Internationalisation of service firms through corporate social entrepreneurship and networking

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how employing corporate social entrepreneurship and developing a network of relationships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can support and contribute towards the internationalisation of service firms into the base of the pyramid (BOP) markets in emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach – This research adopts an exploratory approach employing qualitative multiple case studies. Three service firms that have targeted the BOP markets in India were studied. In total, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with multinational corporations (MNCs) and their NGO partners. Data analysis was facilitated through pattern matching and systematic case comparison. Findings – The findings reveal that, by engaging in social entrepreneurship, these MNCs have focused on the neglected needs of the BOP population, developed sustainable solutions and empowerment, and started with social value creation and postponed value capturing. The pursuit of corporate social entrepreneurship has paved the way for them to establish relationships with NGOs. While the MNCs have mainly had the technical knowledge and financial resources required, collaboration with NGOs have allowed them to learn about the BOP’s specific needs and benefit from the NGOs’ knowledge, human resources and good relationships in this market. Originality/value – This research unravels how service firms can seize opportunities at the BOP. The authors build on social entrepreneurship theory and bring new insights to the field of international business. In addition, the authors broaden the network view and show how networking with social actors such as NGOs enables the mobilisation of resources, actors and activities in emerging markets.

Developing and deploying marketing agility in an emerging economy: the case of Blue Skies

“…Furthermore, turbulent times and institutional voids which are common in emerging markets call for effective relationship management with different stakeholders in order to remain legitimate and robust in those countries (Lee et al, 2018;Salmi and Heikkila, 2015;Ghauri et al, 2014).…”

The Role of Non-market Strategies in Establishing Legitimacy: The Case of Service MNEs in Emerging Economies

“…Nevertheless, the linkages between CSR and CPA remain a neglected area of research that has the potential to contribute to the existing understanding of firm non-market strategies. This article seeks to address this gap in the extant literature not by exploring how firms jointly mediate CSR and CPA policies but, rather, by examining the relationships between CSR and CPA in SMNC contexts (Ghauri et al 2014), exploring to what extent firms seek an alignment (Birkinshaw 2011) between these two concepts.…”

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