VALUE CREATION IN BUSINESS MODELS FOR MOBILE SERVICES AT BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Joshua Omoju, Roseline Wanjiru and Jason Whalley
Additional contact information
Joshua Omoju: Northumbria University, UK
Roseline Wanjiru: Northumbria University, UK
Jason Whalley: Northumbria University, UK

in ABEM Conference Proceedings from Academy of Business and Emerging Markets (ABEM), Canada, currently edited by Satyendra Singh

Abstract: Firms face a range of challenges when doing business at the Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) in emerging markets, including the need to adapt their business models to emerging markets’ institutional, cultural and economic features. This study investigates business models for BoP segments in the mobile telecommunications industry in Africa. Drawing from original data from the case studies, we examine how firms serving BoP can set up their value creation mechanisms in order to deliver wide value propositions that meet the needs of low-income users and underserved communities. The study provides deeper analysis on the variations that exist across BoP business models, and find that BoP business models deployed by historically BoP-focused organizations create inclusive value by being embedded in wider innovation ecosystems. On the other hand, BoP business models that resemble traditional low-end market entry initiative can provide inclusive value without extending the value creation activities for offering complementary services. Our paper advance understanding on emerging research perspectives on the BoP and elaborate on the multidimensionality of value proposition design for BoP segments of emerging markets. In doing so, we support the notion that BoP-focused innovations require looking beyond the consumers of innovation, but also at other possible beneficiaries, in order to create solutions that are inclusive and have a wider impact on stakeholders serving the BoP.

Keywords: VALUE CREATION; BUSINESS; MODELS; MOBILE; SERVICES; BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID; SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.abem.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/abem-2019-proceedings.pdf

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:abemcp:023417

Access Statistics for this book

More books in ABEM Conference Proceedings from Academy of Business and Emerging Markets (ABEM), Canada Edinburgh House, 708-99 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg, R3M0A2, Canada.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Satyendra Singh ().