Search results

This exploratory research aims to analyze sustainable innovation in the context of inclusive business in Latin America.

The study performs a summative content analysis of 22 inclusive businesses (IBs) of current Business Call to Action (BCtA) members in Latin America. Codes were created to identify the modification or introduction of sustainable products/services/processes. Data were analyzed using NVivo 12.

Results show a prevalence of Colombian examples within Latin American inclusive business, and a more significant proportion in the agricultural sector, consistent with reports found in the literature. The authors found that sustainable innovation takes place when introducing new products/services/processes that respond to the needs of the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) population, or modifying existing processes and services to make them more sustainable.

As most sustainable innovation literature is product-oriented and technically dominated, these results contribute to the newer works adopting a more comprehensive conception of innovation, providing empirical evidence at the product, service and process levels. The results provide insights on how inclusive businesses make adaptations to improve the sustainability of their supply chains to bring their products/services within reach of isolated and disadvantaged communities. The findings also suggest that sustainable product innovation in an inclusive business goes beyond a cost reduction objective. Tailored design reveals a hybrid socioeconomic goal with a high degree of local context embeddedness and precise attention to nascent specialized demand. The results could be of practical use for organizations that want to operate an inclusive business in BoP markets.

We are delighted to present this collective work committed to address the challenges of balancing social and environmental concerns with corporate requirements, as part of the Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice Series. This volume, co-edited by Dr. Liam Leonard and Dr. Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez, is the second of this series dedicated to Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the scope of International Business.

The purpose of this chapter is to call for a better cohesion between development cooperation, on the one hand, and inclusive business, on the other. This contributes to the existing post recessionary debate on development cooperation, in which, (i) traditional aid and partnership effectiveness are being revised and, (ii) the role of the private sector in development is being emphasized. It builds on recent discussions that call for a more strategic use of development cooperation to leverage other development-oriented flows, particularly those coming from the private sector.

The chapter corresponds to a conceptual chapter. Results were obtained through the study and comparison of secondary sources and a literature review. It first explores donor-private sector relations, paying particular attention to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), and then moves on to the study of inclusive business in relation to development aid.

The study first reflects upon shifts perceived in development cooperation since the Great Recession, and analyses how foreign donors have engaged more widely with businesses for addressing global development challenges. The concept of inclusive business is then introduced, describing how although the development community acknowledges the potential of the private sector as a driving force for development, inclusive business have hitherto been developing, to a great extent, aside of broader development efforts. The final section presents a typology that proposes various ways in which donor agencies may integrate inclusive business support into their private sector programs.

The chapter is of use for both academics and practitioners with an interest in development cooperation and/or inclusive business.

Proposing a conceptual study that tends toward a greater cohesion between inclusive business and development cooperation is a contribution to the literature that has emerged on Base of the Pyramid markets since early 2000s. It is argued that such cohesion may prove valuable for the betterment of public-private relations, turning them more responsive to the challenges of sustainable development in the post-2015 world.

Purpose – The aim of this chapter is to explore the existing relation between business activity and sustainability in Base of the Pyramid (BoP) contexts in order to shed light on the role that the business sector may have in poverty alleviation.Design/methodology/approach – Starting with a thorough review of the evolution of the BoP theory, the chapter moves on to critically examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) in poverty contexts, and suggests the adoption of a more comprehensive interpretation of CSR that fully incorporates sustainability – environmentally, economically, and socially – into business operation. Consecutively, the notion of “sustainable enterprise” (Hart, 2010) as an upgraded type of corporation that embraces sustainable development is explored, and is related to the BoP business models known as inclusive businesses (IB). Case study experiences from Latin America (i.e., Colombia) are used to exemplify IB implementation.Findings – The chapter highlights the relevance of IB as sustainable enterprises with the potential of significantly improving the living conditions for most impoverished communities, while being economically profitable and environmentally viable. From a sustainability viewpoint, the greatest challenge is found to be the achievement of a balance between a greater consumption and production at the BoP and the limited environmental capacity of the earth.Originality/value of chapter – Both, BoP and IB are two notions of very recent appearance within business–society literature, making this chapter a valuable contribution for the advancement of scholarly work in the field.

Karina A. Branum is an MBA Student of Entrepreneurship and Management/Organizational Behavior at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, California). She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawai’i in 2006. Following her undergraduate work, she worked as an Accounting Analyst in the entertainment industry before deciding to obtain her MBA. Upon receiving her MBA, she plans on pursuing a career with a sustainable business/organization and potentially starting a business in the field of water conservation and management. Research interests include further examination of the relationship between sustainable technology and business practices and profitability.