Abstract
This doctoral dissertation aims to contribute to the critical literature in the field of strategic management on business strategies to alleviate poverty. These strategies cover different concepts such as bottom of the pyramid strategies, social entrepreneurship, social business, or inclusive business strategies. In order to help deconstruct the illusion of the consensual nature of these strategies and to better understand the power games that underlie them, I propose to explore the following question: How are the business strategies
aimed at fighting against poverty devised and negotiated by the actors? Drawing from both the neo-Gramscian approach to strategy and a constructionist approach to spatial scales, I analyzed two case studies in the banking and financial sector, one in Morocco and another one in Madagascar. My findings show the ambivalence and the non-deterministic nature of these strategies, making it possible to go beyond the polarized visions conveyed by previous studies. They also demonstrate that the spatial dimension is a consubstantial
element in their construction, which goes well beyond a simple physical location, and reveals its central role in power games. Finally, this doctoral dissertation adds to the understanding of the causes of potential failure of these strategies by revealing tensions that go beyond the conflict between their economic and the social objectives.
aimed at fighting against poverty devised and negotiated by the actors? Drawing from both the neo-Gramscian approach to strategy and a constructionist approach to spatial scales, I analyzed two case studies in the banking and financial sector, one in Morocco and another one in Madagascar. My findings show the ambivalence and the non-deterministic nature of these strategies, making it possible to go beyond the polarized visions conveyed by previous studies. They also demonstrate that the spatial dimension is a consubstantial
element in their construction, which goes well beyond a simple physical location, and reveals its central role in power games. Finally, this doctoral dissertation adds to the understanding of the causes of potential failure of these strategies by revealing tensions that go beyond the conflict between their economic and the social objectives.
Translated title of the contribution | Global cause, local initiatives: critical analyses of the elaboration of business strategies to alleviate poverty in South countries |
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Original language | French |
Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
Supervisors/Advisors |
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Award date | 7 Jan 2021 |
Publication status | Published - 7 Jan 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Strategy
- Poverty alleviation
- Power
- Neo-Gramscian approach
- Space