scholarly journals There’s an App for That? Ethical consumption in the fight against trafficking for labour exploitation

2020 ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Stephanie Limoncelli
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Labour Exploitation ◽  
Social Entrepreneurism

Among the market-based strategies being used to fight trafficking for labour exploitation are apps aimed at encouraging ethical consumption. Such apps have surfaced in tandem with the increased involvement of businesses in anti-trafficking efforts and the promotion of social entrepreneurism. In this article, I describe and critically analyse three apps aimed at individual consumers, arguing that they do little to actually address labour exploitation. They rest on questionable assumptions about consumption, employ problematic assessment methodologies, and rely on business models that do more to provide opportunities for social entrepreneurs in the burgeoning anti-trafficking field than solutions for labour exploitation in the global economy.

scholarly journals Slaves to Technology: Worker control in the surveillance economy

2020 ◽  
pp. 82-101
Author(s):  
Bama Athreya
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Exploitation ◽  
Forced Labour ◽  
Worker Exploitation ◽  
And Control ◽  
Case Data ◽  
Perfect Storm

Technology is enabling new forms of coercion and control over workers. While digital platforms for labour markets have been seen as benign or neutral technology, in reality they may enable new forms of worker exploitation. Workers in precarious conditions who seek employment via digital platforms are highly vulnerable to coercion and control via forms of algorithmic manipulation. This manipulation is enabled by information asymmetries, lack of labour protection, and predatory business models. When put together, these deficits create a perfect storm for labour exploitation. This article describes how digital platforms alter traditional labour relations, summarises case data from several existing studies, and details emerging forms of worker control and barriers to worker agency. It explores current definitions of forced labour and whether digital spaces require us to consider a new conceptualisation of what constitutes force, fraud, and coercion. It concludes with a summary of possible responses to these new forms of abuse in the global economy, including alternative models for business and for worker organising.

How the social entrepreneurship business model designs in South Africa create value: a complex adaptive systems approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olu Oludele Akinloye Akinboade ◽  
Trevor Taft ◽  
Johann Friedrich Weber ◽  
Obareng Baldwin Manoko ◽  
Victor Sannyboy Molobi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose This paper aims to understand social entrepreneurship (SE) business model design to create values whilst undertaking public service delivery within the complex environments of local governments in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach Face-to-face semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 purposively selected social entrepreneurs in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces. The interview guide consisted of main themes and follow-up questions. Themes included SEs’ general history, the social business model; challenges faced and how these were overcome; scaling and growth/survival strategies. These enabled the evaluation of SEs in terms of identifying key criteria of affordability, availability, awareness and acceptability, which SEs must achieve to operate successfully in low-income markets. Social enterprise owners/managers within the electricity distribution, water reticulation and waste management services sectors were surveyed. Findings Most respondents focus on building a network of trust with stakeholders, through communication mechanisms that emphasize high-frequency engagements. There is also a strong focus on design-thinking and customer-centric approaches that strengthen value creation. The value creation process used both product value and service value mechanisms and emphasized quality and excellence to provide stakeholder, as well as societal value, within their specific contexts. Practical implications This study builds upon other research that emphasizes SEs’ customer-centric approaches to strengthen value creation and on building a network of trust with multiple stakeholders. It contributes to emphasizing the business paradigm shift towards bringing social values to the business practice. Social implications Social good, but resource providers are demanding more concrete evidence to help them understand their impact (Struthers, 2013). This is because it is intrinsically difficult for many social organizations to document and communicate their impact in more than an anecdotal way. The research has contributed to the understanding of how SEs can provide evidence of value creation. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of how business models are designed to create value within the context of the overwhelming complexity of local government services in South Africa.

