Innovating by “making do with what is at hand”: Creating opportunities in low-income markets

Paula Linna

Innovating by “making do with what is at hand”: Creating opportunities in low-income markets

Julkaisun otsikon käännös: Innovoida ”käsillä olevilla resursseilla”: Liiketoimintamahdollisuuksien kehittäminen vähävaraisilla markkinoilla

Paula Linna

Johtamisen laitos

Tutkimustuotos: Doctoral Thesis › Collection of Articles

Abstrakti

Väitöskirjatyö tarkastelee kuinka yrittäjät innovoivat resurssiniukoilla "Base of the Pyramid" (BOP)-markkinoilla. Tarkemmat tutkimuskysymykset ovat: Kuinka resurssiniukkuus ilmenee innovoidessa BOP-markkinoilla ja kuinka innovoijat luovat kehittävät uusia liiketoimintamahdollisuuksia resurssiniukoissa ympäristöissä. Teoreettinen keskustelu pohjautuu käsitteisiin bricolage, yrittäjyyden 'creation theory' ja resurssiniukat innovaatiot. Väitöskirja koostuu neljästä artikkelista ja johdannosta, joka kokoaa artikkelien tulokset yhteen. Tutkimus pohjautuu laadullisiin tutkimusmenetelmiin ja jokaisessa neljässä artikkelissa on oma empiirinen aineistonsa, jossa tutkimusilmiötä lähestytään hieman eri näkökulmista. Ensimmäinen paperi (artikkeli A, kirjoitettu yhdessä Minna Halmeen ja Sara Lindemanin kanssa) keskittyy analysoimaan dynamiikkaa innovoijien ja yritysten rakenteiden välillä kahdessa eri monikansallisessa yrityksessä. Toinen paperi (artikkeli B) tarkastelee kuinka kuusi mobiilialalla toimivaa kenialaista yritystä kehittää innovaatioita BOP-markkinoille. Kolmas paperi (artikkeli C) selvittää kuinka kaksi kenialaista pienyrittäjää soveltaa bricolage-tyyppistä toimintatapaa innovoidessaan. Neljäs paperi (artikkeli D) fokusoituu tarkastelemaan kuinka osallistavaa liiketoimintaa on luotu yhdessä paikallisen yhteisön kanssa. Tutkimus osoittaa, että innovointi resurssiniukoissa olosuhteissa voi olla ratkaisujen kehittämistä päivittäisiin haasteisiin hyödyntäen "käsillä olevia resursseja". Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan päätellä, että innovoijat eivät välttämättä pyri luomaan sofistikoituja ratkaisuja, vaan enemmänkin "tarpeeksi hyviä" ratkaisuja. Oleellista on luoda innovaatioita, jotka ovat kustannustehokkaita, helppoja käyttää ja hyödyntävät paikallisia resursseja. Lisäksi, tämän tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan todeta, että liiketoiminnan kehittäminen BOP markkinoilla on täynnä epävarmuuksia, joiden takia innovointiprosessia voidaan luonnehtia riskipitoiseksi ja ennalta arvaamattomaksi. Kehittyvien maiden resurssiniukoissa ympäristöissä toimiminen ei välttämättä tarkoita ainoastaan uusien innovaatioiden ja liiketoimintamallien kehittämistä, vaan ylipäätänsä kokonaan uusien markkinoiden luomisesta yhdessä paikallisten toimijoiden kanssa.

Julkaisun otsikon käännös	Innovoida ”käsillä olevilla resursseilla”: Liiketoimintamahdollisuuksien kehittäminen vähävaraisilla markkinoilla
Alkuperäiskieli	Englanti
Pätevyys	Tohtorintutkinto
Myöntävä instituutio	Aalto-yliopisto
Valvoja/neuvonantaja	Halme, Minna, Ohjaaja
Kustantaja	Aalto University
Painoksen ISBN	978-952-60-7386-6
Sähköinen ISBN	978-952-60-7385-9
Tila	Julkaistu - 2017
OKM-julkaisutyyppi	G5 Tohtorinväitöskirja (artikkeli)

Tutkimusalat

BOP
osallistava liiketoiminta
resurssiniukkuympäristö
resurssiniukat innovaatiot

Pääsy asiakirjaan

http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-7385-9Lisenssi: Määrittelemätön

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@phdthesis{4290b6f45c67446c906f81b4c91476cb,

title = "Innovating by “making do with what is at hand”: Creating opportunities in low-income markets",

