nep-mfd New Economics Papers
on Microfinance
Issue of 2021‒07‒26
four papers chosen by
Aastha Pudasainee and Olivier Dagnelie


  1. Cross-relationships between microfinance and the banking sector: continuities and discontinuities in credit provision. By Amélie Artis; Kouassi N'Goran
  2. Microfinance: building a new financial institution? By Amélie Artis; Kouassi N’goran
  3. Financing Structure, Micro and Small Enterprises’ Performance, and Woman Entrepreneurship in Indonesia By Zeinab Elbeltagy; Zenathan Hasannudin
  4. Using Bank Savings Product Design for Empowering Women and Agricultural Development By Galdo, Jose C.

  1. By: Amélie Artis (IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Kouassi N'Goran (UMR ART-Dev - Acteurs, Ressources et Territoires dans le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UM - Université de Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: Microfinance became popular thanks to the success of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, this type of finance for the poor is considered a social innovation because of its values, which are in opposition to the dominant financial logic, but also because of its financing methodology, which aims to integrate people who do not have access to credit. In fact, over several decades of practice, microfinance has spread to other economic actors in the financial system (banking institutions, finance companies, fund managers, etc.). Thus, despite the contradictory credit granting logics of its two market actors, microfinance has been able to influence, through its practices, the way traditional finance operates. The mobilization of a recent literature review and a case study allows us to consider that the convergence of their interactions, in a formal political and regulatory context, explains the mission drifts of microfinance described in the literature. In this paper, we attempt to demonstrate the extent to which international donors and academics have fostered the process of microfinance-specific profit-sharing by showing that banks have adopted and adapted many of the practices of microfinance. We shed light on this point by using the case of microfinance in Côte d'Ivoire. This contribution also draws on the sociology of innovation, in particular the model of profit-sharing (Akrich, Callon, Latour, 1988) to describe the process of social innovation in which microfinance takes place. This theoretical model demonstrates that the diffusion of innovation is made possible by the success of its intrinsic qualities. The paper also describes, through the work of Bensebaa and Béji-Bécheur (2007), the process of institutionalization of norms coming from the solidarity economy sector to the conventional capitalist economy. Certain limits linked to the institutionalization process of this social innovation are presented in order to allow an understanding of the criticisms and limits of microfinance.
    Abstract: La microfinance s'est popularisée grâce au succès de la Grameen Bank au Bengladesh et au prix Nobel de la paix. Aujourd'hui cette finance à destination des pauvres est considérée comme une innovation sociale en raison de ses valeurs en opposition avec la logique financière dominante mais aussi du fait de sa méthodologie de financement visant à intégrer des personnes n'ayant pas accès au crédit. En effet, en plusieurs décennies de pratique, la microfinance s'est diffusée vers les autres acteurs économiques du système financier (établissements bancaires, sociétés financières, gestionnaires de fonds, etc.). Ainsi, malgré les logiques d'octroi de crédit contradictoires de ses deux acteurs du marché, la microfinance a su influencer, par ses pratiques, le mode de fonctionnement de la finance classique. La mobilisation d'une revue de littérature récente et d'une étude cas, nous permet de considérer que la convergence de leurs interactions, dans un contexte politique et réglementaire formel, explique les dérives de mission de la microfinance décrites dans la littérature. Dans le cadre de ce papier, nous tentons de démontrer dans quelle mesure les bailleurs internationaux et les académiciens ont favorisé le processus d'intéressement spécifique à la microfinance en montrant que les banques ont repris et adapté plusieurs des pratiques de la microfinance. Nous éclairons ce point en nous appuyant sur le cas de la microfinance en Côte d'Ivoire. Cette contribution mobilise, par ailleurs, la sociologie de l'innovation, en particulier le modèle de l'intéressement (Akrich, Callon, Latour, 1988) pour décrire le processus d'innovation sociale dans lequel s'inscrit la microfinance. Ce modèle théorique démontre que la diffusion de l'innovation est rendue possible grâce au succès de ses qualités intrinsèques. Le document décrit également, à travers les travaux de Bensebaa et Béji-Bécheur (2007) le processus d'institutionnalisation de normes venues du secteur de l'économie solidaire vers celui de l'économie conventionnelle capitaliste. Certaines limites liées au processus d'institutionnalisation de cette innovation sociale sont présentées en vue de permettre la compréhension des critiques et des limites de la microfinance.
    Keywords: Microfinance,Innovation sociale,Développement,Finance solidaire,Institutionnalisation
