Let’s Profitably Fight Poverty, Shall We? How Managers Use Emotional Framing to Develop Base of the Pyramid Ventures Inside a Large Fast-moving Consumer Goods Company

Abstract

Entering the Economic Base of the Pyramid (BoP) is often portrayed as an effective way for multinational corporations (MNCs) to grow and alleviate poverty, yet only few MNCs succeed. Although scholars have suggested that emotional arguments may be critical in motivating MNCs to engage at the BoP, it has remained unexplored how managers who develop BoP ventures inside MNCs use emotional framing to persuade organizational members to support their initiatives. Building on a multiple-case study of a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Company, we find that captivating, solidifying, and perpetuating emotional frames allowed managers to earn and maintain commitment from volunteers and senior managers and sustain venturing efforts up until a stage where ventures were considered for launch despite an obvious sense of profitability. These findings contribute to a theoretical understanding of processes that enable BoP venture development inside MNCs, and contribute to the literatures on emotional framing and corporate entrepreneurship.