Call for Contributions for a Book on the topic of ‘BASE OF THE PYRAMID’
Greenleaf Publishing invites contributions for a book on the topic of
‘BASE OF THE PYRAMID’ to be edited by Prabhu Kandachar (Delft
University of Technology, The Netherlands)
p.v.kandachar@io.tudelft.nl
and co-edited by Minna Halme (Helsinki School of Economics, Finland)
minna.halme@hse.fi
Although the Base-of-the-Pyramid opportunity and strategy announced few
years back has unleashed an extensive and generally enthusiastic
response from academics, businesses, NGOs and governments, the
knowledge domain around this concept is still in the early stages of
development. Towards facilitating an exploration of this domain a
multi-step project on Base-of-the-Pyramid has been started with the
following outputs:
1. A special issue of "Greener Management International (GMI)”, to be
released in June 2007, coinciding with:
2. A BoP Session during Greening of the Industry Network Conference
2007, which serves as a platform for:
3. A Book on BoP with latest insights. (Planned date of publishing is
May 2008).
RATIONALE
On similar lines to the special issue, the book focuses on three
interrelated fields:
* Base of the Pyramid (BoP) as customers and BoP as a strategy to
alleviate poverty by means of entrepreneurship, including the poor as
entrepreneurs and the role of social entrepreneurs.
* The role of Technology and Innovation (Technological-, Social, and
Business-) to meet the needs of BoP customers.
* Sustainability: Balancing economic growth and ecological pressures on
the planet.
Around the turn of the millennium it had become strikingly evident that
development aid, charity or ‘global business-as-usual’ would not
deliver solutions to poverty as had been expected. Today, there is
little dispute that poverty is the most pressing global problem calling
for innovative solutions. One of the recent strategies is the so-called
base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) concept, which relies on entrepreneurial
activity to alleviate poverty. Innovations, in several disciplines:
technological-, social-, and business-, are needed to facilitate this
process.
Poverty is indirectly related to another global concern: the state of
the environment. Tragically, the poor are the ones which are hardest
hit by the adverse effects of environmental deterioration such as water
shortages or destruction of habitats. While the economic welfare for
the poor cannot be denied, the BoP approach is also feared to encourage
consumption with possible consequences on ecological sustainability.
The link between the BoP approach and sustainable development makes
this topic highly relevant.
The BoP field is a new knowledge area with many questions unanswered.
Our aim both with the special issue and the book is to contribute to
BoP knowledge not only in general terms but particularly as regards the
needs of the users as a starting point for BoP products and
innovations.
COVERAGE
1. The voice of the poor.
Much of the current BoP discussion emphasises targeting products
precisely to the needs of the poor. But do we know what the real needs
of the poor are? For this book, we are looking for examples that truly
engage the poor in BoP product and service development.
2. Needs Assessment Methodologies.
Prahalad argues that BoP people are "value-conscious by necessity” and
contrary to what might be assumed are "very brand-conscious”. What
types of needs assessment methodologies are needed considering the
cultural differences in BoP countries? Are the existing methodologies
adequate? Do they need to be redefined and redeveloped?
3. Sustainability.
How can we balance poverty alleviation and stimulate economic growth
without stressing the ecosystem?
4. BoP and Innovation.
What kind of "bottom up" innovation (open source-, technological-,
social, and business-) support BoP initiatives (and sustainable
development)?
5. Development Assistance and BoP approach.
The favoured strategy to alleviate poverty in the past decades has been
via developmental assistance through philanthropy, pity or
self-interest. Prahalad and Hart recommend seeing the poor as an
opportunity rather than considering them as problems. Is BoP strategy
an antithesis to development aid or can these two co-exist or even
complement each other? In the same vein, should policymakers,
governments, funding agencies revise their strategy and abandon the
existing models of developmental assistance in favour of the BoP
approach? Or should they utilise both models?
6. The implications of BOP approach to corporate responsibility.
Is BoP a new form of neo-colonialism exercised by multinationals or a
new form of corporate responsibility? Prahalad believes that turning
the people at the BoP into consumers will raise their standard of
living and in the long run eradicate poverty. Is it really moral for
the business world to turn its considerable powers of inducement and
persuasion on people who have so little to begin with? How does this
relate to corporate responsibility?
CONTRIBUTIONS
The above list is by no means exhaustive, and contributions on other
relevant topics will also be considered. This project is an attempt to
develop a comprehensive understanding of this relatively new field, and
as such welcomes submissions based on a variety of approaches, be they
reflective, empirical, practical or applied theoretical work. Given the
intended practical nature of these publications, contributions from
practitioners in businesses, social entrepreneurs, NGOs and government
are very welcome. Theoretical papers should be between 5000 and 8000
words and case studies between 3000 and 5000 words in length. The paper
submissions should follow editorial guidelines, which can be obtained
from Greenleaf Publishing (see below).
CONFERENCE
The GMI special issue will be released in June 2007 coinciding with GIN
2007 [The Greening of Industry Network] conference in Canada (June
15-17, 2007). This conference will focus, among other things, on ‘The
Role of Corporations in Ecological Stewardship and Fostering Social
Sufficiency at the Base of the Pyramid’. There will be a special
session on BoP. More information on this conference can be found at:
http://www.wlu.ca/ginconference
SCHEDULE FOR THE BOOK
All abstracts submitted for the Greener Management International
Special Issue will also be considered for the book. Contributors to the
GIN 2007 conference and others will be invited to submit abstracts for
the book as well. Deadline for abstract submission: 31 July 2007.
Contributors whose abstracts are considered appropriate for the book
will then be requested to submit full papers before 30 September 2007.
They will be informed of the acceptance of their contributions or be
invited to submit final revised papers. Deadline for revised papers: 31
December 2007. The planned date of publication of the book: May 2008.
CONTACT
For further information, to discuss ideas for contributions and to
submit abstracts/manuscripts, please contact:
Prabhu Kandachar, Ph.D.
Chairman, Design Engineering
Associate Professor
Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering
Delft University of Technology
Landbergstraat 15
2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
p.v.kandachar@tudelft.nl
Tel: +31.15.278.3034
Fax: +31.15.278.1839
Minna Halme, Ph.D.
Associate professor
Helsinki School of Economics
Dept. of Marketing and Management
P.O.Box 1210
00101 Helsinki, Finland
minna.halme@hse.fi
Tel +358 9 4313 8650
Mobile +358 50 5292 682
Fax +358 9 4313 8777
Contribution guidelines can be obtained from:
Jayney Bown
Greenleaf Publishing
Aizlewood Business Centre, Aizlewood’s Mill
Sheffield S3 8GG, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)114 282 3475
Fax: +44 (0)114 282 3476
e-mail: journals@greenleaf-publishing,com
They are also available online at:
http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/default.asp?contentid=38
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