IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i21p14092-d956706.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding the Motivation Complexity of Grassroots Ecopreneurs at the Base of the Pyramid

Author

Listed:
  • Norma Juma

    (School of Business, Washburn University, Topeka, KS 66610, USA)

  • Joy Olabisi

    (Rochester Institute of Technology, Saunders College of Business, Rochester, NY 14623, USA)

  • Eliada Griffin-EL

    (Rockwell School of Business, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15108, USA)

Abstract

This qualitative study focuses on the factors that motivate grassroots ecopreneurship at the base of the pyramid (BoP). Our study is anchored by the research question, “How are grassroots ecopreneurs at the BoP of Kenya motivated?” The participants were mainly drawn from beneficiaries of a multinational Non-Governmental Organization. Using a grounded theory approach, we conducted 12 qualitative case studies, 10 focus groups and 2 interviews, recording 61 participants. We triangulated data sources through data collected from primary and secondary sources, such as archival documents and archival interviews. Extant research suggests that grassroots ecopreneurs (GEs) at the BoP primarily engage in necessity-driven ventures. However, this study demonstrates that GEs’ motives to launch new ventures appear to be multifaceted and simultaneous (not linear or sequential). We also observed an interlinkage of environmental and economic motives in GEs who diversified their investments into related and unrelated areas. Our findings also indicate that GEs at the BoP developed socio-ethical motives-the GEs’ concerns toward other members of the community-and a desire to create social value beyond private value. All these motives contributed to the GEs establishing and sustaining viable businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Norma Juma & Joy Olabisi & Eliada Griffin-EL, 2022. "Understanding the Motivation Complexity of Grassroots Ecopreneurs at the Base of the Pyramid," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-21, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:14092-:d:956706
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/14092/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/14092/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vanloqueren, Gaëtan & Baret, Philippe V., 2009. "How agricultural research systems shape a technological regime that develops genetic engineering but locks out agroecological innovations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 971-983, July.
    2. Buchanan, James M & Faith, Roger L, 1981. "Entrepreneurship and the Internalization of Externalities," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(1), pages 95-111, April.
    3. Cohen, Boyd & Winn, Monika I., 2007. "Market imperfections, opportunity and sustainable entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 29-49, January.
    4. Parrish, Bradley D., 2010. "Sustainability-driven entrepreneurship: Principles of organization design," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 510-523, September.
    5. Yvonna S. Lincoln & Egon E. Guba, 1986. "Research, Evaluation, And Policy Analysis: Heuristics For Disciplined Inquiry," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 5(3), pages 546-565, February.
    6. Andrea Revell & Robert Blackburn, 2007. "The business case for sustainability? An examination of small firms in the UK's construction and restaurant sectors," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(6), pages 404-420, September.
    7. Mario Pansera & Soumodip Sarkar, 2016. "Crafting Sustainable Development Solutions: Frugal Innovations of Grassroots Entrepreneurs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-25, January.
    8. repec:ilo:ilowps:317598 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Colin C. Williams & Youssef Youssef, 2014. "Is Informal Sector Entrepreneurship Necessity- or Opportunity-driven? Some Lessons from Urban Brazil," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(1), pages 41-53, March.
    10. Ricardo A. Lagos, 1995. "Formalizing the Informal Sector: Barriers and Costs," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 26(1), pages 111-131, January.
    11. Sarkar, Soumodip & Pansera, Mario, 2017. "Sustainability-driven innovation at the bottom: Insights from grassroots ecopreneurs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 327-338.
    12. Douglass C. North & Robert Paul Thomas, 1970. "An Economic Theory of the Growth of the Western World," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 23(1), pages 1-17, April.
    13. McKeever, Edward & Jack, Sarah & Anderson, Alistair, 2015. "Embedded entrepreneurship in the creative re-construction of place," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 50-65.
    14. Garry D Bruton & Susanna Khavul & Helmuth Chavez, 2011. "Microlending in emerging economies: Building a new line of inquiry from the ground up," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(5), pages 718-739, June.
    15. Frank Martin Belz & Julia Katharina Binder, 2017. "Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Convergent Process Model," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 1-17, January.
    16. Pavitt, Keith, 1984. "Sectoral patterns of technical change: Towards a taxonomy and a theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(6), pages 343-373, December.
    17. Michael J. Lenox & Michael W. Toffel, 2022. "Diffusing Environmental Management Practices within the Firm: The Role of Information Provision," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, May.
    18. Demsetz, Harold, 1970. "The Private Production of Public Goods," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(2), pages 293-306, October.
    19. Mónica Ramos-Mejía & Alejandro Balanzo, 2018. "What It Takes to Lead Sustainability Transitions from the Bottom-Up: Strategic Interactions of Grassroots Ecopreneurs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, July.
