APPLIED RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Research Leadership
The BoP Initiative is recognized as a global leader in generating applied research that enhances our understanding of the unique principles, insights, and implications of the BoP perspective on poverty alleviation. This research provides actionable guidance for organizations interested in more effectively applying BoP concepts to new or existing market-based ventures.
As an affiliate of the University of Michigan, one of the world’s leading research institutions, WDI’s BoP Initiative draws upon the University’s multi-disciplinary base of knowledge to provide cutting-edge research that enhances our understanding of market-based approaches to poverty alleviation. We publish our work in both top-tier academic and practitioner outlets. In fact, we embrace the opportunity to cross the boundary between theory and practice. Our goal is to create new actionable knowledge that has immediate practical implications.
More specifically, our applied research includes:
A Base of the Pyramid Perspective on Poverty Alleviation
While interest and debate about the BoP is growing, a deep exploration of the unique poverty alleviation implications of the BoP perspective has lagged. Our goal was to put forth a set of principles that distinguishes the BoP perspective from other market-based approaches to poverty alleviation. In our work in the field, these principles have provided insight into when the BoP perspective is most effective and how it can complement other poverty reduction efforts.
Assessing the Impacts of Base of the Pyramid Ventures
We felt there was a gap in the understanding of the poverty alleviation implications of different BoP business models. Our goal was to provide a framework that enables in-depth analyses of poverty alleviation impacts in terms of measurable changes in critical dimensions of local well-being. This framework offers practical guidance for developing future venture strategies to improve poverty alleviation outcomes. It also allows for a more complete articulation of these impacts to stakeholders and provides a tool for comparing poverty outcomes across different ventures. Over the past two years, we have implemented this framework with several partner organizations in India and Mexico.
Social Embeddedness: Capability Building at the Base of the Pyramid
Our analyses of multiple organizations indicated that BoP venture success is enhanced by employing strategies based on leveraging the strengths of the existing market environment. These approaches include developing relationships with non-traditional partners, co-inventing custom solutions, and building local capacity. As our collaborations with partners have shown, implementing these successfully enables organizations to build a capability in social embeddedness.