Bottom of the pyramid

This article extends cointegration methodology to validate the evidence of soundness of advertising and consumption pattern of India during the period of 1980-2006. Augmented Dickey-Fuller test, Philips-Peron Test, Cointegration technique and Error Correction Models were employed to examine association between advertising and consumption. The analysis reveals that there is strong bi-directional relationship between advertising and consumption pattern in India.

Since the development and implementation of Participatory Budgeting (PB) as a democratic process adhering to civic improvement demands through municipal budget allocations, it promised great potential as a governance tool. Its core intentions are inclusion, participation and the redistribution of wealth to serve vulnerable members of society. Since India has the second greatest unequal wealth distribution in the world, the implementation of PB seemed promising. Surprisingly, however, Pune is currently the only city with an actively utilized PB mechanism, which indicates various inefficiencies, discrepancies and intentional dualities, resulting in exclusion, low participation and the misappropriation of resources. The purpose and intentions of PB are therefore ultimately reversed, however still it is still labeled as PB due to the lack of a standardized and recognized PB definition. This study utilizes in-depth interviews and data sources provided by various members of the two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) currently or previously active in PB in Pune. The outcome is a clear depiction of the NGO perspective upon the core intentions of PB, identifying two main hurdles to participation, which remains unattested due to a lack of governmental will. Contributions are made through the development of a definition, the expansion of existing participation theory in the unique context of governmental resistance in a developing country and practical recommendations for the city of Pune.

Big data is a misnomer. While the field is relatively young, much thought has already been churned on critiquing the term, particularly on how we cannot equate the scale of data with diversity. Thereby, in the name of diversity, we should look at big data from the angle of the global south. After all, majority of the world’s population reside outside the West. Yet, when we pay attention to the debates on surveillance, privacy and net neutrality and the demand for alternative models and practices to sustain the digital commons, they are primarily driven by western concerns, contexts, and user behaviors from these privileged domains. This undoubtedly provides a thwarted view of the internet. [click the link for the full article]

This paper illustrates how understanding consumer preferences through market research may enhance CRM adoption among the rural customers of a developing country like Bangladesh. It presents the case of Community Information Centre (CIC) established by Grameenphone, a company owned by Telenor, the Norwegian telecommunications company and Grameen Bank, the Nobel prize winning micro credit organisation in the rural settings of Bangladesh. The paper shows that CIC is an innovative way of building and maintaining customer relationships and technological interface with the financially constrained consumers in a poor developing economy like Bangladesh.

Policymakers are increasingly seeking to use food systems to help reduce rates of chronic undernutrition and to use markets to deliver nutrient-rich foods to vulnerable populations. This article examines how this might be achieved, drawing lessons from three intervention types: ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs), mandatory fortification and voluntarily fortified products. We find that a common set of constraints tends to inhibit markets from delivering nutrition and makes it difficult to reach populations at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. Overcoming these constraints requires a shift from working at the level of individual businesses to that of market and food systems. It also suggests a need for renewed focus on the effectiveness of products in reaching key groups, on the informal markets that serve the poor and on the inherent complexity of market systems. These findings suggest that food and nutrition policies and partnerships should be based on principles of experimentation and adaptive learning.

Tahuantinsuyo, in ancient Quechua language, is the name indicating the Inca Empire, one of the largest of the South American continent, much more than the Aztec and Maya Empire. In 1532 BC, the Inca Kings ruled over a geographical region including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. It was an extensive territory inhabited by different communities. Among them, the national group Q’eros had a very special role, because of the characteristics of their mythological traditions.
One of the most fascinating tales refers to the myth of Cuzco’s founding, the majestic capital of the great Inca Empire, with its mysterious buildings. Q’eros were direct descendants of the Inca priest caste, and they broke off through the internal areas of Peru, to save themselves from Spanish persecution and murder.

At the end of 2010 the British Museum unveiled the final artefact in their exhibition ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’: a portable solar powered lamp designed for and sold to people living without access to mains electricity in Africa and Asia. Solar powered lights have become iconic objects of social entrepreneurship in Africa and Asia and this article explores the work involved in producing them as humanitarian goods. Following the 100th object from its conception in a Stanford University classroom to points of sale and use in rural India the article explores how it has been made to materialise both an ethic of care and an ethic of commercial interest. Drawing from traditions in the social study of technology and the conceptual vocabulary of Michel Callon the article argues that the significance of objects like the ultra affordable solar lamp lies in their capacity to make and define markets at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’.

