Considering the impact

The Harvard Business Review article, "Making Better Investments at the Base of the Pyramid" made me reflect on our class discussion about unintended/unforeseen consequences of social innovations.  It's interesting that a venture that is geared toward positive change can also create negative effects that we don't realize, more specifically for the constituents directly receiving the products or services. 

Positively, Ted London talks about how Rama's involvement in VisionSpring helped to strengthen her relationship with her husband as they both were working together on the sales team. Conversely, their management team, using the Base of the Pyramid Impact Assessment Framework, was also able to recognize the potential strife that families in the community may feel toward women in non-traditional roles.  London's approach in and of itself is a social innovation as its a novel idea, is better than what is already being done, and certainly appears sustainable.  It's a social innovation that helps other social innovations succeed.

Image from: http://bop2009.org/ia.aspx

Throughout our readings and videos, I can't help but think about the men, women, and children and how they really feel about the innovations. This week we read about measuring social value using supply and demand, but I like how London also considers peoples' self-esteem, contentment, and aspirations. I believe that anecdotal information is a great way to assess the impact of an innovation on people.  It's really the only true way to tell if people are happy and how the venture is affecting their everyday lives. The numbers say a lot, but does that mean the innovation is really accepted? MIT Sloan business review touches on this idea in the article entitled "Innovation from the Inside Out."  It states: 

"Nurturing a new and lasting idea doesn’t result from analyzing market data. Aspiring creators must act on what nonprofits already know: you get the best answers by burying yourself in the questions."

They reflect on Muhammad Yunus' work as well. 

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/articles/2009/summer/50414/innovation-from-the-inside-out/

 

What if the community you are trying to help does not welcome the change? Could London's assessment tool be used to examine the population before even implementing the venture?