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Revisiting the Business Environment at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP)—From Theoretical Considerations to Practical Realities

ABSTRACT The area of constraints that firms face when conducting business in difficult environments, such as the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), has been subject to scrutiny in international business. While there has been a general discussion of constraints that firms face in doing business at the BOP, there has been limited effort to constantly revisit these issues in view of the dynamic environment that makes up the BOP. The author critically reexamines the impediments that firms face operating at the BOP with the view of identifying coping strategies used to mitigate the impact of these impediments within a BOP context and their practical, social, and policy implications. Previous studies focus on constraints at the expense of coping strategies and implications. This Zimbabwean study provides a contrasting perspective. Key findings include the identification of changing nature of impediments that are embedded in the BOP context and dynamic coping strategies used by firms to minimize the negative impact of these impediments. The author provides practical, social, and policy implications that can be used to expand insights into the importance of understanding the changing nature of impediments faced by firms at the BOP and the subsequent coping strategies used.