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To whom should we be fair? Ethical issues in Balancing Stakeholder Interests from Banco Compartamos Case Study

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  • Arvind Ashta
  • Marek Hudon

Abstract

In the world of microfinance, interest rate ethics is an important issue, thrown into the limelight by the Initial Public Offering of Compartamos which resulted in millions of dollars of gains, some of which found their way into private pockets. These high gains were based on high interest rates, raising ethical questions. The paper then uses a stakeholder analysis to explain the interests of different stakeholders in this case and present that fairness to one group of stakeholders is often at the expense of another group. We take the position that in this case, specifically, the firm objectives could have been met without such ethical trade-offs. The specifics of the case are then generalised to all NGOs participating in for-profit firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Arvind Ashta & Marek Hudon, 2009. "To whom should we be fair? Ethical issues in Balancing Stakeholder Interests from Banco Compartamos Case Study," Working Papers CEB 09-036.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:09-036
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    11. Zeller, Manfred & Meyer, Richard L., 2002. "The triangle of microfinance: financial sustainability, outreach, and impact," Food policy statements 40, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    13. Hartarska, Valentina M., 2005. "Governance and Performance of Microfinance Institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24568, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Marek Hudon, 2007. "Fair interest rates when lending to the poor," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/14204, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
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    Cited by:

    1. Junyon Im & Sunny Sun, 2015. "Profits and outreach to the poor: The institutional logics of microfinance institutions," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 95-117, March.
    2. Lalitagauri Kulkarni, 2017. "Financial efficiency versus social outreach of Indian microfinance institutions: mission drift or character shift?," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 19(2), pages 323-340, October.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/7858 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Tzu-Kuan Chiu, 2014. "Putting Responsible Finance to Work for Citi Microfinance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 219-234, January.
    5. Marie Briere & Ariane Szafarz, 2011. "Investment in Microfinance Equity: Risk, Return, and Diversification Benefits," Working Papers CEB 11-050, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Beatriz Armendáriz & Ariane Szafarz, 2011. "On Mission Drift in Microfinance Institutions," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Beatriz Armendáriz & Marc Labie (ed.), The Handbook Of Microfinance, chapter 16, pages 341-366, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Marek Hudon & Anaïs A Périlleux, 2011. "Performance Management of Double Bottom Line Institutions: Evidence from Banco Compartamos’s Productivity Distribution," Working Papers CEB 11-056, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Marco Tavanti, 2013. "Before Microfinance: The Social Value of Microsavings in Vincentian Poverty Reduction," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(4), pages 697-706, February.
    9. Sunny Li Sun & Junyon Im, 2015. "Cutting Microfinance Interest Rates: An Opportunity Co–Creation Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(1), pages 101-128, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agency problem; business ethics; fairness; governance; microfinance; stakeholder;
    All these keywords.

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