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Available accessEditorialFirst published August, 2021pp. 143-144
Available accessCase reportFirst published August, 2021pp. 145-157Women empowerment and its importance have often been at the centre of debate especially in India. This concept is slowly moving beyond the theory and notions of discussions and manifesting even at the level of village clusters with adequate interventions from the policymakers. Despite the socio-cultural restrictions, the conspicuous role played by women at the household and community levels remains undeniable. This case study, through the concept of community kitchens, ideally captures the scenario in which
Can the concept of women empowerment be de-urbanized?
Do women through formalized initiatives feel empowered and experience heightened self-esteem?
Can the setting up of micro-entrepreneurial ventures at the village level provide an impetus to alter the existing social structures and power inequalities?
Women Empowerment, group approach and power, self-esteem
The
Semi-structured interviews for the sample respondents were conducted and then auto-coded themes, namely, community, decisions, family and values were obtained using the NVivo software. The sentiment analysis of the transcribed interview conversations revealed more of positive sentiments that were centred around the belief that such micro-entrepreneurial opportunities can largely improve their lives and ease out the inequalities that are experienced by them on the power and control fronts. On an overall basis it was observed that when the financial and psychological aspirations were met, fulfilment and satisfaction were the primary outcomes for the study participants.
The present case is aimed for discussion in the entrepreneurship classes of management, especially related to social entrepreneurship, women empowerment and contribution of women to the economy and society. The case highlights that woman’s contribution towards the society and family could be impacted through a woman’s own sense of self-worth and self-esteem. This case highlights further that micro-enterprises that are community level are both a social and economic phenomenon, manifesting benefits for the individual as well as the society.
Available accessCase reportFirst published August, 2021pp. 158-166Social entrepreneurs are supposed to be the specialty of seasoned adults in business. Proving the adage wrong, Skoll and Ashoka foundations have already nurtured adolescent social entrepreneurs successfully. Very few systematic studies endorse the view that the young can be inspired to become social entrepreneurs. This case study, consisting of two biographical stories, constructs an understanding to inspire further research in the phenomenon of adolescents turning into social entrepreneurs. The findings suggest that if young persons engage in transforming themselves reflexively and simultaneously act on their beliefs to resolve social problems, they will achieve success as social entrepreneurs.
Available accessCase reportFirst published August, 2021pp. 167-179While head lice continue to be a worldwide health issue, there remains a dearth of scholarship detailing how various organizations are developing different products to deal with this problem. In this case study, the authors ponder upon a novel entrepreneurial idea developed by the students to tackle the lice issue in Pakistan. A team of students developed Repelolicer, an ultrasonic wave-emitting hairband to stop lice infestation among younger-aged girls. The Repelolicer team developed various strategies to target the Pakistani market. However, due to inadequate knowledge of the external market, the entrepreneurial idea failed to succeed.
This case study aimed to explore challenges faced by an entrepreneurial venture using the first-mover strategy while penetrating the lower strata market via a product, which had a stigmatized effect.
In the extant scholarship, first-movers are considered to have strategic advantages against new rivals. In this study, we explore the disadvantages of first-mover in a complex Pakistani market situation through the lens of the resource-based view (RBV) and industrial organization (IO) perspective.
This case study focuses on exploring the reasons behind the failure of tech-based first-movers (i.e., Repelolicer) in the Pakistani market scenario. The study also elucidates various external factors—a new venture should explore before launching a product in a Pakistani market situation.
The context in this case study is the lice problem among younger-aged girls in Pakistan’s lower strata market.
The study participants unveiled that despite Repelolicer having competitive advantages because of internal factors, the Repelolicer team could not fully understand invisible forces in the external market. This lack of understanding led to their product failure. The Repelolicer team was also unable to comprehend how the product design might have further escalated the stigma attached to lice in society. Lastly, their pricing and promotion strategy was incompatible with the complex market situation.
This study adds to the limited knowledge about first-movers’ disadvantages in developing countries, such as Pakistan. The study results revealed that being a first-mover, even with all the adequate resources, is not always advantageous. The new ventures can especially face disastrous consequences for being the first-mover due to their lack of experience and knowledge of the local market. The study results also showed that new ventures should take the IO perspective with the RBV approach to succeed in a complicated market situation. The theoretical and practical implications of the case study have been outlined.
Open accessCase reportFirst published August, 2021pp. 180-195The objectives of this study are to identify the need for Social Enterprises (SEs) as an alternative form of working in the Finnish labour market, what alternative forms of co-operation between such types of SEs could be and how larger local companies can support the sustainable operation of these small SEs by employing immigrants and the long-term unemployed.
This article draws on the corporate social responsibility CSR theory of traditional enterprises to better explain the factors that can facilitate co-operation between SEs and private enterprises, thereby reaching the sustainable operation of SEs that are run by socially disadvantaged groups of people in Lapland.
SE is a new phenomenon in Lapland. There are a few SEs in the region that are struggling to maintain their existence in a sustainable manner. It is harder for the members of such SEs to run businesses or to work and to become successful in Lapland; however, obtaining employment or running a proprietorship is not an alternative (Yeasmin, 2016) for these disadvantaged people.
The article contributes to the studies on the economic integration and labour market sustainability of immigrants and long-term job seekers, and particularly to the socio-economic integration of the long-term unemployed by focusing on the necessity-driven social entrepreneurship networking model in a sparsely populated region, that being the region of Lapland in Northern Finland.
