Articulating Globalization: Exploring the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) Terrain

Abstract

Notwithstanding the 'yawns of familiarity' that globalization produces in some circles, there is little doubt that 'globalization' continues to provide direction and momentum to much of the present social and political configurations. With this in mind, the present study attempts to come to terms with globalization in one particular site: the much acclaimed bottom/base of the pyramid (BOP) approach. Employing Stuart Hall's notion of articulation, I examine some of the 'foundational' BOP texts to understand how and to what ends globalization is constituted within the BOP project. Extrapolating from themes like markets, capitalism, poverty, and technology, the article attempts to highlight what remains unsaid and inexplicit about 'globalization.' At one level, the article explores the 'metapragmatics of globalization' (how account/ talk about global phenomenon are put to use in different contexts), and, at another level, it offers a critical examination of some of the underlying themes of the BOP proposition. Broadly, the article argues that despite its commitment to contesting dominant forms of globalization, the BOP project shows solidarity with a remarkably reductive view of globalization, and in so doing becomes complicit in maintaining status quo thereby re-inscribing (unwittingly) long standing patterns of marginalization. In the spirit of 'hermeneutics of emergence,' the article calls for greater self-reflexivity within the BOP domain which, among other things, would help problematize its central themes and ideas in ways that are, perhaps, more adequate to thinking about the fraught relationship between business and poverty.

Examining the win‐win proposition of shared value across contexts: Implications for future application

“…Banerjee and Jackson () refer to CSV as part of a group of market‐based measures for alleviating poverty that are “gaining considerable traction in the management literature where scholars have developed concepts like ‘base‐of‐pyramid’ and ‘CSV’ to address what businesses can do to alleviate poverty and enhance social welfare (Porter & Kramer, ; Prahalad, )” (p. 64). From a more critical perspective, Chatterjee () includes CSV in a collection of concepts that were initiated to confront the downsides of globalization such as the unequal sharing of benefits. She argues that they contribute “to an understanding of globalization as phenomenon marked by, among other things, triumphalism, inevitability, irreversibility, and a predetermined telos (march of history toward desirable end points)” (p. 638).…”

“…Its acceptance in non‐Western contexts rests on whether it moves beyond recognizing the powerful force of businesses to solve problems (Porter & Kramer, ), to also recognizing the dominating role between businesses and local stakeholders. Chatterjee () echoes this concern, highlighting that the “efficacy of technological innovations cannot be bracketed off from the larger context of culture, social hierarchies, economic disparities, and political pressures” and that “larger constraints within which new technologies are introduced often reinforces structural inequities benefitting those who have the means to control and command technologies” (p. 645).…”

Slow design‐driven innovation: A response to our future in the Anthropocene epoch

“…The customer will value the products over the years because they can convey a story, which would have been narrated through storytelling by the designer. Indeed, customers are becoming more aware that current social and political configurations are shaped by the interests of multinational corporations (Chatterjee, 2016), which are influencing global economic orientation and the growing integration of national economies (Frenkel, 2001). Globalization was accelerated by the denationalization of the regulations (Osborne, 2018), which made the world economy highly unstable and subjected to predatory practices (Negri et al, 2008) impacting all levels of economic and social activities.…”

A estratégia das empresas que atuam na base da pirâmide estendida - BOP-E: um estudo da eficiência financeira

“…Essa situação fica agravada pelo fato de os Estados criarem poucos mecanismos de proteção aos indivíduos, confiando nas soluções do livre mercado(Karnani, 2011) Chatterjee (2016). aponta como principal crítica do main-stream da BOP a visão simplista e estigmatizada de consumidores propensos à violência ou empreendedores heroicos ao escapar da pobreza por meio de autogestão.…”

“…aponta como principal crítica do main-stream da BOP a visão simplista e estigmatizada de consumidores propensos à violência ou empreendedores heroicos ao escapar da pobreza por meio de autogestão. Sob essa perspectiva, para o autor, o mundo dentro da narrativa da BOP é plano e as comunidades vulneráveis podem ser ajudadas pelos avanços tecnológicos, trazidos pela globalização.Sem a importante compreensão histórica e socialmente fundamentada, o projeto da BOP corre o risco de avançar em soluções simplistas para questões complexas, sem auferir a lucratividade tão comentada, nem resolver o problema da pobreza(Chatterjee, 2016). "O intuito não é defender uma forma ou outra de discurso sobre o consumo na base da pirâmide.…”