Do foreign direct investment (FDI) and international business ventures promote positive social and economic development in emerging nations? This question will always prove contentious. First, the impacts differ according to context. Second, the social consequences and spillover effects of knowledge diffusion and technologysharing may be limited and hard to measure. Third, contributions to enhancing social responsibility and improving living standards in host countries are delayed in effect, causally complex, and also hard to measure. Outcomes often critically depend on collaboration of governments, international institutions, the business world, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Research in this area is challenging and requires interdisciplinary collaboration between economists, financial experts, sociologists, ethicists, and other specialists. This paper explores: (1) the evidence to support the proposition that FDI and international business improve social conditions in less-developed countries, and: (2) how these improvements are linked to strategies of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical business practice. The paper draws insights from development, FDI, poverty alleviation, and bottom-of-thepyramid (BOP) literature. Applications are demonstrated using examples from poverty-stricken areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper attempts not only to argue theoretically but also to provide practical evidence. The approach is simultaneously descriptive, analytical, and prescriptive in order to address a wide audience. It also highlights issues and trends for further academic research and presents the viewpoint that some limitations lie in the nature of ethics frameworks widely referenced in business and that these often fail to consider the compatibility of ethical constructs with relevant incentives. In this vein, we explore the application of Homann's framework for advantage and incentive-based ethics.

Since the beginning of the XIXth century and for the middle of the XXth, an excessive and erratic haste to the ancient Egyptians ruins took place, as if the Ultimate Truth, on Mankind distant past, could emerge from the ancient sands of Egypt. The Gold Rush culminates in the late forties, when an imaginary curve on the Cartesian's axises, creeps down, slowly, inexorably, getting the lowest in modern times. Actually, Egyptology has not a brain-dead because of the Orion Correlation Theory and Robert Bauval and Zahi Hawass sports bar disputes. Nevertheless, there are many mysteries to be discovered. Description of the Giza Plateau is a very difficult exercise. Those of us, who had the opportunity to visit the wonders of Egypt, will be able to confirm how many buildings were erected in the desert sands, during the pre-dynastic and dynastic age. An heterogeneous system of monuments, houses, warehouses, clefts, wells integrated into a whole, like lines of a poem from the old days. Giza is the absolute definition of the chaos theory; dominated by two type of buildings, very different in shapes and functions: the pyramids and their giant fences, and the Sphinx and its majestic temples. For centuries, those mysterious buildings drew researchers' attention and tourists' interest. At the same time, scholars tried to make sense of the meaning on pyramids architecture, with negative results. In the past, scholars and alternatives wrote many archaeological treaties and voluminous books on the wonders of Ancient Egypt and, particularly, on the pyramids of Giza, driving the mind beyond the bounds of anyone's imagination, to solve the mysteries of the most famous archaeological site in the world. Nevertheless, Egyptologists did not yet achieved the correct interpretation of the monuments function. I think that all hypotheses, theories, intuitions, assumptions so far widely proposed, are fueled by factors independent of archaeological evidences. The absence of a unique method of investigation, partly due to shortcomings protocol procedures, makes less and less believable all theories proposed both by scholars and by alternatives. Differentiation among " school of thought " is a further example of what must never again be allowed to happen. In fact, its only mission is to confuse the matter even further, in a field under constant review, but without any scientific credibility. The many factors influencing archaeology are inspired by personal conflicts and not by a sense of pure professional duty. The Orion Correlation Theory, proposed by Robert Bauval in 1994, at the same time, is a typical example of that and an exception due its contents. Without getting into the argument of whether or not his purpose is the most desirable, it is to be noted that debate among scholars is held within the limits of his university

This paper aims to introduce readers to the fundamental concepts of income and social class and how they influence consumers' buying decisions and marketing strategies. It attempts to provide an understanding of the theoretical framework used for social classification and the practical implications of these classifications in the marketplace, with particular reference to developing and emerging economies. The paper also allows readers to gain familiarity with the tools and processes currently used by marketing professionals for analysing market opportunities in terms of income and social class, and help develop a customer-centric marketing approach based on attractiveness of social class as opposed to transaction-oriented marketing focussing on income only.

