An Exploratory study of creating shared value in Kenya: a case study of M-Tiba

Abstract

The research was carried out to explore the practice of creating shared value (CSV) as a business strategy in the Kenyan context. In particular, it sought to understand how a purposefully selected company in Kenya practiced CSV and the effects on their business. Using a case study approach, the research focused on M-Tiba, a mobile service from Safaricom Limited, PharmAccess and CarePay that allows anyone to send, save and spend funds specifically for medical treatment. MTiba was recently awarded in the 2017 Loeries Awards in Durban, South Africa where it received a gold medal in the Shared Value category. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, questionnaires and document reviews. The researcher found that M-Tiba provided both social and economic value, facilitated by a transformative cross-sector partnership between a for-profit and a not-for-profit organization. The researcher concluded that for-profit and not-for-profit organizations can utilize complimentary competencies and resources to address some of the persistent social issues. Recommendations comprised of; including CSV as a core mission for organizations, setting up forums for for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to understand the social problems and possible solutions, assessing economic value using various metrics and investing strategically with a long-term view and transformational cross-sector partnerships. The main limitation of the study was the response rate ofM-Tiba subscribers engaged via SMS.