Conference Announcement
Research at the Base of the Pyramid: Developing a New Perspective
May 18-20, 2006
Ann Arbor, Michigan
The William Davidson Institute and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan are pleased to host Research at the Base of the Pyramid: Developing a New Perspective. This conference will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan on May 18-20, 2006 and is the first of what is anticipated to become an annual event.
The broad purpose of this conference is to bring together a multi-disciplinary community of leading Base of the Pyramid (BoP) scholars to explore what is truly new and unique about the BoP. We anticipate co-creating a research agenda for the field that conceptualizes the BoP as both a context to study existing theories and as a setting in which to develop new theory within and across existing disciplines.
Early work in the field has shown that research conducted at the BoP can challenge and extend the boundaries of our current theories, and there are many possible opportunities to extend this approach. Viewing the BoP as a setting in which to develop new theory is much less developed but, we believe, has high potential. Achieving this potential will require researchers to clearly identify and articulate what, if any, unique insights the development of a “BoP theory” could provide.
The goal of the conference is to support the generation of new knowledge uniquely related to research on the BoP and to create additional opportunities to have this research shared across a broad audience of academics and practitioners. This includes inviting journal editors and book publishers to attend the conference and exploring other approaches to support academics interested in researching and publishing in this field.
While the conference will incorporate a few plenary sessions to help set the stage, the design of the agenda will encourage exploring new ideas and most participants will not be asked to make formal presentations.
Specific results from this conference are expected to include:
- Jointly constructing what the BoP field might be and creating a conceptual map of potential priority areas for future research.
- Identifying interesting and important BoP-oriented research questions that can make a theoretical contribution to business, sociology, anthropology, international development, and other fields of inquiry.
- Beginning to articulate core components, surface embedded assumptions, and exploring boundary conditions of a potential BoP theory.
- Encouraging collaborative research by gathering a scholarly community in one location.
- Exploring different outlets for future BoP research, including special issues of leading journals and edited books.
Attendance at this conference is by invitation only. Participants are asked to fund their own transportation costs to and from Ann Arbor. The William Davidson Institute will cover food, lodging, local transportation and conference expenses in Ann Arbor for invited participants.
The conference design team includes:
For more information about the conference, please contact:
Kristen Roy
William Davidson Institute
University of Michigan
724 E. University Ave., Wyly Hall
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Phone: 734.936.0041