Sustainability Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid through Multi‐Sited Rapid Ethnography

Abstract

The past decade has seen a proliferation of suggestions for market-based solutions to global poverty. While research emphasises that sustainability innovation aimed at poverty alleviation must be grounded in user needs, few studies demonstrate how to study the poor for purposes of early phase innovation in business enterprises, especially in multiple locations comparatively. This study suggests that the necessary understanding of low-income users and their practices can be gained through multi-sited rapid ethnography. We exemplify how the process moves from an understanding of the needs of the poor towards innovation and offer a general framework for evaluating the success of these types of projects. The paper describes the challenges and solutions found in a multi-sited rapid ethnography research in urban base of the pyramid (BOP) contexts in Brazil, India, Russia, and Tanzania. It suggests businesses can learn about the poor with the help of this method and conduct sustainability innovation on the basis of the needs of the poor, rather than start with existing products.

Theoretical background of innovation in services in small and medium-sized enterprises: literature mapping

“…Small and medium-sized enterprises play an essential role in the economic development of a country, containing little empirical evidence on the process of innovation in services, despite their contribution to a wide range of jobs and, to the increase of the gross domestic product, mainly of countries characterized as emerging (Halme, Lindeman, & Linna, 2012;Hall, Matos, Sheehan, & Silvestre, 2012;Halme, Kourula, Lindeman, Kallio, Lima-Toivanen, & Korsunova, 2016).…”

“…Although SMEs play an important role in the economic development of any country and despite their contribution to a wide range of jobs and increasing GDP, there is scant empirical evidence on the process of innovation in services, especially from countries characterized as emerging (Halme, Lindeman, & Linna, 2012;Hall et al, 2012;Halme et al, 2016). The works studied were distributed across 39 journals; only one work was published in 30 of them.…”

Uncovering the scaling of innovations developed by grassroots entrepreneurs in low-income settings

“…It is also important to note that, ideally, the personal bonds of the team make going into the field a venture based on trust and professionalism, as there might be situations where one has to rely on another. Working closely with an Indian research assistant also helped with interpreting the experiences from the field, as other studies are also suggesting (Halme et al, 2016). For example, as an outsider to the Indian caste system, it was important to work with someone who could explain the position of the entrepreneurs in the caste hierarchies.…”

Environmental support programmes for small businesses: A systematic literature review

“…Therefore, cooperation between business and NGOs can influence corporate environmental behaviours within SMEs (Harangozó & Zilahy, ). More importantly, because SMEs lack the required resources for managing environmental issues (Regéczi, 2005), NGOs can bring valuable knowledge, capabilities, contacts, and legitimacy in promoting sustainability initiatives (Ackah & Salifu, ; Halme et al, ). Businesses have been increasingly pursuing partnerships with public institutions to address sustainable development issues (LaFrance & Lehmann, ).…”