IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i17p12817-d1224275.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring BoP Generations through Business Model Innovation Lens: A Review and Framing

Author

Listed:
  • Mariana Voros Fregolente

    (Production Engineering of Polytechnic School, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Avenue Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 1380, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-010, SP, Brazil)

  • Marly M. Carvalho

    (Production Engineering of Polytechnic School, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Avenue Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 1380, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-010, SP, Brazil)

Abstract

The evolution of base/bottom of the pyramid (BoP) literature from BoP 1.0 to 3.0 prompted the need for fresh theoretical perspectives to address complex and persistent social issues. This article investigates BoP through the lens of business model innovation, using a literature review along with bibliometric, network, and content analyses, to map the intellectual and conceptual structure and understand the key variables relating to BoP business models. The research encompasses 161 articles extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Documents were screened manually and with the assistance of VOS Viewer 1.6.18, Biblioshiny 4.0, IBM SPSS 20, UCINET6, and NVivo12, using abductive and deductive coding techniques. The findings reveal a prevailing focus on the exploratory phase among the articles, with a predominant utilization of qualitative research methods, particularly centered on case studies. Interviews and public data sources constitute the primary sources for supporting empirical evidence. Notably, the majority of these cases pertain to emerging economies situated across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with India emerging as the most frequently cited country in the literature. Sectors, such as energy, healthcare, agrifood, finance, and telecommunications are studied, emphasizing themes of innovation, entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Emerging themes include social entrepreneurship, frugal innovation, and inclusive business models. The research panorama encompasses a categorization of BoP enterprises based on their origin (top-down or bottom-up), their typology (commercial, assistance, or collaboration), and their interactions with BoP communities (either as customers or entrepreneurs). From an innovation standpoint, certain concepts emerged, notably frugal innovation and bricolage, accompanied by the incorporation of ecosystem theory and sustainability perspectives. The research also outlines a BoP business model framework, providing insights into key components favored by entrepreneurs in this realm.

Suggested Citation

  • Mariana Voros Fregolente & Marly M. Carvalho, 2023. "Exploring BoP Generations through Business Model Innovation Lens: A Review and Framing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-37, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12817-:d:1224275
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/17/12817/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/17/12817/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zahra, Shaker A. & Gedajlovic, Eric & Neubaum, Donald O. & Shulman, Joel M., 2009. "A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 519-532, September.
    2. Ted London & Stuart L Hart, 2004. "Reinventing strategies for emerging markets: beyond the transnational model," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(5), pages 350-370, September.
    3. Suparak Suriyankietkaew & Krittawit Krittayaruangroj & Nacharee Iamsawan, 2022. "Sustainable Leadership Practices and Competencies of SMEs for Sustainability and Resilience: A Community-Based Social Enterprise Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-36, May.
    4. Vivek Sinha & Vegar L. Ausrød & Øystein Widding, 2020. "Gearing up for growth: the growth process of new ventures at the base of the pyramid," International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(1), pages 85-108.
    5. Iheanachor, Nkemdilim & David-West, Yinka & Umukoro, Immanuel Ovemeso, 2021. "Business model innovation at the bottom of the pyramid – A case of mobile money agents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 96-107.
    6. Bertrand Moingeon & Muhammad Yunus & Laurence Lehmann-Ortega, 2010. "Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience," Post-Print hal-00528385, HAL.
    7. James Austin & Howard Stevenson & Jane Wei–Skillern, 2006. "Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(1), pages 1-22, January.
    8. Joshi, Lalita & Choudhary, Deepak & Kumar, Praveen & Venkateswaran, Jayendran & Solanki, Chetan S., 2019. "Does involvement of local community ensure sustained energy access? A critical review of a solar PV technology intervention in rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 272-281.
    9. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    10. Michael D. van der Merwe & Sara S. Grobbelaar & Cornelius S. L. Schutte & Konrad H. von Leipzig, 2018. "Toward an Enterprise Growth Framework for Entering the Base of the Pyramid Market: A Systematic Review," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(04), pages 1-34, August.
    11. Michael D. van der Merwe & Sara S. Grobbelaar & Isabel A. Meyer & Cornelius S.L. Schutte & Konrad H. von Leipzig, 2020. "A Framework of Key Growth Factors for Small Enterprises Operating at the Base of the Pyramid," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-33, November.
    12. Kate Roll & Catherine Dolan & Dinah Rajak, 2021. "Remote (Dis)engagement: Shifting Corporate Risk to the ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(4), pages 878-901, July.
    13. Fu, Xiaolan & Ghauri, Pervez & Ogbonna, Nwamaka & Xing, Xiaoqiang, 2023. "Platform-based business model and entrepreneurs from Base of the Pyramid," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    14. Johanna Mair & Ignasi Marti, 2006. "Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Source of Explanation, Prediction, and Delight," Post-Print hal-02311880, HAL.
    15. Prado, Andrea M. & Calderon, Daniel & Zúñiga, Roy, 2016. "Providing low-cost and high-quality medications to rural communities in developing countries: The case of Accion Medica Cristiana in Nicaragua," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3910-3922.
    16. Raphael Amit & Christoph Zott, 2001. "Value creation in E‐business," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 493-520, June.
    17. Sesan, Temilade & Raman, Sujatha & Clifford, Mike & Forbes, Ian, 2013. "Corporate-Led Sustainable Development and Energy Poverty Alleviation at the Bottom of the Pyramid: The Case of the CleanCook in Nigeria," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 137-146.
    18. Sengupta, Tuhin & Narayanamurthy, Gopalakrishnan & Hota, Pradeep Kumar & Sarker, Tapan & Dey, Subhendu, 2021. "Conditional acceptance of digitized business model innovation at the BoP: A stakeholder analysis of eKutir in India," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    19. Carvalho, M.M. & Fleury, André & Lopes, Ana Paula, 2013. "An overview of the literature on technology roadmapping (TRM): Contributions and trends," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(7), pages 1418-1437.
    20. Mahama, Amadu, 2012. "2012 international year for sustainable energy for all: African Frontrunnership in rural electrification," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 76-82.
    21. Rosca, Eugenia & Bendul, Julia C., 2019. "Value chain integration of base of the pyramid consumers: An empirical study of drivers and performance outcomes," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 162-176.
    22. Malobi Mukherjee & Jacob Wood, 2021. "Consolidating Unorganised Retail Businesses through Digital Platforms: Implications for Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-28, October.
    23. Howell, Rachel & van Beers, Cees & Doorn, Neelke, 2018. "Value capture and value creation: The role of information technology in business models for frugal innovations in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 227-239.
    24. Mair, Johanna & Martí, Ignasi, 2006. "Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation, prediction, and delight," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 36-44, February.
    25. Mair, Johanna & Marti, Ignasi, 2009. "Entrepreneurship in and around institutional voids: A case study from Bangladesh," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 419-435, September.
    26. Sandeep Goyal & Bruno S Sergi & Mahadeo Jaiswal, 2015. "How to Design and Implement Social Business Models for Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) Markets?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 27(5), pages 850-867, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Addisu A. Lashitew & Somendra Narayan & Eugenia Rosca & Lydia Bals, 2022. "Creating Social Value for the ‘Base of the Pyramid’: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(2), pages 445-466, June.
    2. Simon Joncourt & Heiko Gebauer & Javier Reynoso & Karla Cabrera & Ana Valdes & Katharina Greve, 2019. "Extending the Base-of-the-Pyramid Concept," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(3), pages 241-261, October.
    3. João J. Ferreira & Cristina I. Fernandes & Marta Peres-Ortiz & Helena Alves, 2017. "Conceptualizing social entrepreneurship: perspectives from the literature," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 14(1), pages 73-93, March.
    4. Kaushik, Vineet & Tewari, Shobha & Sahasranamam, Sreevas & Hota, Pradeep Kumar, 2023. "Towards a precise understanding of social entrepreneurship: An integrated bibliometric–machine learning based review and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    5. Paola Bernardi & Alberto Bertello & Canio Forliano & Ludovico Bullini Orlandi, 2022. "Beyond the “ivory tower”. Comparing academic and non-academic knowledge on social entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 999-1032, September.
    6. Laura Rodrigo & Isabel Ortiz-Marcos & Miguel Palacios, 2024. "A typology of social innovation: A comparative study of clustering methodologies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 3283-3322, December.
    7. Pradeep Kumar Hota & Balaji Subramanian & Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy, 2020. "Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 89-114, September.
    8. Giuseppina Maria Cardella & Brizeida Raquel Hernández-Sánchez & Alcides Almeida Monteiro & José Carlos Sánchez-García, 2021. "Social Entrepreneurship Research: Intellectual Structures and Future Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.
    9. Jeffery S. McMullen, 2011. "Delineating the Domain of Development Entrepreneurship: A Market–Based Approach to Facilitating Inclusive Economic Growth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(1), pages 185-215, January.
    10. De Beule, Filip & Klein, Martin & Verwaal, Ernst, 2020. "Institutional quality and inclusive strategies at the base of the pyramid," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(5).
    11. Muhammad Farooq Islam & Ozge Can, 2024. "Integrating digital and sustainable entrepreneurship through business models: a bibliometric analysis," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Harris, Jared D. & Sapienza, Harry J. & Bowie, Norman E., 2009. "Ethics and entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 407-418, September.
    13. Karina Cagarman & Jan Kratzer & Katharina Osbelt, 2020. "Social Entrepreneurship: Dissection of a Phenomenon through a German Lens," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-18, September.
    14. Pradeep Kumar Hota, 2023. "Tracing the Intellectual Evolution of Social Entrepreneurship Research: Past Advances, Current Trends, and Future Directions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 637-659, January.
    15. Philip T. Roundy & Michaël Bonnal, 2017. "The Singularity of Social Entrepreneurship: Untangling its Uniqueness and Market Function," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 26(2), pages 137-162, September.
    16. Estrin, Saul & Mickiewicz, Tomasz & Stephan, Ute, 2016. "Human capital in social and commercial entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 449-467.
    17. Adélie Ranville & Marcos Barros, 2022. "Towards Normative Theories of Social Entrepreneurship. A Review of the Top Publications of the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 407-438, October.
    18. Elisabet Ferri & David Urbano, 2010. "Environmental Factors and Social Entrepreneurship," Working Papers 1003, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Sep 2010.
    19. Geradts, Thijs H.J. & Alt, Elisa, 2022. "Social entrepreneurial action in established organizations: Developing the concept of social intrapreneurship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 197-206.
    20. Sahasranamam, Sreevas & Nandakumar, M.K., 2020. "Individual capital and social entrepreneurship: Role of formal institutions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 104-117.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12817-:d:1224275. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.