IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jsustf/v6y2016i2p85-94.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What has failed: microfinance or evaluation methods?

Author

Listed:
  • Sefa Awaworyi Churchill
  • Ahmed Salim Nuhu

Abstract

This research note reflects on existing research and perspectives on the efficacy of microfinance as a poverty alleviation tool. We argue that while the story about the success of microfinance is widespread, its failure is also well documented at various levels. More importantly, systematic reviews of the existing research on microfinance performance do not support the efficacy of microfinance. This suggests that microfinance has failed. However, these reviews are based on studies that have adopted widely criticized empirical/quantitative techniques. Thus, in this research note, we attempt to sensitize both the research community and policy-makers to reconsider what has really failed in the context of microfinance, and act accordingly.

Suggested Citation

  • Sefa Awaworyi Churchill & Ahmed Salim Nuhu, 2016. "What has failed: microfinance or evaluation methods?," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(2), pages 85-94, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jsustf:v:6:y:2016:i:2:p:85-94
    DOI: 10.1080/20430795.2016.1176424
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/20430795.2016.1176424
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/20430795.2016.1176424?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Katsushi S. Imai & MD. Shafiul Azam, 2011. "Does Microfinance Reduce Poverty in Bangladesh? New Evidence from Household Panel Data," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(5), pages 633-653, October.
    2. Besley, Timothy & Coate, Stephen, 1995. "Group lending, repayment incentives and social collateral," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-18, February.
    3. James Copestake, 2002. "Inequality and the polarizing impact of microcredit: evidence from Zambia's copperbelt," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(6), pages 743-755.
    4. Duflo, Esther & Glennerster, Rachel & Kremer, Michael, 2008. "Using Randomization in Development Economics Research: A Toolkit," Handbook of Development Economics, in: T. Paul Schultz & John A. Strauss (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 61, pages 3895-3962, Elsevier.
    5. Imai, Katsushi S. & Arun, Thankom & Annim, Samuel Kobina, 2010. "Microfinance and Household Poverty Reduction: New Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 1760-1774, December.
    6. Arun, Thankom, 2005. "Regulating for development: the case of microfinance," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 346-357, May.
    7. Beatriz Armendáriz de Aghion & Jonathan Morduch, 2000. "Microfinance Beyond Group Lending," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 8(2), pages 401-420, July.
    8. Hulme, David, 2000. "Impact Assessment Methodologies for Microfinance: Theory, Experience and Better Practice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 79-98, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jordan, Matthew R. & Dickens, William T. & Hauser, Oliver P. & Rand, David G., 2022. "The role of inequity aversion in microloan defaults," Behavioural Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(2), pages 303-324, April.
    2. Sefa Awaworyi Churchill, 2017. "Microfinance and Ethnic Diversity," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 93(300), pages 112-141, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sefa K. Awaworyi, 2014. "The Impact of Microfinance Interventions: A Meta-analysis," Monash Economics Working Papers 03-14, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    2. Gutiérrez-Nieto, Begoña & Serrano-Cinca, Carlos, 2019. "20 years of research in microfinance: An information management approach," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 183-197.
    3. Olga Gorelkina & Ioanna Grypari & Erin Hengel, 2019. "One strike and you’re out! The Master Lever’s effect on senatorial policy-making," Working Papers 201906, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    4. Dan Brockington & Nicola Banks, 2014. "Exploring the Success of BRAC Tanzania’s Microcredit Programme," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 20214, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    5. Mathilde Maîtrot & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2017. "Poverty and wellbeing impacts of microfinance: What do we know?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-190, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Thanh-Tung Nguyen & Trung Thanh Nguyen & Ulrike Grote, 2020. "Credit and Ethnic Consumption Inequality in the Central Highlands of Vietnam," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 143-172, February.
    7. Supriya Garikipati & Rebecca J. Docherty & Penelope A. Phillips-Howard, 2019. "What’s the bleeding problem? Policy and attitudes towards sustainable menstrual hygiene materials in India," Working Papers 201907, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    8. Mathilde Maîtrot & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2017. "Poverty and wellbeing impacts of microfinance: What do we know?," WIDER Working Paper Series 190, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. David Hulme & Thankom Arun, 2011. "What’s wrong and right with microfinance – missing an angle on responsible finance?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 15511, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    10. Ranjula Bali Swain & Supriya Garikipati, 2019. "Microfinance in the Global South: Examining Evidence on Social Efficacy," Working Papers 201908, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    11. Cornée, Simon & Masclet, David, 2022. "Long-term relationships, group lending, and peer monitoring in microfinance: Experimental evidence," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    12. Imai, Katsushi S. & Gaiha, Raghav & Thapa, Ganesh & Annim, Samuel Kobina, 2012. "Microfinance and Poverty—A Macro Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1675-1689.
    13. Ogochukwu Edith Nkamnebe & Abimbola Oluwaseun Oladipo, 2024. "Impact of Microcredit on Income and Social Status of Rural Women Microentrepreneurs in Southeast Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(8), pages 3521-3532, August.
    14. Hubert Tchakoute Tchuigoua, 2011. "Contrat de crédit, décentralisation décisionnelle et performance des institutions de microfinance," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 14(2), pages 143-173, June.
    15. Alexander Tedeschi, Gwendolyn, 2006. "Here today, gone tomorrow: Can dynamic incentives make microfinance more flexible?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 84-105, June.
    16. Mohamed, Toka S. & Elgammal, Mohammed M., 2023. "Credit risk in Islamic microfinance institutions: The role of women, groups, and rural borrowers," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    17. Daniele TUEDEM WAFFO & Jules Roger FEUDJO & dagobert NGONGANG, 2016. "Mécanismes de gestion du risque de crédit ex ante et performance globale des EMF camerounais," Journal of Academic Finance, RED research unit, university of Gabes, Tunisia, vol. 7(2), pages 53-69, November.
    18. Hisaki Kono, 2006. "Is group lending a good enforcement scheme for achieving high repayment rates? Evidence from field experiments in vietnam," Artefactual Field Experiments 00075, The Field Experiments Website.
    19. Shrabanti Maity, 2023. "Financial inclusion also leads to social inclusion—myth or reality? Evidences from self-help groups led microfinance of Assam," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    20. Rodrigo Canales & Jason Greenberg, 2016. "A Matter of (Relational) Style: Loan Officer Consistency and Exchange Continuity in Microfinance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(4), pages 1202-1224, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jsustf:v:6:y:2016:i:2:p:85-94. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/TSFI20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.