The Great Pyramid really was the Khufu's last abode? That is one of the greatest Hamlet doubts of archaeology. On this subject a fervid debate among scholars originated, which has long slowed, and at times even impeded, objective analysis of the pyramid complex. Still nowadays, any conclusion can be appreciated as a milestone towards the comprehension of a complex civilization, inhabited the territories along the Nile during the dynastic and especially the pre-dynastic age. It is undeniable that Egyptology has greatly contributed to our knowledge of a unique and incomparable civilization, incredibly developed socially, artistically and scientifically. Unfortunately, Egyptologists have also persisted in misattributing some archaeological finds to Dynastic Egyptians, which I believe have little to do with that civilization. This has created confusion among researchers and has affected our comprehension of the prehistory of Egypt. Still unsolved remains, for example, the dispute over the Great Pyramid. While academics agree to confine its construction to the IV Dynasty, I believe that their position conflicts with more scientific evidences I observed in the last 15 years of studies on this subject.

The following essay will aim to explore the concept of true Identity in Artificial Intelligence. The paper will present an analysis of the various ways that the 2016 HBO tv show, Westworld, has portrayed identity and the journey to self consciousness through the main characters multilayered and complex journey towards the centre of the maze. An idea created by the android's creators in westworld. The paper will also look at westworld in comparison to Plato's allegory as it is vital in understanding the situation artificial intelligence exists in within westworld. Moreover, the second part of this essay shall look at the 2015 movie Ex ­ Machina and contrast the notion of identity creation in A.I with the one in westworld. To complete the following paper the essay uses primary research and analysis of the Hbo show Westworld. Additionally, there is extensive research of Plato's allegory of the cave in order to introduce a proper comparison between the allegory and westworld. In order to demonstrate the above, the paper utilises the books Plato's mirror and the actuality of the cave allegory as well as Interpreting Plato's Cave as an Allegory of the Human Condition. The essay will also explore various theories around the theme of Identity from essentialism to post structuralism, by using a variety of books and journals such as culture after humanism The sovereign individual and The Dilemmas of Identity. The paper will also look at the theme of trauma and its importance to creating identity and reaching human consciousness ,for A.I and humans. In order to examine the significance of trauma the paper has used books and journals such as Performing the past, Reconstructing trauma and meaning and Memory, history, and identity. During 514a–520a Plato, the greek founder of western philosophy, as one could argue, introduced and presented the Allegory of the Cave. (Beitin, Emmerling and French, 2012) This allegory tells how a group of people , in cave below the earth, are chained in such a way that they can only see their opposing wall. They can not look back, neither right nor left. there is fire on and in between a road, along which there is a small wall. So anything that occurs behind their backs is represented as a shadow on the opposite wall. People walk with a variety of items, from animal to human models ,with the shadows appearing on the wall as a result of the fire and road.

How large a footprint did the Great Pyramid make on the Giza Plateau when it was completed? It is not an easy question to answer, as most of the outer edge of the pyramid’s
base is long gone. Scholars have had to hunt for evidence of the ancient baseline and then extrapolate their findings to locate the original corners. Not surprisingly, the surveys
that have been conducted to date do not precisely agree. With the question of the Great Pyramid’s footprint still incompletely
resolved, another attempt seemed in order.

ABSTRACT:
Definition and domain related issues of ‘rural marketing’ need further clarification and revision. Often times, rural marketing is equated with marketing by multinationals in rural India. The extant literature in rural marketing has uncritically used the theories, models, concepts, and frameworks of the mainstream marketing discipline. So far, rural marketing has failed to create its proprietary theories, concepts, frameworks, and distinct vocabulary. As a result, rural marketing cannot claim the status of a separate subdiscipline within the broader marketing discipline. I provide a critique of the extant work in rural marketing and its dependence on the mainstream business marketing literature. I argue that rural marketing must find its own distinct perspective before theory construction can begin in the field. After reviewing the literature on marketing and economic development, I propose that development of rural people should be the perspective of rural marketing. In this paper, I propose a domain and definition of rural marketing, and suggest several potential areas for theory construction to begin in the subject.

C'est une nouvelle théorie originale (non farfelue). Cette partie décrit le début de la construction de la pyramide de Chéops jusqu'à la construction du couloir ascendant. Je pense apporter une "pierre" pour comprendre la philosophie de l'architecte et la résolution de plusieurs énigmes. Mon but est de mettre en évidence les traces qu'on laisser les  égyptiens, (non exploitées jusqu'alors) et de donner une explication plausible. J'espère que cela ouvrira de nouvelles perspectives.

