7.09.2007 - 05:00pm ET

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NEW YORK, NY - July 9, 2007 - Global poverty exists today at a startling scale; while the exact numbers are debated, some estimate that four billion people worldwide live on less than two dollars a day. According to C.K. Prahalad and Stuart Hart, both Aspen Institute Faculty Pioneer Award recipients, companies should not ignore these traditionally overlooked people, collectively dubbed the "Bottom of the Pyramid," because of their considerable combined purchasing power. Thus, if companies are innovative enough to create or tailor their products to the economic realities and life needs of these people, a significant profit can be won. Despite being a nascent field of knowledge, the Bottom of the Pyramid concept is garnering serious attention from MBA programs worldwide. This white paper investigates how and why the BOP is being integrated into business school education.

To read the paper, click here.

For more information on related courses, or other topics, visit other Aspen resources:

Review academic research at the Social and Environmental Impact Network

This paper is a part of Aspen BSP's Closer Look at Business Education series based on data collected by the Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey of graduate business schools. Closer Look topics have ranged from HIV/AIDS and climate change to Finance and Social Entrepreneurship. All previous editions can be found by clicking here.

The mission of the Aspen Institute is to foster enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. Aspen Institute events have attracted presidents, statesmen, diplomats, judges, ambassadors, and Nobel laureates over the years, enriching and enlivening the Institute as a global forum for leaders. The Institute's Business and Society Program (Aspen BSP), an independently managed and funded initiative, was created to ensure that future business leaders are better prepared to manage the ethical, social, and environmental complexities of modern business.

To receive future white papers from Aspen BSP, as well as invitations to events and information regarding program initiatives, join our email list by clicking here.

For more information please contact:

Justin Goldbach
Aspen Institute Business and Society Program

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