A presentation on research and the bottom of the pyramid. To learn more visit www.ChantellBeaty.com and www.ChantellBeaty.com/Bookstore

1. MARKETING RESEARCH AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID
Presentation by: Chantell Beaty

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
• Synthesis of Ideas from Literature
• Gaps in Literature
• Research Topic*
• Background*
• References
• Annotated Bibliography*
• Summary
• Questions*

3. SYNTHESIS OF IDEAS FROM THE
LITERATURE: CLASSICAL VERSUS MODERN
• Marketing researchers as scientist
• Quantitative methodology
• Positivism
• Empirically observed markets
• Reexamine positivist approach
(Walden University, 2015)

4. SYNTHESIS OF IDEAS FROM THE
LITERATURE: CLASSICAL VERSUS MODERN
• Case research (Bonoma, 1985)
• Humanistic inquiry (Hirschman, 1986)
• Naturalistic inquiry (Holt, 1991)
• VALS (Shih, 1986)
• Reliability and validity (Golafshani, 2003)
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf

5. APPARENT GAPS IN THE LITERATURE
• Qualitative methodology
• Mixed methods
• Constructivist view

6. APPARENT GAPS IN THE LITERATURE
• Evaluate the hypotheses
• No gap: quantitative and positivist
• Research designs
• 5 qualitative approaches (case study, phenomenological, ethnography…narrative, grounded theory)
• Threats to validity
• Triangulation (mixed methods)
• Implications of the findings
• Qualitative and mixed method research
• Areas for further research
• Reliability, validity and triangulation
Reliability, validity and triangulation, if they are to be relevant research concepts, from a qualitative
point of view, have to be redefined in order to reflect multiple ways of establishing truth (Golafshani,
2003).

7. RESEARCH TOPIC: MARKETING RESEARCH
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID
There are four billion people in the world with an annual per capita
income based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of less than 1,500
dollars. This PPP is a profitable market for businesses (Prahalad,
2005).
According to the dominant logic, some business leaders make
assumptions and implications that this annual income is low; however,
the BOP market concept challenges this view by containing research
instructions that permit the researcher to demonstrate to those
interested that this market is significant (Prahalad, 2005).
Convert and create the capacity of the BOP market to a consumer
market (Prahalad, 2005).

8. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: DESIGN
AND METHODOLOGY (1 OF 3)
• Qualitative
• Case study
• Phenomenological
• Ethnography

9. BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
RESEARCH FINDINGS (2 OF 3)
• Arguments regarding profitable market
• Arguments regarding responsibilities to the poor
• Multinational corporations
• 48 articles base/bottom of the pyramid in Pro Quest
• Areas of microfinance, mobile phone, healthcare (etc.)
• Countries such as India, Brazil, Africa (limited)

10. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: LESSONS
AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
(3 OF 3)
• Marketing research at BOP
• Case study analysis
• Africa
• Small corporations including “Mom and Pop”

11. REFERENCES
• Bonoma, T. V. (1985). Case research in marketing: Opportunities, problems and a process. Journal of Marketing Research, 22(2), 199-208.
Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/publications/JournalOfMarketingResearch/Pages/About.aspx
• Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The Quarterly Report, 8(4), 597-607.
Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf
• Holt, D. B. (1991). Rashomon visits consumer behavior: An interpretative critique of naturalistic inquiry. Advances in Consumer Research, 18, 57–62.
Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/journal/0098-9258_Advances_in_consumer_research_Association_for_Consumer_Research_US
• Hirschman, E. C. (1986). Humanistic inquiry in marketing research: Philosophy, method, and criteria. Journal of Marketing Research, 23, 237–249.
Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/publications/JournalOfMarketingResearch/Pages/About.aspx

12. REFERENCES
• Prahalad, C. K. (2005). The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid: Eradicating poverty through profits. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School
Publishing
• Shih, S. (1986). VALS as a tool of tourism market research: The Pennsylvania experience. Journal of Travel Research, 24(4), 2-11.
Retrieved from http://jtr.sagepub.com/
• Hewege, C. R., & Perera, L. C. R. (2013). In search of alternative research methods in marketing: Insights from layder's adaptive theory
methodology. Contemporary Management Research, 9, 343-360. Retrieved from http://www.cmr-journal.org/
• Walden University (2015). Seminar in Marketing Research DDBA - 8533 - 1. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_8614858_1&content_id=_25821726_1&mode=reset

13. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
• List of 10 annotated bibliographies
• Attached in separate file in discussion forum

14. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION
• Are there ways in which the topic could be refined or enhanced?
• How might research on this topic potentially impact the field of
marketing research?
• An annotated bibliography of 5 additional articles or resources that
would prove useful in addressing this topic
(Walden University, 2015)
Thank You