The disadvantaged groups need access to the labour market in Lapland, and social alliances between various partners (e.g., private, public and SE) under different social circumstances (e.g., CSR) can generate alternative options for co-operation to sustain the existence of such SEs in Lapland. An analysis explores future recommendations for co-operation that might sustain SE’s existence and development and might also increase long-term prospects for targeted SEs.
Lapland-based SEs operated by immigrants or the long-term unemployed are issues and themes that do not fall within the responsibility of any single authority or any single sector. Successfully running SEs demands positive interaction and social innovation strategies among many social partners. Networking with a variety of public stakeholder groups alongside the private sector needs to see an investment of social resources for mapping the phenomena on the topic of social economy, which is a social innovation process that might enable such SEs to have successful outcomes in Lapland.
Available accessCase reportFirst published August, 2021pp. 196-206With the help of an instrumental research case on a social enterprise in India that provides a solution to those with none or limited access to fresh drinking water, this study aims to explore how trust helps create social value.
At the theoretical level, the study draws upon ‘trust’ and ‘social value’ literature to examine how a social entrepreneur utilized trust as an enabler to creating social value.
The case developed deeper understanding of the phenomena of ‘trust helps creating social value’.
It is an instrumental research case study that helps explore the phenomenon and draws connections between trust and social value creation if any.
The case context is making affordable drinking water available to all, especially the community of people who are deprived of it.
Conducting a series of in-depth interviews with the founder, we developed a better understanding of how the social entrepreneur used trust as a resource to create social value in the context of affordable drinking water. The findings showed how the protagonist (founder) worked on gaining trust of his beneficiaries and stakeholders to create social value. Findings also revealed the enablers and deterrents of trust in social value creation.
Our study shows how trust as a resource creates social value. In the context of our study, it contributes on how a social entrepreneur is creating social value not only by making affordable drinking water accessible to all but also deliver other social value creation benefits. The study brings out legitimacy, technology and social network as its enablers. The study also intends to fill the knowledge gap on how firms create social value by building trust with stakeholders and beneficiaries. Since little is known about trust even at the level of beneficiaries and stakeholders, our study aims to develop a better understanding of the phenomenon.
Available accessResearch articleFirst published August, 2021pp. 207-217The study presents two entrepreneurship typologies: necessity-driven and opportunity-driven. ‘Opportunity’ entrepreneurs start a business to pursue an opportunity, while ‘necessity’ entrepreneurship is requirement-based and attempts for the best option available in the absence of alternate employment opportunities. Push and pull effects are analogous to necessity-based and opportunity-based entrepreneurship. The study explored success through stages of the entrepreneurial process. The push entrepreneur proved her resilience despite the absence of spousal support. Behind the pull entrepreneur’s success was spousal support. The key findings are that success is influenced by the entrepreneur’s grit, willpower and attitude.
The objective of the case is to study two typologies of entrepreneurship, based on their motivation to become an entrepreneur—necessity-driven and opportunity-driven. It also examines the various factors that could influence the success of entrepreneurship.
Both entrepreneurs discussed in the study had several common factors. The two succeeded in their entrepreneurship due to their sheer grit, determination and a feeling of higher purpose. Multiple pieces of evidences exist to show that grit is a success factor linked to positive outcomes.
The phenomenon studied in this case include ‘opportunity’ and ‘necessity’ entrepreneurs. It also studied the push and pull effects in entrepreneurship, which are analogous to opportunity-based and necessity-based entrepreneurship. The push entrepreneur was involved in boutique business, and pull entrepreneur was in catering business.
The findings are that the push entrepreneur demonstrated resilience despite many drawbacks. The success of the pull entrepreneur’s involved spousal support too. In both cases, the critical finding is that success is influenced by the entrepreneur’s grit, willpower and attitude. Further, neither of the women entrepreneurs took any loan to fund their business.
Both entrepreneurs discussed in the study had a few common factors. Both of them were educated. The two entrepreneurs exhibited grit, determination and a feeling of higher purpose. Grit has been found to be a success factor and linked to positive outcomes.
Available accessResearch articleFirst published August, 2021pp. 218-230Naara-Aaba is an indigenous wine innovated by a woman who could predict a beautiful end to her vision of brewing wine from the sacred but exotic fruit kiwi. The brand was launched in 2017 at Hong village of Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh by Tage Rita Takhe; an engineer turned entrepreneur through her venture M/s Lambu Subu Food & Beverages. The brand was named after her late father-in-law lovingly known as ‘Naara’ and ‘Aaba’ meaning father. The motto of the company is to fight a social problem that wreaks havoc across the region, namely the suicides of thousands of farmers who cannot pay back their debt due to drought, poor harvest, and sometimes exacerbated by climate. Rita started her winery facing these hurdles and a field abundant in kiwi fruits. Despite facing many challenges such as lack of efficient production infrastructure, market connectivity, and minimum support from the government machinery, she has created a niche market in the wine industry.
This case aims to establish the applicability of the Blue Ocean strategy by applying the tools to create an uncontested market space for Naara-Aaba, the first organic kiwi wine from the north-eastern states of India and second in the world after New Zealand.
How to apply Blue Ocean strategy for the brand Naara-Aaba so that the competition becomes irrelevant?
Blue Ocean theory
Applied problem solving
Phenomenon-creating uncontested space in the market
Present
The findings revealed that implementing a Blue Ocean strategy will open up new uncontested market spaces for the brand to grow profitably. This case study shows how to apply Blue Ocean strategy for a wine brand.
Blue Ocean strategy advocates that by eliminating unnecessary attributes, reducing all features that pushes up the cost, raising utility, and creating higher value, a brand can redefine its market where competition is non-existent.