Socio-Entrepreneurial Networks in Frugal Innovation: a Comparison of Female and Male Social Entrepreneurs in an Emerging Market

The objective of the research is to analyze frugal
innovation ecosystems across the gender divide. In the first
phase of the project (MRes), secondary literature on frugal
innovation and social entrepreneurship will be systemically
reviewed to select six to eight cases from a wide range of
enterprises. An equal number of cases for females and
males will be drawn with an exploratory case study
analysis. In the second phase (PhD), a purposive sample of
60-80 female and male participants from South Asia will be
drawn from the Global Social Benefit Institute's alumni. Indepth
interviews, face-to-face or online, will be arranged
with the founders or key decision-makers. In addition,
varied sources of evidence (e.g., organizations' records and
public archives) will be incorporated for triangulation. The
textual materials will be examined with thematic content
analysis. Through social network analysis, the actors and
their interactions will be mapped out to ascertain which
actors and institutions in the ecosystem are crucial, and if
female and male networks differ. The estimated time of
the project is four years, including six-week fieldwork in
three countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. By
developing a theoretical model that captures the role of
ecosystems in frugal innovation processes, the study
expects to offer significant academic and practical
implications.