Skip to main content

Customer Expectations at the Urban Bottom of Pyramid in India: A Grounded Theory Approach

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Business Governance and Society

Abstract

The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) typically refers to the low-income group of customers, which is a big segment in India. The marketing discipline has historically developed through the context of the industrialized or developed world, but given the size and unique characteristics of this segment of consumers, an independent approach is needed wherein the customers are understood within their context, and businesses strive to serve them and earn their profits. Because the customers are typically impoverished and there are certain assumptions that a marketer holds about this segment, there is a gap in crafting and delivering products and services for this segment that stops at exploring the sector’s profit potential. This study explores the customers in this segment with a view to understand what ultimately satisfies them and gives them happiness in their purchases. There are some interesting findings that emerge and a substantive theory that unfolds in the study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological paradigms and organizational analysis. Aldershot: Gower.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. London: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among the five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawar, N., & Chattopadhyay, A. (2000, June). Rethinking marketing programs for emerging markets. Working Paper Number 320, INSEAD, Fontainebleau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dey, I. (1999). Grounding grounded theory: Guidelines for qualitative inquiry. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P. (1958, January). Marketing and economic development. Journal of Marketing, 22, 252–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisk, R. P., et al. (2016). Billions of impoverished people deserve to be better served: A call to action for the service research community. Journal of Service Management, 27(1), 43–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gebauer, H., & Reynoso, J. (2013). An agenda for service research at the base of the pyramid. Journal of Service Management, 24(5), 482–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, B. G. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity. Mill Valley, CA: The Sociology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gronroos, C. (2001). The perceived service quality concept – A mistake? Managing Service Quality, 11(3), 150–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ireland, J. (2008). Lessons for successful BOP marketing from Caracas’ slums. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25(7), 430–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karnani, A. (2007, April). Mirage at the bottom of the pyramid: How the private sector can help alleviate poverty. Working Paper, The University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolk, A., Rivera-Santos, M., & Ruffin, C. (2014). Reviewing a decade of research on the ‘base/bottom of the pyramid’ (BOP) concept. Business & Society, 53(3), 338–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahajan, V., Pratini de Moraes, M. V., & Wind, J. (2000). The invisible global market. Marketing Management, (Winter), 31–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlikowski, W. J., & Baroudi, J. J. (1991). Studying information technology in organizations: Research approaches and assumptions. Information Systems Research, 2, 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C. K. (2004). The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid: Eradicating poverty through profits. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C. K., & Hart, S. L. (2002). The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Strategy + Business, Issue 26, 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheth, J. N. (2011, July). Impact of emerging markets on marketing: Rethinking existing perspectives and practices. Journal of Marketing, 75(4), 166–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research, design and methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1993). The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21(Winter), 1–12. Retrieved from https://usf.vc/resources/defining-base-of-the-economic-pyramid-in-india/

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, V. A., & Bitner, M. J. (2001). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm (2nd ed.). Boston: Tata McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ritu Srivastava .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Srivastava, R. (2019). Customer Expectations at the Urban Bottom of Pyramid in India: A Grounded Theory Approach. In: Rajagopal, Behl, R. (eds) Business Governance and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94613-9_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics