Innovation for the base of the pyramid: critical perspectives from development studies on heterogeneity and participation

Abstract

This article criticises current BoP approaches for under-appreciating two issues that\nplay vital roles in projects targeting the poor at the BoP: heterogeneity among the\npoor, and the intricacies of participatory partnerships between TNCs, the non-profit\nsector (NGOs) and local poor communities in the global south. Our main contention is\nthat the extant BoP literature has a naïve view of what working with the poor really\ninvolves, which grossly underestimates adverse power relationships and disregards\nthe hierarchies between the poor and outsiders who administer development\ninterventions. To unpack the hidden complexities associated with heterogeneity and\npartnership dynamics, we draw on extensive knowledge from the field of\ndevelopment studies, which has accumulated key insights about working in and with\npoorer communities over several decades.

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