TY - JOUR
T1 - Engaging symbiotic ecosystems to build community centred business models for the BoP: Evidence from small social enterprises in East Africa
AU - Sottini, Andrea Carlo Maria
AU - Sottini, Andrea Carlo Maria
AU - Ciambotti, Giacomo
AU - Littlewood, David
AU - Littlewood, David Christopher
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This article examines how small social enterprises (SSEs) in East Africa build business models for base of the pyramid (BoP) markets, through engaging symbiotic ecosystems. Through in-depth qualitative research, a three-stage process is identified. First, SSEs learn and become sensitised to the manifold challenges of building business models for BoP markets. Second, SSEs identify and connect with key BoP actors, weaving them together to create a symbiotic ecosystem and to overcome the aforementioned challenges. Third, SSEs harness this symbiotic ecosystem to deliver community-centred business models for the BoP. This research contributes to social entrepreneurship, small business, and BoP literatures, by shedding light on the challenges faced by SSEs working in the BoP, and through novel elaboration of how SSEs develop and interact with symbiotic ecosystems to surmount these challenges. It also provides important practical insights, for social entrepreneurs and social enterprise managers in Africa and elsewhere.
AB - This article examines how small social enterprises (SSEs) in East Africa build business models for base of the pyramid (BoP) markets, through engaging symbiotic ecosystems. Through in-depth qualitative research, a three-stage process is identified. First, SSEs learn and become sensitised to the manifold challenges of building business models for BoP markets. Second, SSEs identify and connect with key BoP actors, weaving them together to create a symbiotic ecosystem and to overcome the aforementioned challenges. Third, SSEs harness this symbiotic ecosystem to deliver community-centred business models for the BoP. This research contributes to social entrepreneurship, small business, and BoP literatures, by shedding light on the challenges faced by SSEs working in the BoP, and through novel elaboration of how SSEs develop and interact with symbiotic ecosystems to surmount these challenges. It also provides important practical insights, for social entrepreneurs and social enterprise managers in Africa and elsewhere.
KW - Africa
KW - Ecosystems
KW - business models
KW - social entrepreneurship
KW - Africa
KW - Ecosystems
KW - business models
KW - social entrepreneurship
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/194461
U2 - 10.1177/02662426211059778
DO - 10.1177/02662426211059778
M3 - Article
SN - 0266-2426
VL - 40
SP - 935
EP - 965
JO - International Small Business Journal
JF - International Small Business Journal
ER -