Sourcing for the base of the pyramid: Constructing supply chains to address voids in subsistence markets
研究跨国公司进入生存市场时，如何应对产品、劳动力和资本市场中的制度空白，以及供应链各阶段的监管模糊和合同缺失问题，通过食品、饮料和纺织业的案例展示企业构建供应链的策略。
Abstract Substantial work has described downstream distribution systems for subsistence markets, but little is known about how upstream supply chains support these efforts. We suggest that a multinational corporation (MNC) entering these markets must resolve the institutional voids in product, labor, and capital markets, as well as address issues of regulatory ambiguities and the lack of contracting mechanisms that exist at the raw material, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing stages of the supply chain. We analyze the nature of these voids and their challenges, map them onto the value chain, discuss their interconnections, and suggest that they do not impact all firms equally. We provide examples from the food, beverage, and textile industries of how four firms have addressed institutional voids in constructing their supply chains. We conclude by providing implications, both across the value chain and regarding the trade‐offs of partnering with non‐profit agencies. Our analysis highlights the importance of going beyond the broad impact of the institutional environment to understanding its more nuanced and multi‐faceted effect on supply chains.