    20. Kaplinsky, Raphael, 2011. "Schumacher meets Schumpeter: Appropriate technology below the radar," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 193-203, March.
    21. Soumodip Sarkar, 2018. "Grassroots entrepreneurs and social change at the bottom of the pyramid: the role of bricolage," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(3-4), pages 421-449, March.
    22. Maria Unuigbe & Sambo Lyson Zulu & David Johnston, 2022. "Exploring Factors Influencing Renewable Energy Diffusion in Commercial Buildings in Nigeria: A Grounded Theory Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-32, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kaidong Yu & Yameng Zhang & Yicong Huang, 2023. "Entrepreneurship at the Bottom of the Pyramid: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, January.
    2. Clyde Eiríkur Hull, 2022. "Competitive Sustainability: The Intersection of Sustainability and Business Success," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-5, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Matthias Filser & Sascha Kraus & Norat Roig-Tierno & Norbert Kailer & Ulrike Fischer, 2019. "Entrepreneurship as Catalyst for Sustainable Development: Opening the Black Box," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Hall, Jeremy K. & Daneke, Gregory A. & Lenox, Michael J., 2010. "Sustainable development and entrepreneurship: Past contributions and future directions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 439-448, September.
    3. Kouam, Jean & Asongu, Simplice, 2022. "Effects of Taxation on Social Innovation and Implications for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Developing Countries: A Literature Review," MPRA Paper 114061, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Denise Fischer & Malte Brettel & René Mauer, 2020. "The Three Dimensions of Sustainability: A Delicate Balancing Act for Entrepreneurs Made More Complex by Stakeholder Expectations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 87-106, April.
    5. Matthew P. Johnson & Stefan Schaltegger, 2020. "Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development: A Review and Multilevel Causal Mechanism Framework," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(6), pages 1141-1173, November.
    6. Agnieszka Konys, 2019. "Towards Sustainable Entrepreneurship Holistic Construct," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-33, November.
    7. Patrick Gregori & Patrick Holzmann, 2022. "Entrepreneurial practices and the constitution of environmental value for sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3302-3317, November.
    8. Jackson Musona & Kaisu Puumalainen & Helena Sjögrén & Anna Vuorio, 2021. "Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the Bottom of the Pyramid: An Identity-Based Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-37, January.
    9. Sarkar, Soumodip & Mateus, Sara, 2022. "Doing more with less - How frugal innovations can contribute to improving healthcare systems," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    10. Onwuegbuzie, Henrietta N. & Mafimisebi, Oluwasoye P., 2021. "Global relevance of scaling African indigenous entrepreneurship," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    11. Theodore Tarnanidis & Jason Papathanasiou & Demetres Subeniotis, 2019. "How Far the TBL Concept of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Extends Beyond the Various Sustainability Regulations: Can Greek Food Manufacturing Enterprises Sustain Their Hybrid Nature Over Time?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 829-846, February.
    12. Ghulam Raza Sargani & Deyi Zhou & Muhammad Haseeb Raza & Yuzhi Wei, 2020. "Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Agriculture Sector: The Nexus of the Triple Bottom Line Measurement Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-24, April.
    13. Jip Leendertse & Frank J. van Rijnsoever & Chris P. Eveleens, 2021. "The sustainable start‐up paradox: Predicting the business and climate performance of start‐ups," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1019-1036, February.
    14. Deniz Tunçalp & Nihan Yıldırım, 2022. "Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Mapping the Business Landscape for the Last 20 Years," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, March.
    15. Lori DiVito & Zita Ingen-Housz, 2021. "From individual sustainability orientations to collective sustainability innovation and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1057-1072, February.
    16. Matthew P. Johnson & Jacob Hörisch, 2022. "Reinforcing or counterproductive behaviors for sustainable entrepreneurship? The influence of causation and effectuation on sustainability orientation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 908-920, March.
    17. Chen, Jiawen & Liu, Linlin, 2020. "Customer participation, and green product innovation in SMEs: The mediating role of opportunity recognition and exploitation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 151-162.
    18. Nadia A. Abdelmegeed Abdelwahed & Bahadur Ali Soomro & Naimatullah Shah, 2022. "The Role of Environment, Business and Human Behavior towards Entrepreneurial Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, February.
    19. Lammers, Thorsten & Rashid, Lubna & Kratzer, Jan & Voinov, Alexey, 2022. "An analysis of the sustainability goals of digital technology start-ups in Berlin," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    20. Eduard-Gabriel Ceptureanu & Sebastian-Ion Ceptureanu & Mihai Cristian Orzan & Ovidiu Niculae Bordean & Violeta Radulescu, 2017. "Empirical Study on Sustainable Opportunities Recognition. A Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Joinery Industry Analysis Using Augmented Sustainable Development Process Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-36, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:14092-:d:956706. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.