IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v34y2022i3p564-586.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unintended consequences of microfinance: Effects on credit access for small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Christoph Sommer

Abstract

While competition in the financial system generally mitigates small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises' (SMEs) financing constraints, this paper theorises that competition by microfinance institutions (MFIs) has adverse effects through aggravating the ‘graduation problem’: Small firms outgrowing microfinance struggle to find financing as conventional financial institutions abstain from downscaling and developing suitable lending instruments for smaller firms if these market segments are narrowed down by upscaling MFIs. Using data from 51 countries between 2002 and 2015, microfinance is found to significantly lower SMEs' access to credit. Credit bureaus can reverse this effect indicating that credit information infrastructure can reconcile a strong microfinance sector with functioning SME finance.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Sommer, 2022. "Unintended consequences of microfinance: Effects on credit access for small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 564-586, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:34:y:2022:i:3:p:564-586
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3614
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3614
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3614?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sumit Agarwal & Thomas Kigabo & Camelia Minoiu & Andrea F. Presbitero & André F. Silva, 2023. "Serving the Underserved: Microcredit as a Pathway to Commercial Banks," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(4), pages 780-797, July.
    2. Milford Bateman & Ha-Joon Chang, 2012. "Microfinance and the Illusion of Development: From Hubris to Nemesis in Thirty Years," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2012(1), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Levine, Ross & Zervos, Sara, 1998. "Stock Markets, Banks, and Economic Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 537-558, June.
    4. Arnoud W. A. Boot & Anjan V. Thakor, 2000. "Can Relationship Banking Survive Competition?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(2), pages 679-713, April.
    5. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo, 2014. "Do Firms Want to Borrow More? Testing Credit Constraints Using a Directed Lending Program," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(2), pages 572-607.
    6. Pierrick Baraton & Florian Léon, 2021. "Do Banks and Microfinance Institutions Compete? Microevidence from Madagascar," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69(3), pages 1031-1070.
    7. Mersland, Roy & Strøm, R. Øystein, 2010. "Microfinance Mission Drift?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 28-36, January.
    8. de Quidt, Jonathan & Fetzer, Thiemo & Ghatak, Maitreesh, 2018. "Commercialization and the decline of joint liability microcredit," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 209-225.
    9. Inessa Love & Nataliya Mylenko, 2003. "Credit reporting and financing constraints," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3142, The World Bank.
    10. D’Espallier, Bert & Goedecke, Jann & Hudon, Marek & Mersland, Roy, 2017. "From NGOs to Banks: Does Institutional Transformation Alter the Business Model of Microfinance Institutions?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 19-33.
    11. Hermes, Niels & Lensink, Robert & Meesters, Aljar, 2011. "Outreach and Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 938-948, June.
    12. Jean Tirole, 1988. "The Theory of Industrial Organization," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262200716, April.
    13. repec:wea:worler:v:2012:y:2012:i:1:p:2 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Robert Cull & Asli Demirguç-Kunt & Jonathan Morduch, 2007. "Financial performance and outreach: a global analysis of leading microbanks," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(517), pages 107-133, February.
    15. Mitchell A. Petersen & Raghuram G. Rajan, 1995. "The Effect of Credit Market Competition on Lending Relationships," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 407-443.
    16. Canales, Rodrigo & Nanda, Ramana, 2012. "A darker side to decentralized banks: Market power and credit rationing in SME lending," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(2), pages 353-366.
    17. Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Martinez Peria, Maria Soledad & Tressel, Thierry, 2020. "The global financial crisis and the capital structure of firms: Was the impact more severe among SMEs and non-listed firms?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    18. Ryan, Robert M. & O’Toole, Conor M. & McCann, Fergal, 2014. "Does bank market power affect SME financing constraints?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 495-505.
    19. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Levine, Ross, 1999. "A new database on financial development and structure," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2146, The World Bank.
    20. Anastasia Cozarenco, 2015. "Microfinance Institutions and Banks in Europe: The story to date," Working Papers CEB 15-027, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    21. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    22. Beck, Thorsten & Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2008. "Financing patterns around the world: Are small firms different?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 467-487, September.
    23. Robert Cull & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Jonathan Morduch, 2014. "Banks and Microbanks," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 46(1), pages 1-53, August.
    24. Degryse, Hans & Ongena, Steven, 2007. "The impact of competition on bank orientation," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 399-424, July.
    25. Santiago Carbó-Valverde & Francisco Rodríguez-Fernández & Gregory F. Udell, 2009. "Bank Market Power and SME Financing Constraints," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 13(2), pages 309-340.
