Document Type	Master's Dissertation
Author	Mitchelson, Marcel Earl
URN	etd-07212012-182227
Document Title	Can the base of the pyramid twin goals of profit and improved welfare be achieved?
Degree	MBA
Department	Gordon Institute of Business Science
Supervisor	Advisor Name Title Ms K Chipp Supervisor
Keywords	bottom of the pyramid base of the pyramid welfare profit trade-off
Date	2012-03-08
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Do companies that are involved in ventures at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) achieve both profit and an increase in the welfare of the poor as proposed by Prahalad and Hart (2002), or is there is a trade-off between profit and welfare as argued by critics of this proposition such as Karnani (2005). Research is lacking in the field, something that this investigation seeks to fill through qualitative research thereon. A central finding of this research was that the paradigms that the companies followed, impacted their views on welfare, profit and the trade-off. The findings reflect that companies have poor indicators of welfare and that there is very little evidence of companies measuring welfare. The findings in respect of a trade-off between profit and welfare is inconclusive, indicating that for some companies there is a trade-off but for others not. The trade-off may be explained by the view that capital should be patient and that the required profit will be achieved in the future. An alternative model of social entrepreneurship is suggested as a bridge between profit and welfare. © 2011, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Mitchelson, ME 2011, Can the base of the pyramid twin goals of profit and improved welfare be achieved?, MBA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07212012-182227/ > F/12/4/716/zw
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    dissertation.pdf 974.42 Kb 00:04:30 00:02:19 00:02:01 00:01:00 00:00:05