Toward a service ecosystem perspective at the base of the pyramid

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to combine service-dominant logic premises with ecosystem characteristics in the base of the pyramid (BoP) environment, aiming to establish the foundations of a new service ecosystem framework for BoP contexts. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper is developed by connecting service logic with an ecosystem perspective, developing theoretical propositions for sustainable service ecosystems at the BoP, and identifying future research direction using this new framework. Findings – The paper first highlights main challenges faced in the BoP environment. It then constructs an ecosystem framework for BoP contexts composed by four theoretical propositions: first, need to shift from a top-down to a multi-actor BoP approach; second, need of social embeddedness for successful BoP initiatives; third, service co-creation for and with local communities with actors playing multiple social roles; and fourth, multi-actor and multi-dimensional value creation. Future res...