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New approaches to measure the social performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs)

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  • Bibi, Uzma
  • Balli, Hatice Ozer
  • Matthews, Claire D.
  • Tripe, David W.L.

Abstract

Outreach is a central purpose of microfinance institutions in providing access to quality financial services for large numbers of poor people. This paper critically reviews outreach indicators for microfinance institutions from prior research using a South Asian panel data set covering the period 1998 to 2013. We introduce two new ways of measuring the social objectives of MFIs, reflecting market shares, for breadth and depth of outreach. The results show that these new outreach indicators provide a better explanation of social performance of MFIs than those commonly used in prior research.

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  • Bibi, Uzma & Balli, Hatice Ozer & Matthews, Claire D. & Tripe, David W.L., 2018. "New approaches to measure the social performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs)," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 88-97.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:53:y:2018:i:c:p:88-97
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2017.10.010
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    2. Fall, François Seck & Tchakoute Tchuigoua, Hubert & Vanhems, Anne & Simar, Léopold, 2022. "Investigating the unobserved heterogeneity effect on microfinance social efficiency," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2022010, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
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    5. Wei Xu & Hongyong Fu & Huanpeng Liu, 2019. "Evaluating the Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions Considering Macro-Environmental Factors: A Cross-Country Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-22, October.
    6. Beatrice Sarpong‐Danquah & Michael Adusei & Joseph Magnus Frimpong, 2023. "Effect of board gender diversity on the financial performance of microfinance institutions: Does judicial efficiency matter?," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(2), pages 495-518, June.
    7. Adusei, Michael & Obeng, Emmanuella Yaa Takyiwah, 2019. "Board gender diversity and the capital structure of microfinance institutions: A global analysis," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 258-269.
    8. Anirban Pal & Piyush Kumar Singh, 2021. "Do socially motivated self‐help groups perform better? Exploring determinants of micro‐credit groups’ performance in Eastern India," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(1), pages 119-146, March.
    9. Hafezali Iqbal Hussain & Katarzyna Szczepanska-Woszczyna & Fakarudin Kamarudin & Nazratul Aina Mohamad Anwar & Mohd Haizam Mohd Saudi, 2021. "Unboxing the black box on the dimensions of social globalisation and the efficiency of microfinance institutions in Asia," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(3), pages 557-592, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Microfinance institutions; Social performance; Performance ratios;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm

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