Shubhabrata Basu

Bio: Shubhabrata Basu is an academic researcher from Indian Institute of Management Indore. The author has contributed to research in topics: Emerging markets & Corporate governance. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 21 publications receiving 78 citations. Previous affiliations of Shubhabrata Basu include Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

Product market strategies and innovation types: finding the fit!

Abstract: Purpose – This paper reviews an underexplored dimension in strategic management namely, the strategic fit between various types of innovation and their corresponding product-market strategies. Design/methodology/approach – The article is prepared by reviewing the relevant literatures on innovation and product market strategies and comparing and contrasting the common characteristics to attain a fit. Findings – The paper presents the criteria for distinguishing the different types of innovation vis-a-vis the product market strategies, along with a tabular frame of reference that fits a particular type of innovation with its corresponding product market strategy. Practical implications – Further the article provides an action framework that characterises the product market strategies along with the benefits that accrue on adopting a particular type of innovation for the corresponding product market strategy. That way, the probability of firms, failing due to the launch of an inappropriate innovation in an i...

Explicating the Mechanism of BOP Ventures: An Architectural Innovation Perspective

Abstract: This paper investigated the precise mechanism adopted by some firms to enter and sustain in challenging, non-remunerative and fragmented markets like the Bottom of the Pyramid. Contrary to the received wisdom of a predominantly philanthropic orientation coupled with moderate profits, this paper argued that such ventures were motivated to revisit the cost structures of the venturing firms in an effort to become cost competitive in the conventional markets. To substantiate the above argument, a content analysis was performed on the published cases of firms operating at the Bottom of the Pyramid. The analysis revealed the adopted mechanisms and the possibly accrued economic benefits as a consequence of the choice of the mechanism, the same being reported in this paper.

Exploring Stewardship as an Antecedent Behavioural Trait of Social Entrepreneurs

Abstract: We explored stewardship behaviour as a possible antecedent to the activities of a social entrepreneur towards providing desired sustainable solutions. Extant literature posits that social entrepreneurs are predominantly guided in their sustainable solutions by ex-ante and ex-post resource positions. Resource availability guides the social entrepreneur’s behaviour which per se is not different from the behaviour of a profit-seeking entrepreneur. We contend that apart from resource considerations, stewardship is also an important behavioural consideration for social entrepreneurial activities. We used a single embedded inductive case study to establish the linkage between stewardship behaviour and social entrepreneur leading to desired sustainable solutions in the context of the health care sector in institutionally weak economies like India.

A Systematic Literature Review of Constraint-Based Innovations: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Abstract: The past two decades have seen a tremendous growth in innovation processes conceived under scarcity conditions with special focus on emerging markets and bottom of the pyramid (BOP) customers. However, evolving literature in this field has unfortunately resulted in a multitude of innovation approaches leading to terminology confusion and fragmented literature. Hence, this study is an attempt to systematically organize and synthesize the research on innovation approaches originated in, for or from emerging markets. An extensive systematic review of the existing literature is carried out to investigate the progress of prior research, and to use the insights to define future research pathways. This review is primarily based on the most frequently used innovation approaches, especially frugal innovation, jugaad, disruptive innovation, Gandhian innovation, catalytic innovation, indigenous innovation, bricolage, blowback innovation, trickle-up innovation, resource-constrained innovation, and BOP innovation. Our analysis finds growing standardization in terminology usage and increasing emphasis on “bottom-up” and structured innovation approaches. De-emphasizing the role of technology transfers and spillovers from the West, the findings exhibit increasing applications of these innovations beyond emerging markets to wider markets. Our research results also shed light on the evolution of the topic and instigate further research explorations in the direction of analyzing the user adoption of these constraint-based innovations and understanding the influence of new technological advancements, such as the Internet, mobile telecommunications, and Web 2.0 on the innovation process, with a special focus on the service industry.

Biolarvicides in vector control: challenges and prospects.

Abstract: Biolarvicides, based on mosquitocidal toxins of certain strains of Bacillus sphaericus and Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis H-14 (Bti) are highly effective against mosquito larvae at very low doses and safe to other non-target organisms. During past two decades various biolarvicide formulations produced in India and abroad have been tested at Malaria Research Centre and some formulations have undergone large-scale operational trials. Biolarvicide formulations of B. sphaericus are useful in the control of Culex and certain Anopheles spp, such as An. stephensi and An. subpictus, but not much effective against An. culicifacies and almost ineffective against Aedes aegypti. Repeated application of B. sphaericus in the same habitat, however, results in the development of resistance in larvae of target mosquitoes. In view of its low specificity for An. culicifacies and the potential for resistance in An. stephensi, B. sphaericus has limited prospects for control of malaria vectors. However, with some resistance management, B. sphaericus can still be used against Culex mosquitoes. On the other hand Bti formulations, which have broader spectrum of activity against Aedes, Culex and Anopheles spp, have not shown significant development of resistance in mosquitoes but their activity in field, particularly against surface feeding anopheline larvae is affected by various bioenvironmental factors, thus requiring weekly application in most habitats. To overcome this problem development of slow release formulations and genetically engineered biolarvicides by transplanting mosquitocidal toxin genes of Bti and B. sphaericus in some other environmentally compatible organisms have been investigated by different scientists.

Value creation and value capture with frictions

Abstract: We use a formal value-based model to study how frictions in the product market affect value creation and value capture. We define frictions as incomplete linkages in the industry value chain that keep some parties from meeting and transacting. Frictions, which arise from search and switching costs, vary across markets and over time as, for example, products commoditize and competition becomes more global. Importantly, frictions moderate the intensity of industry rivalry, as well as the efficiency of the market. We find that firms with a competitive advantage prefer industries with lower levels of frictions than their disadvantaged rivals. We show that the effect on industry attractiveness of different competitive forces, such as rivalry and barriers to entry, cannot be analyzed independently. We introduce resource development in our model to study the emergence and sustainability of competitive advantage. Firm heterogeneity emerges naturally in our model. We show that the extent of firm heterogeneity falls with the level of frictions, but sustainability increases. Overall, we show that introducing frictions makes value-based models of strategy even more effective at integrating analyses at the industry, firm and resource levels.