IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/engenv/v26y2015i5p803-816.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants of the Diffusion of Solar Home Systems: Case Study among Low-Income Inhabitants in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Pranpreya Sriwannawita
  • Staffan Laestadiusb

Abstract

This article discusses the determinants of technology diffusion among the low-income adopters, i.e. those belonging to the bottom of the pyramid market. Our aim is to analyse the variables that determine the adoption rate of Solar Home Systems. The analysis is drawn from a qualitative case study in Bangladesh based on interviews, observation and documents. We re-conceptualize diffusion process into three basic components: source, innovation and adopter. In particular, we focus on the characteristics of the source that are specific to the low-income market. In our case, the source is a social entrepreneur who seeks social wealth rather than economic wealth. Our empirical study may help to illuminate diffusion processes conducted by social entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid because it contributes to a more comprehensive list of variables that affect the innovation adoption rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Pranpreya Sriwannawita & Staffan Laestadiusb, 2015. "Determinants of the Diffusion of Solar Home Systems: Case Study among Low-Income Inhabitants in Bangladesh," Energy & Environment, , vol. 26(5), pages 803-816, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:26:y:2015:i:5:p:803-816
    DOI: 10.1260/0958-305X.26.5.803
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1260/0958-305X.26.5.803
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1260/0958-305X.26.5.803?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chakrabarty, Sayan & Islam, Tawhidul, 2011. "Financial viability and eco-efficiency of the solar home systems (SHS) in Bangladesh," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 4821-4827.
    2. Fara, Silvian & Finta, Dumitru & Micu, Gheorghe, 1998. "Problems of village electrification based on PV systems in Romania: Individual solar home systems for settlements in the Cerna Valley," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 519-522.
    3. Johanna Mair & Ignasi Marti, 2006. "Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Source of Explanation, Prediction, and Delight," Post-Print hal-02311880, HAL.
    4. Rebane, Kaja L. & Barham, Bradford L., 2011. "Knowledge and adoption of solar home systems in rural Nicaragua," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3064-3075, June.
    5. Kumar, Ashish & Shankar, Ravi & Momaya, Kiran & Gupte, Sandeep, 2010. "The market for wireless electricity: The case of India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 1537-1547, March.
    6. Beatriz Armendáriz & Jonathan Morduch, 2010. "The Economics of Microfinance, Second Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262014106, April.
    7. Global Energy Assessment Writing Team,, 2012. "Global Energy Assessment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107005198, September.
    8. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Drupady, Ira Martina, 2011. "Summoning earth and fire: The energy development implications of Grameen Shakti (GS) in Bangladesh," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 4445-4459.
    9. 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.
    10. Global Energy Assessment Writing Team,, 2012. "Global Energy Assessment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521182935, September.
    11. Rosenberg,Nathan, 1994. "Exploring the Black Box," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521459556.
    12. 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.
    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. Maria Margarida Avillez & Andrew Greenman & Susan Marlow, 2020. "Ethical Judgments About Social Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Influence of Spatio-Cultural Meanings," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(4), pages 877-892, February.
    2. Sauermann, Miklas Pascal, 2023. "Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool to Promoting Sustainable Development in Low-Income Communities: An Empirical Analysis," MPRA Paper 116929, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Mersland, Roy & Nyarko, Samuel Anokye & Sirisena, Amila Buddhika, 2020. "A hybrid approach to international market selection: The case of impact investing organizations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    4. 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.
    5. Barbara Bradač Hojnik & Katja Crnogaj, 2020. "Social Impact, Innovations, and Market Activity of Social Enterprises: Comparison of European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Petra Dickel & Monika Sienknecht & Jacob Hörisch, 2021. "The early bird catches the worm: an empirical analysis of imprinting in social entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 91(2), pages 127-150, March.
    7. Robin Stevens & Nathalie Moray & Johan Bruneel, 2015. "The Social and Economic Mission of Social Enterprises: Dimensions, Measurement, Validation, and Relation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(5), pages 1051-1082, September.
    8. David Bruce Audretsch & Maksim Belitski & Georg Maximilian Eichler & Erich Schwarz, 2024. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems, institutional quality, and the unexpected role of the sustainability orientation of entrepreneurs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 503-522, February.
    9. Iuliu Marin IVANESCU & Camelia M. GHEORGHE & Gina Gilet SZTRUTEN, 2013. "Social Entrepreneurship In Eu Region," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 8(4.1), pages 416-426, december.
    10. Xing, Yijun & Liu, Yipeng & Lattemann, Christoph, 2020. "Institutional logics and social enterprises: Entry mode choices of foreign hospitals in China," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(5).
    11. Chatterjee, Ira & Cornelissen, Joep & Wincent, Joakim, 2021. "Social entrepreneurship and values work: The role of practices in shaping values and negotiating change," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(1).
    12. Stefan Schaltegger & Marcus Wagner, 2011. "Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: categories and interactions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 222-237, May.
    13. Angulo-Ruiz, Fernando & Pergelova, Albena & Dana, Leo Paul, 2020. "The internationalization of social hybrid firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 266-278.
    14. Ignacio Alvarez de Mon & Jorge Merladet & Margarita Núñez-Canal, 2021. "Social Entrepreneurs as Role Models for Innovative Professional Career Developments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    15. Paul Benneworth & Willem-Jan Velderman & Martin Stienstra, 2016. "Social Entrepreneurship and Shrinking Regions paper thoughts," CHEPS Working Papers 201604, University of Twente, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS).
    16. Estrin, Saul & Stephan, Ute & Vujic, Suncica, 2014. "Do Women Earn Less Even as Social Entrepreneurs?," IZA Discussion Papers 8650, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Saul Estrin & Tomasz Mickiewicz & Ute Stephan, 2013. "Entrepreneurship, Social Capital, and Institutions: Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship across Nations," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(3), pages 479-504, May.
    18. Sorin BLAGA, 2021. "Social Entrepreneurs’ Identity. A Case Study Of Romania," Scientific Bulletin - Economic Sciences, University of Pitesti, vol. 20(2), pages 13-24.
    19. Singaram, Raja & Radu-Lefebvre, Miruna & Gartner, William B., 2023. "Gordian knot uncut: Understanding the problem of founder exit in social ventures," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    20. 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.

    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:sae:engenv:v:26:y:2015:i:5:p:803-816. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.