While allowing great real estate profits, Mumbai’s market liberalization reforms failed to address the low-
income housing shortage, causing the growth of slums which are now home to nearly half of Mumbai’s

residents. The marketization of land rights led to the improvised construction of unplanned buildings, causing
a mismatch between the over ground landscape and the deteriorating underground water infrastructure. In
1995, an electoral promise established a cutoff date which determines slums’ eligibility to rehabilitation
schemes. Settlements built after this cutoff date are “unauthorized” and deprived of legal connections to the
municipal water supply. While access to municipal water in most Mumbai slums is inadequate in terms of
reliability, quality and quantity, the situation is worse for these unauthorized neighborhoods which represent
nearly half of Mumbai’s slums. With little access to water through legal connections, slum dwellers turn to
the informal sector for their daily supply, and have to pay up to 15% of their income on water which is often
contaminated. According to a joint study by the World Health Organization and UNICEF published in 2009,
« some 386,600 children die in India every year of diarrhea, with contaminated water being the main source
of contamination ». Considering the public sector’s failure in providing sufficient access to clean water to
millions of slum dwellers willing to pay for better service, this report argues that the private sector can
contribute to providing sustainable solutions for decentralized distribution models and household level
purification systems, while contributing to the adoption of hygiene practices through social marketing.

Graham Hancock’s assertion that the Great Pyramid’s dimensions reveal knowledge of the earth’s dimensions fails to hold up to any scrutiny as a practical theory. Each step argued by Hancock; that the Great Pyramid was built to a specific scalar, that the value of the scalar can be definitively shown, that the scalar indicates precession, that the only way ancient Egyptians could estimate precession is to borrow knowledge from previously advanced and unrecognized civilizations, are filled with flaws when taken individually, let alone when strung together to complete his narrative. This paper focuses on actual provable observations and analyzes the likelihood of possible relationships between the Great Pyramid and the earth. The following are specifically demonstrated by relying on the actual measurements of the Great Pyramid and the earth: 1) The Observed relationships between the dimensions of the Great Pyramid and the earth can be completely natural. 2) 43,200 does not indicate precession. 3) 43,200 is probably not the Great Pyramid scalar if such a scalar relating the Great Pyramid to the earth even exists. 4) Alternative (including more precise) values for precession and the size of the earth can’t be demonstrated.

Also shown is that the Great Pyramid can exhibit astonishingly close approximations to π (pi) and Ø (phi, the “golden ratio”) in the absence of any purpose or even knowledge of either transcendental numbers.

C'est une nouvelle théorie originale (non farfelue). Cette partie décrit la construction du couloir ascendant. Elle analyse, les éléments troublants laissés par les égyptiens à l'intersection entre le couloir ascendant et la syringe. Puis montre le nouveau plan de l'architecte.
Je pense apporter une "pierre" pour comprendre la philosophie de l'architecte et la résolution de plusieurs énigmes. Mon but est de mettre en évidence les traces qu'on laisser les  égyptiens, et de donner une explication plausible. J'espère que cela ouvrira de nouvelles perspectives.

Abstract
Purpose –  There has  been global upsurges  in the social enterprise  (SE) research  and  practice considering SE as a rapidly growing thought worldwide. The renewed significance of SEs has arisen primarily on account of their assumed potential in solving a range of social problems. The evidences supporting the budding role of SEs in fostering sustained socio-economic development of regions and communities across  the  globe are  evolving continuously. Even  though,  social entrepreneurship (S-ENT) and  SEs  have  remained central  thought  provoking  domains  in the  realm of scholarly investigation for the past couple of decades, the emerging literature on SEs and their role in economic development is riddled with theoretical inconsistencies and definitional controversies. Thus, very little is known about functioning and management of SEs. For the sake of advancing the field, the purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the critical success factors (CSFs) of SEs operating in different social settings in India. Further, a conceptual model is developed incorporating different factors of SE operation in an integrated framework.
Design/methodology/approach – Based on the review of the extant literature, three categories of success factors comprising a total of 38 success factors for SEs were initially identified. Under each category, the success factors were then classified and reduced to appropriate numbers based upon their importance to SEs and their repeated manifestations in the literature, making a total of 13 CSFs under all three categories. Based on these three categories of CSFs, a conceptual model was developed. Findings – The study determines 13 critical factors as contributing to the success of SEs: business planning  skills; entrepreneurship  orientation; leadership; networking; innovative  financing; triple bottom line planning; SE marketing; community engagement; human capital; organizational culture; social impact evaluation; frugal innovation; and government support.
Originality/value –  The paper presents  a theoretical research model incorporating factors and determinants of SE success to direct a future research agenda. The paper can further be used by researchers to empirically test CSF of SEs. Moreover, practitioners can also gain benefits from the conceptual framework and promote S-ENT.