abstract = "This doctoral dissertation examines how entrepreneurs innovate within resource scarce contexts at the BOP. The more precise research questions are: How does resource-scarcity manifest itself in innovating at and for the BOP? How do innovators create opportunities in resource-scarce context? The theoretical discussion is based on bricolage, creation theory and resource-constrained innovations. This thesis consists of four articles and an introduction chapter. This thesis is grounded on qualitative research methods and each article is based on an empirical study and presents a distinctive perspective for the aims of this thesis. The first paper (article A, co-authored with Halme and Lindeman) focuses on analyzing the dynamics between the individual innovators and corporate structures within two MNCs. The second paper (article B) focuses on six Kenyan companies operating at the mobile industry sector and discusses how they generate innovations targeting the BOP. The third paper (article C) studies in detail how two Kenyan innovator-entrepreneurs use bricolage as a means of innovating. The forth paper (article D) considers creation theory as a tool for describing some of the elements of inclusive business development. The findings of this thesis underline that innovating under resource scarcity can be seen as a unique way of thinking and acting in response to daily problems and an ability to resourcefully create solutions by deploying unconventional means at hand. Innovators may not seek to develop excessively sophisticated solutions, but rather to develop {"}good enough{"} solutions. In addition, this study argues that business development at BOP markets is often ridden with uncertainties which make the innovation process risky and unpredictable. Particularly for foreign companies and local ones who are more used to serve the high-income market, the BOP market means having to deal with new markets, possibly new industry and lack of previous experience from which to draw lessons. These uncertainties can affect business development in various ways.",

keywords = "BOP, inclusive business, resource-scarce environment, resource-constrained innovations, bricolage, BOP, osallistava liiketoiminta, resurssiniukkuymp{\"a}rist{\"o}, resurssiniukat innovaatiot, BOP, inclusive business, resource-scarce environment, resource-constrained innovations, bricolage",

author = "Paula Linna",

year = "2017",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-952-60-7386-6",

series = "Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS",

publisher = "Aalto University",

number = "70",

address = "Finland",

school = "Aalto University",

}

TY - THES

T1 - Innovating by “making do with what is at hand”: Creating opportunities in low-income markets

AU - Linna, Paula

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - This doctoral dissertation examines how entrepreneurs innovate within resource scarce contexts at the BOP. The more precise research questions are: How does resource-scarcity manifest itself in innovating at and for the BOP? How do innovators create opportunities in resource-scarce context? The theoretical discussion is based on bricolage, creation theory and resource-constrained innovations. This thesis consists of four articles and an introduction chapter. This thesis is grounded on qualitative research methods and each article is based on an empirical study and presents a distinctive perspective for the aims of this thesis. The first paper (article A, co-authored with Halme and Lindeman) focuses on analyzing the dynamics between the individual innovators and corporate structures within two MNCs. The second paper (article B) focuses on six Kenyan companies operating at the mobile industry sector and discusses how they generate innovations targeting the BOP. The third paper (article C) studies in detail how two Kenyan innovator-entrepreneurs use bricolage as a means of innovating. The forth paper (article D) considers creation theory as a tool for describing some of the elements of inclusive business development. The findings of this thesis underline that innovating under resource scarcity can be seen as a unique way of thinking and acting in response to daily problems and an ability to resourcefully create solutions by deploying unconventional means at hand. Innovators may not seek to develop excessively sophisticated solutions, but rather to develop "good enough" solutions. In addition, this study argues that business development at BOP markets is often ridden with uncertainties which make the innovation process risky and unpredictable. Particularly for foreign companies and local ones who are more used to serve the high-income market, the BOP market means having to deal with new markets, possibly new industry and lack of previous experience from which to draw lessons. These uncertainties can affect business development in various ways.

AB - This doctoral dissertation examines how entrepreneurs innovate within resource scarce contexts at the BOP. The more precise research questions are: How does resource-scarcity manifest itself in innovating at and for the BOP? How do innovators create opportunities in resource-scarce context? The theoretical discussion is based on bricolage, creation theory and resource-constrained innovations. This thesis consists of four articles and an introduction chapter. This thesis is grounded on qualitative research methods and each article is based on an empirical study and presents a distinctive perspective for the aims of this thesis. The first paper (article A, co-authored with Halme and Lindeman) focuses on analyzing the dynamics between the individual innovators and corporate structures within two MNCs. The second paper (article B) focuses on six Kenyan companies operating at the mobile industry sector and discusses how they generate innovations targeting the BOP. The third paper (article C) studies in detail how two Kenyan innovator-entrepreneurs use bricolage as a means of innovating. The forth paper (article D) considers creation theory as a tool for describing some of the elements of inclusive business development. The findings of this thesis underline that innovating under resource scarcity can be seen as a unique way of thinking and acting in response to daily problems and an ability to resourcefully create solutions by deploying unconventional means at hand. Innovators may not seek to develop excessively sophisticated solutions, but rather to develop "good enough" solutions. In addition, this study argues that business development at BOP markets is often ridden with uncertainties which make the innovation process risky and unpredictable. Particularly for foreign companies and local ones who are more used to serve the high-income market, the BOP market means having to deal with new markets, possibly new industry and lack of previous experience from which to draw lessons. These uncertainties can affect business development in various ways.

KW - BOP

KW - inclusive business

KW - resource-scarce environment

KW - resource-constrained innovations

KW - bricolage

KW - BOP

KW - osallistava liiketoiminta

KW - resurssiniukkuympäristö

KW - resurssiniukat innovaatiot

KW - BOP

KW - inclusive business

KW - resource-scarce environment

KW - resource-constrained innovations

KW - bricolage

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

SN - 978-952-60-7386-6

T3 - Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS

PB - Aalto University

ER -

Innovating by “making do with what is at hand”: Creating opportunities in low-income markets

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