BoP (저소득층) 비즈니스의 개념과 전략적 진화

Review of the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Business Concept and Its Strategic Evolution: Case Study of Solar Lantern in Tanzania

After ‘Next Market’ by Professor C. K. Prahalad was published, a new perspective in which BoP needs to be viewed as a market has been established very fast in the field of BoP studies. The debate started with Prahalad and Hammond(2002), and Prahalad and Hart(2002). MNCs (multinational companies) try to expand their business realms by serving those poor consumers belonging to the BoP. This kind of strategic approach is called BoP version 1.0 where companies adopt only a selling strategy. However, the BoP version 1.0 approach had been receiving criticisms due to the fact that it ignored a more effective option of helping the BoP people maintain their own economically self-sustaining businesses. This latter approach is called BoP version 2.0 approach. This paper aims to suggest a basic framework of BoP 2.0 and discuss its relevant cases. For the sake of fulfilling this research objective, we revisited the BoP 2.0 concept, delineating its four aspects in comparison with the BoP 1.0. First, we investigated conventional wisdom of BoP approaches from a critical viewpoint. Second, we compared non-profit BoP businesses with profit-seeking BoP businesses, demonstrating, therefore, a discrepancy between the two approaches. Third, relationships between BoP businesses and traditional CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) were addressed. Fourth, the need to turn from the BoP 1.0 (selling to the poor people) to the BoP 2.0 (working with the poor people to help them create their own businesses) was proposed with relevant cases such as D.Light solar lantern that penetrated into Tanzania successfully.