Entrepreneurship at the Bottom of the Pyramid seeks to demonstrate to students the range of entrepreneurial activities that can be implemented among the poor in developing countries in order to alleviate poverty.
The book blends theory, examples of practice, and learning activities to help students apply their knowledge and to encourage thinking ‘outside the box’. The book begins by introducing the reader to two fundamental concepts: poverty, and the bottom of the pyramid. This provides the reader with a solid grasp of the context in which the entrepreneurial activities are implemented. Next, the book discusses the entrepreneurial process, highlighting the elements most relevant to the context, including risk, survival, and growth; different entrepreneurial actors; the informal sector; and micro-credit. Finally, the book describes models to encourage entrepreneurial activities in developing countries.
Weaving a primary case study throughout so the reader can apply new knowledge incrementally while moving through the chapters, Dalglish and Tonelli also include several shorter case studies, presenting different problems and implemented solutions in several geographical areas. Students with an interest in entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation, and development studies, will find this an important read.