A Summary of
The reviews on Africa’s solar based enterprises are quite recent and cover a majority of related topics. He has reviewed the factors that provided an impetus to solar power based enterprises and the existing opportunities. However, the need for some more reviews on the reasons addressing slow development in the field is evident. Nevertheless, it is successful in drawing the readers’ attention on the gaps existing in the current review of scholarly works.
The three basic research questions raised in the study clearly underline its problems and the purpose. Through these questions the author seeks to address the gaps identified in the existing literature as well as its significance in the present power crisis in African continent. The questions also define the author’s objectives of scaling up the solar power generation by integration of government and private initiatives incorporating technological leapfrogging.
The conceptual framework leads the readers to the hypothesis that opportunities abound in the area of solar power based industries in sub Saharan Africa which justify investment in its generation. Since the samples chosen for the study are among the countries that have witnessed industrial developments the most, they represent the population. The capacity and the investments variables indicate the growth in this sector.
The results verify the slow takeoff of the ventures and substantiate the hypothesis that technological leapfrogging is justified in view of the opportunities. The obstacles provide direction for future studies. The presentation of the findings provides a strong support to the hypothesis making the paper very useful for further references.
A Summary of
Serving poor people in rich countries: the bottom-of-the-pyramid business model solution: by Angot, J, Plé, L
This paper suggests that organizations should transpose bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) strategies to top-of-the-pyramid (TOP) countries through adapted business models, generally designed for developing countries to deal with the economic recession that threatened many developed countries in 2007. Although there is a scarcity of literature on how firms can confront poverty in TOP countries, the author has used researches on frugal innovations to develop his conceptual findings.
The purpose of this paper is to suggest possible remedies to resolve the emergence of poor and financially constrained customers in developed countries as a result of the economic crisis. There is an obvious lack of reference to prior research which the author attributes to the absence of studies on how firms can adapt to the new economic conditions in TOP countries.
The limited theoretical framework available on the issue has been used to develop the hypothesis that the transposed BOP models to the TOP countries will provide a solution to the post economic crisis situation in the developed countries. The suggestion that firms should follow a frugal mind-set of BOP strategies into their business models to enable them to design new kinds of products that fulfill poor customers’ needs, acknowledging the latter’s constrained financial resources is derived from review of RCOV models.
The hypothesis has been tested from samples of real-world companies that have incorporated BOP business models. The frugal innovations in RCOV and their outcomes on four main variables: affordability, good performance, usability and sustainability have been presented on the basis of qualitative data obtained from these companies.
The results of the study explain how firms should adapt the RCOV model to transpose BOP business models to TOP countries. The recommendations for adapting business models for addressing economic and social fluctuations in the developed countries is linked to the literature review and verify the hypothesis. The weakness of the paper is its inability to link the findings with prior research.
A Summary of
Step-Change: Micro-Entrepreneurs Entry into the Middle-Class Market‘, Journal of African Business: by Daouda, F, Ingenbleek, P, and Van Trijp, H.
This article focuses on the advantages of ‘step change’ a term that describes a change in product or services to cater to the growing Upper Middle Class quantum of customers from the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) or the poor class customers by the Micro Entrepreneurs in Sub Saharan Africa.
The literature reviewed and cited in the article is quite relevant and recent. Previous scholarly works have been used to explain the terms and prepare the conceptual framework that step change produces an upward social mobility to the micro entrepreneur. Although there are no specifically stated research questions, the issues addressed in the article gives us an idea about what the author proposes to establish through the study. The purpose of the study is clearly understood by the three proposals that the author presents in the study which addresses the increase in likelihood of step change with relation to access to resources, stakeholder management and relationship issues.
The research methodology consists of studying theories of social capital, stakeholder marketing, and relational competence and presenting their findings to substantiate the proposal that step change is facilitated by access to more resources, importance of stakeholder management and relationship management. This is linked to the literature reviewed on the subject that brings stakeholder management to the context of BOP. The single variable identified in the article is step change which has been described using scholarly works. However, individual-level factors such as, education, experience, gender, and age are decisive variables in the process of upward social mobility and the conceptual framework focuses primarily on these variables, including the relationships with others to access resources needed for step change.