Understanding the Global Business of Forced Labour: An Introduction

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Genevieve LeBaron
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Labour Exploitation ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Forced Labour ◽  
Rights Issue

This introductory Chapter provides an overview of the political, methodological, and ethical challenges of researching forced labour in the global economy tackled in this Volume. It argues that in spite of these challenges, researchers are pioneering fresh approaches to understanding the business of forced labour that are anchored in strong empirical methods, rather than outdated theoretical propositions or sensationalist newspaper headlines. This burgeoning and interdisciplinary body of research challenges conventional narratives about the nature and role of modern slavery. It reveals that rather than an individualised, randomly occurring human rights issue caused by the moral shortcomings and greed of unscrupulous employers, severe labour exploitation is a coherent and predictable feature of many sectors and regions within the global political economy. The methodological reflections contained within this Volume offer a resource for academics and practitioners seeking to understand forced labour, the factors that shape vulnerability to this phenomenon, and the variegated mechanisms through which businesses systemically profit from labour exploitation.

Cloud Based 3D Printing Business Modeling in the Digital Economy

2020 ◽  
pp. 116-135
Author(s):  
Norman Gwangwava ◽  
Albert U Ude ◽  
Enock Ogunmuyiwa ◽  
Richard Addo-Tenkorang
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Business Case ◽  
The Past ◽  
Business Model Canvas ◽  
Industry Standard ◽  
3D Printers

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is becoming the industry standard for manufacturing and prototyping. Although the technology is very old, it gained a huge traction in the past two decades. 3D printing favors unique once-off orders (mass customization) in contrast to mass production. This calls for innovative business models in order to realize economic gains from the technology. Increased product innovations in the global economy also contribute to wide adoption of 3D printing unlike in the old days. A transition in the manufacturing field has brought e-manufacturing and now cloud-based manufacturing. Machines, including 3D printers, in the past were not Internet-enabled but modern designs have the capability of Internet connectivity. Cloud-based 3D printing is a new model of design that has a significant impact on today's entrepreneurs. This article focuses on a business case for a cloud-based approach in consumer product niches. A cloud-based 3D printing business model (3D-Cloud) is developed based on the business model canvas, which promises major breakthroughs in e-entrepreneurship innovation. The model uses a virtual community approach to bring together technocrats, enthusiasts, and shared 3D printer facilities of common interests, whilst promoting an enterprising spirit.

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Platforms as Rising Social Entrepreneurs

2021 ◽  
pp. 284-306
Author(s):  
Çağla Arıker
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Traditional Education ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Business World ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
New Business ◽  
New Employee

Educational social entrepreneurs which offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) create social value through removing inequality in terms of reaching educational resources to develop new skills required by the business world through offering free or low cost, high quality online courses to anyone anywhere and removing the barriers of traditional education cost, location, and access. The negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment levels and new graduates' expectations about finding a job are apparent. As known, there has also been a long-standing debate over the insufficiency of traditional education models in terms of satisfying human resources qualifications needed by contemporary business world. After the pandemic, new jobs and new business models requiring new employee skills are also expected to occur. As a result, the understanding behind the MOOCs and the importance of social entrepreneurs which offer MOOCs increased. For these reasons, the purpose of this chapter is to examine MOOCs platforms and their actions to create social value during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Effects of Digitalization on Social Entrepreneurship and Social Value

2021 ◽  
pp. 102-119
Author(s):  
Hale Cide Demir
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Social Value ◽  
New Order ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Blockchain Technology

The intense competition and change by globalization and digitalization in the 21st century have made organizations and people face opportunities, threats, and uncertainty. Digitalization allows new and original business models and thus, presenting changes as a service or benefit to the consumer has become more important. A network is the most powerful instrument of social entrepreneurs or other employees to adapt to the new order. A very important tool of the new order is the blockchain technology which allows more secure, efficient, and trustworthy social enterprises. Social entrepreneurship is the process of establishing social enterprises to create social benefits and the relevant social value is general non-financial effects of programs, organizations, and interferences that include the wellbeing of people and communities, social capital, and the environment. This study tries to define and theorize that the results of digitalization can be managed by increasing social entrepreneurship and the resulting social impact and networking have an easing effect on this method.

