Base-of-Pyramid ventures must be designed with the intimate involvement of all stakeholders to ensure that the designs meet their needs and use preferences and contribute to a self-determined improvement of livelihoods and agency. Participatory research engages community members in identifying their problems, articulating their context and resources and developing effective, affordable, appropriate and sustainable solutions. The research aspect is crucial to developing the product, business model, implementation strategy and scale-up strategy. Participation in the research endeavor can lead to expectations and ownership, which, although desirable, have the potential to negatively impact the success of the venture and limit its scalability. Simultaneously, the information inaccuracies that owe their genesis to the expectations built by the venture can compromise the validity and integrity of the research endeavor. This paper explores the tensions and conflicts that arise on integrated research and entrepreneurship ventures in developing country contexts.
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