The Djed, by its very nature, is one of the highest mysteries in the Ancient Egypt history. It was built in the core of the so-called Cheops pyramid, just on the King Chamber, perfectly integrated in the monument symmetry.
Actually, scholars cannot yet explain what its original purpose was. There are a quantity of theories, which seem to have a great deal of reliability. Nevertheless, as is often the case, official theory is the least convincing.
Egyptologists believe the Djed, into the Great Pyramid, as an engineering purpose due its architectural peculiarity. In fact, its chambers should have had a specific function: unload the weight of the top of the monument, in order to avoid any structural effect on the King Chamber. Anyway, along the years, alternative researchers broken down, piece by piece, Egyptologists’ proposal, through very exhaustive reasoning focused on scientific and symbolic issues detected during the archaeological investigations.

Pandangan bahawa tamadun berkembang daripada tahap primitif kepada peringkat yang lebih maju merupakan satu pembohongan yang cuba dicipta oleh evolusionis dalam sejarah. Tinggalan dari Mesir purba, tamadun Maya dan Sumeria menunjukkan bahawa pelbagai cabang sains seperti elektrik, elektrokimia, elektromagnetik, kaji logam, hidrogeologi, perubatan, kimia dan fizik telah digunakan sehingga ke tahap yang amat meluas.

I provide a preliminary report on the first season of the Giza Plateau Mapping Project (GPMP), were David Goodman and I established the survey control that served subsequent seasons of archaeological work. I also report on mapping features cut into the bedrock floor a

The bottom of the pyramid has been the topic of many research articles and scholarly discussions. Since Prahalad and Hart wrote about how multinationals can help alleviate poverty and create value propositions for themselves in 2004, many companies have been looking at strategies to serve the BOP segment in emerging markets. While an equally good number of companies have invested a lot of money in these markets and have failed, only a small minority of corporations that have engaged with the BOP sector have created businesses of high volume and profitability. This paper examines through review of the literature, the impact of branding on people living on less than $2 per day and then what how of reaching these customers in a profitable manner for corporations.

This is a new original theory (not far-fetched). This part describes the construction of the ascending corridor. It analyzes the disturbing elements left by the Egyptians at the intersection between the ascending corridor and the descending passage. Then show the architect's new plan. I think I bring a "stone" to understand the philosophy of the architect and the resolution of several puzzles. My goal is to highlight the traces left by the Egyptians, and to give a plausible explanation. I hope this will open up new perspectives.

This article explores what anthropology has to say about contemporary business strategies for market expansion among poor consumers in Africa and Asia. Focusing on the activities of global consumer goods company Unilever in India, we show how anthropology can provide valuable insights into the hidden work and power relations involved in transforming an everyday commodity like soap into a composite object, what we call a ‘social good’, that is capable of simultaneously combating disease, tackling poverty and realizing value for shareholders.

It is undeniable that “academic” Egyptology has greatly contributed to our knowledge of a unique and incomparable civilization, incredibly developed socially, artistically and scientifically. Unfortunately, academic Egyptologists have also persisted in misattributing some archaeological finds to Dynastic Egyptians, which I believe have little to do with that civilization. This has created confusion among researchers and has affected our comprehension of the prehistory of Egypt. Still unsolved remains, for example, the dispute over the “Zep Tepi” (ancient Egyptian for the “First Time of Osiris”). While academics agree to confine its purpose to mythology, I believe that their position conflicts with the long lists of sovereigns found so accurately transcribed in Egyptian documents and temples.

There is a growing consensus that one of the key priorities to address food and nutrition security is to aim at the transformation of agriculture and food systems. The private sector can fulfil an important role in this. It is often argued that the success at low income markets (denoted here as Bottom of the Pyramid - BOP) requires innovative and inclusive business models. However, research findings on this have been quite descriptive and generic. The literature on private sector engagement and food and nutrition security has a strong focus on the participation of businesses in the value chain and the food system, but does generally not unravel the specific characteristics of the inclusive business model itself. This article aims to contribute to an improved understanding with regard to inclusive business model characteristics of private sector interventions aiming at food and nutrition security improvements, by scrutinizing 16 cases from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The study
focuses on the internal fitness of the strategic business model by analysing the foundation level components of the inclusive business model. Important findings are the relevance of quality of product or service besides its affordability, marketing and distribution strategies to link the different actors in the value chain, and training as well as coalition building to overcome institutional and cultural gaps and increase the success of the inclusive business model for improved nutrition and food security. An important conclusion is that the business model and business ecosystem of BOP markets is crucial. Also, the findings indicate a need for intermediaries to overcome cultural and institutional gaps in implementing inclusive business models.