    26. Meghana Ayyagari & Asli Demirguc-Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2014. "Who creates jobs in developing countries?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 75-99, June.
    27. Annabel Vanroose & Bert D’Espallier, 2013. "Do microfinance institutions accomplish their mission? Evidence from the relationship between traditional financial sector development and microfinance institutions’ outreach and performance," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(15), pages 1965-1982, May.
    28. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç‐Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2005. "Financial and Legal Constraints to Growth: Does Firm Size Matter?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 137-177, February.
    29. Guillermo Baquero & Malika Hamadi & Andréas Heinen, 2018. "Competition, Loan Rates, and Information Dispersion in Nonprofit and For‐Profit Microcredit Markets," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 50(5), pages 893-937, August.
    30. Subhanij, Tientip, 2016. "Commercial Bank Innovations in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Finance: Global Models and Implications for Thailand," ADBI Working Papers 583, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    31. Steve Mercieca & Klaus Schaeck & Simon Wolfe, 2009. "Bank Market Structure, Competition, and SME Financing Relationships in European Regions," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 36(2), pages 137-155, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Niels Hermes & Marek Hudon, 2018. "Determinants Of The Performance Of Microfinance Institutions: A Systematic Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(5), pages 1483-1513, December.
    2. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Shamshur, Anastasiya & Weill, Laurent, 2017. "Does bank competition reduce cost of credit? Cross-country evidence from Europe," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 104-120.
    3. Hermes, Cornelis & Hudon, M., 2018. "Determinants of the Performance of Microfinance Institutions: A Systematic Review," Research Report 2018008, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    4. Ana Mol-Gómez-Vázquez & Ginés Hernández-Cánovas & Johanna Koëter-Kant, 2019. "Bank market power and the intensity of borrower discouragement: analysis of SMEs across developed and developing European countries," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 211-225, June.
    5. Théo Nicolas., 2023. "Bank Market Power and Interest Rate Setting: Why Consolidated Banking Data Matte [Pouvoir de marché des banques et fixation des taux d’intérêt : de l’importance de prendre en compte les données ban," Débats économiques et financiers 40, Banque de France.
    6. Pietro Grandi & Caroline Ninou Bozou, 2023. "Bank Market Power and Access to Credit: Bank-Firm Level Evidence From the Euro Area," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 63(1), pages 63-90, February.
    7. Berger, Allen N. & Udell, Gregory F., 2006. "A more complete conceptual framework for SME finance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2945-2966, November.
    8. Karel Janda & Pavel Zetek, 2015. "Mikrofinanční revoluce: kontroverze a výzvy [Microfinance Revolution: Controversies and Challenges]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2015(1), pages 108-130.
    9. Kendo, Sandra & Tchakounte, Josephine, 2022. "The drivers of the financial integration of microfinance Institutions: Do financial development, agency costs and microfinance performance matter?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 128-142.
    10. Fall, François & Akim, Al-mouksit & Wassongma, Harouna, 2018. "DEA and SFA research on the efficiency of microfinance institutions: A meta-analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 176-188.
    11. Dorfleitner, Gregor & Röhe, Michaela & Renier, Noémie, 2017. "The access of microfinance institutions to debt capital: An empirical investigation of microfinance investment vehicles," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-15.
    12. repec:luc:wpaper:18-04 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Ashim Kumar Kar & Ranjula Bali Swain, 2018. "Competition, Performance and Portfolio Quality in Microfinance Markets," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(5), pages 842-870, December.
    14. Chen, Yihui & Li, Dongxu & Li, Ting, 2024. "Financial development and population growth: Evidence from bank concentration in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    15. Cozarenco, Anastasia & Szafarz, Ariane, 2020. "The regulation of prosocial lending: Are loan ceilings effective?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    16. Ahmad, Syedah & Lensink, Robert & Mueller, Annika, 2020. "The double bottom line of microfinance: A global comparison between conventional and Islamic microfinance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    17. Florian Leon, 2015. "What do we know about the role of bank competition in Africa?," CERDI Working papers halshs-01164864, HAL.
    18. Leif Atle Beisland & Kwame Ohene Djan & Roy Mersland & Trond Randøy, 2021. "Measuring Social Performance in Social Enterprises: A Global Study of Microfinance Institutions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 51-71, June.
    19. Meslier, Céline & Sauviat, Alain & Yuan, Dian, 2020. "Comparative advantages of regional versus national banks in alleviating SME's financial constraints," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    20. Guo, Shen & Lin, Guiting & Ouyang, Alice Y., 2023. "Are pro-SME credit policies effective? Evidence from shadow banking in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    21. Giovanna Aguilar Andía & Jhonatan Portilla Goicochea, 2020. "Competencia, alcance social y sostenibilidad financiera en las microfinanzas reguladas peruanas," Documentos de Trabajo / Working Papers 2020-493, Departamento de Economía - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

    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:wly:jintdv:v:34:y:2022:i:3:p:564-586. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    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.