segregates the Hong Kong pro-democracy protest through the theoretical lenses of social movements. Research on social movement activism provides an ambiance to study and better understand social, political and market consequences of movement’s activity (Giugni, 1998). Contextually, by analyzing business responses to these movements, the article builds on and widens elements of the Economic Opportunity Structure framework (EOS) introduced by Joseph Luders in 2006. In doing so, the author makes use of a series of case studies captured from newspaper articles, online news platforms and official statements categorized as bearing high degree of credibility. The present research formulates a parallel between the magnitude of economic disruption and concession costs caused by protest movements and the reaction businesses produced following different stages of the protests.