"The main point is that when one takes into account what we know about ancient Egyptian mathematics (based primarily on the Rhind Papyrus) and what we know about the system of measuring lengths in terms of "cubits," "palms," and "fingers" , everything involves  the number 7 and its multiple.

In Egypt, in the middle of 2013, I was on a very important job: the Giza Pyramids investigation through mathematical proportional applications. I focused all my attention on the three majestic pyramids, without exception.
At that time, I believed in my hearth that the buildings were keepers of scientific informations communicating the history of the pyramids builders.
Now, I know it for sure!
In the last two centuries, scholars and alternative researchers found many of the secrets of the Great Pyramid, following discoveries of the inside chambers. They brought us to the core of the monument, by revealing its architecture and engineering complexity.
The building’s external features are well-known, particularly, the pi-greek relationship between base and height, or the relationship with planet’s geophyisical properties, even its connection with the stars of the Belt of Orion.

Edited by:
Pratik Modi, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)

“These unhappy times call for the building of plans that rest upon the forgotten, the unorganized but the indispensable units of economic power...that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt in his April 7, 1932 radio address.

Most of the emerging economies of the world are predominantly rural in characteristics. This rural context poses several challenges, such as low-income, absence of basic marketing infrastructure, subsistence living, irregular income and demand patterns, dependence on agriculture, high social stratification, lack of social mobility, and traditional value orientation, to marketers. These challenges may require new marketing thinking to deal with the issues and to realize vast potential of thus far ignored rural markets. This is an emerging area and studies that try to understand the challenges and issues involved in marketing to rural are far and few.

In this special issue, we invite contributions from scholars and practitioners on the issues pertaining to rural marketing. The indicative list of topics is mentioned below; however, they are by no means exhaustive or restrictive.

• The scope, domain, definition, or interpretations of rural marketing.
• Research or methodological innovations related to rural marketing.
• Theoretical contributions related the various aspects of rural marketing
• Consumer behaviour in rural markets.
• Adaptation of the 4Ps of marketing in rural markets.
• Rural distribution including public distribution system (PDS).
• Rural retailing.
• Communication strategies for rural markets.
• Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning issues in rural markets.
• Branding decisions in rural markets.
• Impact of marketing activities on the lives of the rural poor.
• New product development and innovations for rural markets.
• New product development and Innovations from rural markets.
• Rural tourism.
• Case studies on marketing to or its impact on rural, poor, or disadvantaged consumers.
• Developmental aspects of rural marketing.

Submit your contributions via email to the special issue editor by 31 December 2011 (Email: [email protected] Alt Email: [email protected]). All papers will be subject to double-blind peer review. The selected papers shall be published in the first issue of 2012. Your manuscript and all editorial correspondence should be addressed to: Pratik Modi, The Special Issue Editor, International Journal of Rural Management, IRMA Campus, Anand – 388001, India. Email: [email protected] Alt Email: [email protected]. Mention clearly in the subject field that the submission be considered for the special issue. The author guidelines can be requested from the special issue editor or can be accessed on the journal website (http://irm.sagepub.com/).


Special Issue Editor
Pratik Modi
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Institute of Rural Management Anand
Anand – 388001 India.
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: +91 2692 260188
Phone: +91 2692 221634

Over the last decade, the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) approach has gained prominence as a tool of "inclusive" capitalism in sub-Saharan Africa. This approach reframes development as a seamless outcome of core business activities, one that can ameliorate poverty by bringing much-needed products and services to the poor and generating employment opportunities for informal and subsistence workers as "micro-entrepreneurs." Yet while transnational capital has set its sights on Africa's "underserved" yet potentially buoyant markets, BoP initiatives do more than seize upon the entrepreneurial talent and aspirations of Africa's informal economies. This article argues, rather, that these initiatives create BoP economies through a set of market technologies, practices, and discourses that render the spaces and actors at the bottom of the pyramid knowable, calculable, and predictable to African Studies Review , Volume 56, Number 3 (December 2013), pp. 123-46 Catherine S. Dolan is a reader in the Department of Anthropology, School for Oriental and African Studies, and an associate fellow at the Saïd Business School and Green Templeton College, University of Oxford . She specializes in the cultural economy of development, primarily in Africa, and over the past fifteen years has directed interdisciplinary programs on poverty, globalization, commodity chains, corporate social responsibility, and gender .