    Date: 2019–12–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03251120&r=
  2. By: Amélie Artis (IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Kouassi N’goran (UMR ART-Dev - Acteurs, Ressources et Territoires dans le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UM - Université de Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: This article examines the institutionalization process of microfinance in its ability to diffuse its rules and visions into the financial and banking sector as well as into development policies. This research presents how the practices, the discourse and the specific ideals of this social innovation diffuse into different sectors with different funding logics. Institutionalist theory allows us to describe the process of of institutionalization of this socio-economic practice with conventional organizations. This article highlights different channels of diffusion to demonstrate that microfinance has become a microfinance has become a financial institution in thirty years.
    Abstract: Cet article examine le processus d'institutionnalisation de la microfinance dans sa capacité à diffuser ses règles et ses visions tant dans le secteur financier et bancaire que dans les politiques de développement. Cette recherche présente comment les pratiques, le discours tenu et les idéaux spécifiques de cette innovation sociale se diffusent dans différents secteurs aux logiques de financement différentes. La théorie institutionnaliste nous permet de décrire le processus d'institutionnalisation de cette pratique socioéconomique auprès d'organismes conventionnels. Différents canaux de diffusion sont mis en exergue, dans le cadre cet article, pour démontrer que la microfinance est devenue en trente ans une institution financière.
    Keywords: Microfinance,Institution,Institutionnalisation,Développement Microfinance,Développement
    Date: 2019–12–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03251114&r=
  3. By: Zeinab Elbeltagy (Intern, Macroeconomic and Financing for Development Division, UNESCAP); Zenathan Hasannudin (Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division, UNESCAP)
    Abstract: Access to finance has been found crucial in influencing firms’ real activities and economic performance.This paper investigates the relationship between the financing structure and firm performance by explor-ing a unique panel dataset of 59,968 Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) operating in the manufacturingsector in Indonesia over the 2010-2015 period. We collected a rich set of information about source ofloans to assess the firm performance using yearly total factor productivity (TFP) and labor productivityof each firm. We then examined whether more financing options available to women entrepreneurshipimproves firm performance. Our results show that financial factors are highly decisive to firms’ TFPand labor productivity. The MSEs which have access to external formal financing directly improvesproductivity at the firm level. Moreover, the study finds a significant underperformance of firms ownedby women entrepreneurs compared to those owned by men entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, we found thatwomen entrepreneurs who have access to formal financing improve their firm’s performance. The effectsof finance on productivity are also linked to the firm’s ownership, education, size and age. Our resultsare robust as demonstrated through the use of different approaches. These results provide support forpolicymakers to alleviate credit constraints to enhance productivity of micro and small enterprises andespecially woman entrepreneurship in Indonesia.
    Keywords: Total factor productivity, inclusive financing, woman entrepreneurship
    JEL: G21 J16 L25 L26 N65
    Date: 2020–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unt:wpmpdd:wp/20/09&r=
  4. By: Galdo, Jose C. (Carleton University)
    Abstract: This study examines whether the random allocation of single and joint saving accounts to cash crop farmers in rural Ethiopia is associated with changes in decision-making authority and control over resources that ultimately lead to changes in labor effort, schooling allocations, income, consumption, agricultural investments, and crop output. Women and children work more when joint deposit accounts are available. Likewise, meaningful effects on school participation are reported for girls. Consistent with posited channels of intrahousehold bargaining models, women from households assigned to the joint saving treatment group show significant gains in autonomy and control of savings resources, and financial empowerment. While we find substantial gains in subjective wellbeing for single and joint account experimental groups, no meaningful impacts on agricultural crop output, income, and consumption are found. However, a systematic decumulation of livestock assets is observed across households assigned to the joint account treatment group.
    Keywords: bank savings, agriculture markets, labor, schooling, women empowerment, RCT
    JEL: C93 D14 G21 J43 I21 O12 R20
    Date: 2021–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14523&r=

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