Disruptive innovation at the base-of-the-pyramid: Opportunities, and challenges for multinationals in African emerging markets

Abiodun Adegbile, David Sarpong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: The authors aim to examine the potential opportunities and challenges multinationals operating in Africa are likely to encounter when they seek to pioneer disruptive innovations at the base of the pyramid (BoP) in African emerging markets.
Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the extant literature on the BoP, disruptive innovation and the African business context, the authors explore the pioneering of disruptive innovations in the African socio-economic context.
Findings: This study develops various hypotheses to extend our understanding of disruptive innovations at the BoP. The authors also delineate potential managerial and institutional challenges multinational corporations (MNCs) are likely to encounter in their efforts to pioneering disruptive innovations for BoP customers in African emerging markets.
Practical implications:The authors develop some recommendations for MNCs on how to create and capture value from disruptive innovations in African emerging markets
Originality:The authors delineate African context-specific managerial and institutional challenges that MNCs might encounter when seeking to develop disruptive innovation at the BoP.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)111-138
JournalCritical Perspectives on International Business
Volume14
Issue number2/3
Early online date4 Dec 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 May 2018

Keywords

  • Africa
  • MNCs
  • Base of the pyramid
  • Disruptive innovations
  • Institutional challenges

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