Tourism Networks and Clusters

2011 ◽  
pp. 1653-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Braun
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Marketing Channel ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Business Skills ◽  
Virtual Tourism ◽  
Ict Adoption ◽  
Business Acumen

The push towards networked information and communication technologies (ICT), combined with increased customer expectations, has put extraordinary pressure on the information-centric and service-based tourism industry to include the Internet as a major new marketing channel. To date, most research into the implications of the Internet, especially for small tourism firms, has revealed many individual business barriers in relation to ICT adoption. There is widespread consensus that industry preparedness in terms of ICT and e-business skills and training falls well short of the requirements to operate within a now ICT-driven sector (Braun, 2004; Hollick, 2003). As Evans et al. (2001) have noted, small tourism firms may well remain lost in the electronic marketplace unless they are assisted in the usage of ICT tools and acquire the skills needed to participate in the digital economy. With technological change underpinning a global economy, small tourism firms can take advantage of their geographic concentration to form a virtual tourism network or cluster to develop competitive advantage for tourism their destination. In the context of emerging technologies and related e-business models, this article discusses the role of virtual tourism networks, clustering and value chains for small tourism operators in freely assembled destinations. In discussing destination benefits and barriers surrounding SME clustering and networking, business acumen and business performance are highlighted. It is proposed in this article that successful destination clusters can be created by boosting tourism operator performance, and matching skills and infrastructure with visitor expectations.

scholarly journals Socio-Cultural Sustainability of Private Healthcare Providers in an Indian Slum Setting: A Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Angeli ◽  
Shila Teresa Ishwardat ◽  
Anand Kumar Jaiswal ◽  
Antonio Capaldo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Private Healthcare ◽  
Significant Difference

Delivery of affordable healthcare services to communities is a necessary precondition to poverty alleviation. Co-creation approaches to the development of business models in the healthcare industry proved particularly suitable for improving the health-seeking behavior of BOP patients. However, scant research was conducted to understand BOP consumers’ decision-making process leading to specific healthcare choices in slum settings, and the relative balance of socio-cultural and socio-economic factors underpinning patients’ preferences. This article adopts a mixed-method approach to investigate the determinants of BOP patients’ choice between private and public hospitals. Quantitative analysis of a database, composed of 436 patients from five hospitals in Ahmedabad, India, indicates that BOP patients visit a public hospital significantly more than top-of-the-pyramid (TOP) patients. However, no significant difference emerges between BOP and TOP patients for inpatient or outpatient treatments. Qualitative findings based on 21 interviews with BOP consumers from selected slum areas led to the development of a grounded theory model, which highlights the role of aspirational demand of BOP patients toward private healthcare providers. Overall, healthcare provider choice emerges as the outcome of a collective socio-cultural decision-making process, which often assigns preference for private healthcare services because of the higher perceived quality of private providers, while downplaying affordability concerns. Implications for healthcare providers, social entrepreneurs, and policy-makers are discussed.

“Doing good” while serving customers

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip T. Roundy
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Social entrepreneurship represents an unconventional, but increasingly prevalent, activity in developed and emerging economies. Social entrepreneurs devise novel business models that blend business and social missions with the aim of (co-)producing value with two primary stakeholder groups, beneficiaries and customers. Although interactions between social entrepreneurs and their beneficiaries are well-studied, the relationship between social ventures and consumers has received almost no extended attention. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative, partially-inductive approach based on interviews with 40 social entrepreneurs, a study of how social entrepreneurs market their ventures to consumers was conducted. Findings Findings reveal the ways in which marketing is relevant for social entrepreneurs, the unique challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face in their interactions with customers, and the tactics entrepreneurs use to understand and educate their consumers. Originality/value The study’s findings contribute to work on social entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship and marketing interface and have practical implications for social entrepreneurs.

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