The conclusions have been linked to the proposal and the conceptual framework to establish that in the growing Sub Sahara African economy where the middle class gets more spending power, micro entrepreneurs must seize this opportunity to gain upward social mobility and step change to cater to the demands of the UMC.
A Summary of
Social Structure, Reasonable Gain and Entrepreneurship in Africa:
This paper is based on the assumption that family ties and kinship affects entrepreneurial activities in Africa. Living in abject poverty social disintegration caused by environmental conditions as famine, epidemics etc; individuals may be motivated to search for new opportunities with the potential to provide a reasonable income gain to avoid starvation. This assumption has been supported by previous studies cited by the author. His hypothesis is consistent with the empirical evidence cited from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) studies to support reasonable gain and entrepreneurial theories in Africa.
The hypotheses are clearly stated and embedded in a strong theoretical framework. The research methodology has also followed the systematic research format for data collection using questionnaires and surveys on samples which are true representatives of the population. The variables are defined clearly and quantitative analysis of the data has been undertaken to present the results. The findings strongly justify the research objectives.
This study makes two significant contributions to our current body of information available on the subject. It provides an insight into how social structure disintegration causes individuals to search for reasonable gain when confronted with desperate poverty. Secondly, access to resources through kinship and affordable loss expedite entrepreneurship which supports the reasonable gains perspective.
This study is indeed an excellent scholarly effort because it incorporates enough statistical evidence to link them to the hypotheses; the language is coherent and meaningful and lends an authenticity to the research. The author has also discussed the contribution of African women in entrepreneurship initiatives when subject to social instability. However, the author has neglected to explain the types of entrepreneurial activities undertaken by women and the resources used by them. This gap can be filled in by further researches that explore Government interventions to facilitate women entrepreneurship in Africa.
A Summary of
The African Project Failure Syndrome: The Conundrum of Project Management Knowledge Base—the Case of SADC‘: by Rwelamila P, &Ssegawa, J.
The article attempts to explain the project failure syndrome in African countries on the grounds of inadequacy of the Project Management Training Programs in educational curriculum. The author has cited relevant studies in support of his contention, which have been referenced at the end in a uniform format.
The purpose of the research and the problem addressed are integrated in the research as evaluating the adequacy of the content of present graduate programs in PM offered in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries and suggesting improvements in Project Management Training Curriculum and the alarming rate of project failures in the African countries, depicted in recent researches addressing contemporary issues in Africa. Although not stated succinctly, the hypothesis can be inferred as Improvements in PM training programs will increase the success rate and competency of projects.
The research methods applied consists of studying the dimensions identified for adequacy of the graduate programs in improving success rate and competency of the projects. A qualitative study is undertaken to establish that there is a considerable deficiency in the programs on the basis of dimensional analysis. The samples have been gathered from educational institutions conducting the program.
Since the hypothesis is not stated clearly, it cannot be linked to the results which say that the program is inadequate because it does not comply with the defined dimensions but there is no way to corroborate the fact that this inadequacy is responsible for project failures.
The language sounds a little prejudiced and lacking in conviction. However it is reported clearly and the inferences are derived logically. The research can be made more effective if the relation between the variables are defined more specifically which would back the conclusions more strongly. The author himself acknowledges that a change in the research strategy may be necessary for students researching on skills needed for improving success rate of the projects.
References
1. Amankwah-Amoah, J. 2015. Solar Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa: ‗The Challenges and Opportunities of Technological Leapfrogging‘, Thunderbird International Business Review, 57(1):15-31.
2. Angot, J, Plé, L. 2015. ‗Serving poor people in rich countries: the bottom-of-the-pyramid business model solution‘, Journal of Business Strategy, 36(2):3–15.
3. Daouda, F, Ingenbleek, P, and Van Trijp, H. 2016. ‗Step-Change: Micro-Entrepreneurs Entry into the Middle-Class Market‘, Journal of African Business, 17(2):129-147.
4. George, G, Kotha, R, Parikh, P, Alnuaimi, T, and Bahaj, A. 2016. ‗Social Structure, Reasonable Gain and Entrepreneurship in Africa‘, Strategic Management Journal, 37(6):1118-1131.
5. Rwelamila P, &Ssegawa, J. 2014. ‗The African Project Failure Syndrome: The Conundrum of Project Management Knowledge Base—The Case of SADC‘, Journal of African Business, 15(3):211–224.
