Germinating seeds in dry soil: examining the process of frugal innovation in micro- and small-enterprises at the base of the pyramid

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the process of frugal innovation (FI) in micro- and small-enterprises (MSEs) at the base of the pyramid (BOP) through the analytical lens of business models.Design/methodology/approachA case study was conducted with 30 MSEs from three different industries in a very poor region in Brazil.FindingsThe findings indicate that, in cases where FI is intense and dynamic, the start of the FI process is based on the reinterpretation of fashion trends and influences from the business ecosystem while the consolidation of FI in MSEs occurs through the reconfiguration of resources. Additionally, this study shows that FI depends on conditions other than the production of frugal products for BOP consumers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study points out that the presence of end-of-life non-BOP raw materials distributed by large distributors in the case of fashion products, along with the interaction between MSEs at the BOP and these distributors, trigger FI and are profitable for both. For non-fashion products with long life cycles, there is no demand for innovation.Originality/valueThis study addresses the research void present in the literature on FI by presenting the process of FI and the conditions that leverage or stagnate FI in MSEs at the BOP, as well as how business models are shaped by these conditions.