We compare and contrast business networks at the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) and at the Top of the Pyramid (TOP), and analyze their implications for multinational enterprises (MNEs). We first identify the specificities of BOP environments in terms of competitive environment and institutions....

This study explores whether absorptive capacity, one of the most important concepts in the literature on inter-partner learning and innovation in alliances, can be directly transposed to cross-sector alliances. The results of the analysis suggest that current models of absorptive capacity only...

We leverage insights and theories from the extensive inter-firm alliance literature to explore the effect of the sector of the partners on firm-NGO (B2N) alliance governance. Our analysis suggests that the sector of the partners has an important impact on alliance governance, not only because it...

Aiming at a better understanding of the extent to which Africa-focused research has helped develop context-bound, context-specific, and context-free knowledge, the authors present the findings from a literature review of journal articles with an African context. A systematic search resulted in...

Substantial work has described downstream distribution systems for subsistence markets, but little is known about how upstream supply chains support these efforts. We suggest that a multinational corporation (MNC) entering these markets must resolve the institutional voids in product, labor, and...

This paper examines the role of multinationals and international business in poverty alleviation, based on an analysis of articles in the top journals in business, economics, and policy. We develop a conceptual cross-disciplinary framework that maps and disentangles the impact of different types...