ABSTRACT
The bottom of the pyramid (BOP) market has gained importance in international entrepreneurship due to its large market potential. Drawing on the literature of international business education, as well as social entrepreneurship and international entrepreneurship education, we propose a course to educate students how to develop business intimacy with the BOP community. We employ the experiential-learning pedagogical framework and design elements including a short-term study abroad service trip, an entrepreneurship project, and structured reflections. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, we demonstrate that the course facilitates students’ learning in the key areas of international and social entrepreneurship, including the economic and social value of community embeddedness for BOP ventures, the emotional intelligence in interacting with BOP communities, and the attitude toward social entrepreneurship.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Yinglu Wu
Yinglu Wu is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Boler College of Business, John Carroll University. She earned her Ph.D. of Business Administration from E. J. Ourso College of Business, Louisiana State University in 2012. Her research interests include e-commerce and consumer online purchase behavior. Her research has been published in Journal of Interactive Marketing and Decision Support Systems.
James Martin
James H. Martin is a Professor of Marketing at Boler College of Business, John Carroll University. Dr. Martin’s research interests include innovation and strategic marketing planning. His publications include articles in Journal of Small Business Management, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Journal of Managerial Issues, and Journal of Consumer Marketing.