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Is Group Lending A Good Enforcement Scheme for Achieving High Repayment Rates?: Evidence from Field Experiments in Vietnam

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  • Kono, Hisaki

Abstract

Microfinance institutions employ various kinds of incentive schemes but estimating the effect of each scheme is not easy due to endogeneity bias. We conducted field experiments in Vietnam to capture the role of joint liability, monitoring, cross-reporting, social sanctions, communication and group formation in borrowers’ repayment behavior. We find that joint liability contracts cause serious free-riding problems, inducing strategic default and lowering repayment rates. When group members observe each others’ investment returns, participants are more likely to choose strategic default. Even after introducing a cross-reporting system and/or penalties among borrowers, the default rates and the ratios of participants who chose strategic default under joint liability are still higher than those under individual lending. We also find that joint liability lending often failed to induce mutual insurance among borrowers. Those who had been helped or who had repaid a little in the previous round were more likely to default strategically and repay a little again in the current round and those who paid large amounts were always the same individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Kono, Hisaki, 2006. "Is Group Lending A Good Enforcement Scheme for Achieving High Repayment Rates?: Evidence from Field Experiments in Vietnam," IDE Discussion Papers 61, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
  • Handle: RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper61
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Cornée & David Masclet, 2013. "Long-Term Relationships, Group lending and Peer Sanctioning in Microfinance: New Experimental Evidence," Working Papers CEB 13-026, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Renate Strobl & Conny Wunsch, 2021. "Risky choices and solidarity: disentangling different behavioural channels," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 24(4), pages 1185-1214, December.
    3. Hisaki KONO & Kazushi TAKAHASHI, 2010. "Microfinance Revolution: Its Effects, Innovations, And Challenges," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 48(1), pages 15-73, March.
    4. Strobl, Renate & Wunsch, Conny, 2017. "Does Voluntary Risk Taking Affect Solidarity? Experimental Evidence from Kenya," IZA Discussion Papers 10906, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Jeffrey Carpenter & Tyler Williams, 2014. "Peer Monitoring and Microcredit: Field Experimental Evidence from Paraguay," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 111-135, March.
    6. Kurosaki, Takashi & Khan, Hidayat Ullah, 2011. "Vulnerability of Microfinance to Strategic Default and Covariate Shocks:Evidence from Pakistan," PRIMCED Discussion Paper Series 10, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    7. Cason, Timothy N. & Gangadharan, Lata & Maitra, Pushkar, 2012. "Moral hazard and peer monitoring in a laboratory microfinance experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 192-209.
    8. 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.
    9. Chen, Joe & Choi, Yun Jeong & Sawada, Yasuyuki, 2010. "Joint liability borrowing and suicide: The case of Japan," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 69-71, November.
    10. Joe Chen & Yun Jeong Choi & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2007. "Joint Liability Borrowing and Suicide," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-534, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    11. Sohini Paul, 2014. "Creditworthiness of a Borrower and the Selection Process in Micro-finance: A Case Study from the Urban Slums of India," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 8(1), pages 59-75, February.
    12. 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).
    13. Hameem Raees Chowdhury, 2016. "Joint-Liability in Microcredit: Evidence from Bangladesh," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 44(1), pages 105-129, March.
    14. Paul, Sohini, 2013. "The Credit-worthiness of a borrower and the selection process in Micro-finance: A case study from the urban slums of India," MPRA Paper 48116, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Jeffrey Carpenter & Tyler Williams, 2010. "Moral hazard, peer monitoring, and microcredit: field experimental evidence from Paraguay," Working Papers 10-6, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    16. Peter Werner, 2010. "The Dynamics of Cooperation in Group Lending - A Microfinance Experiment," Working Paper Series in Economics 49, University of Cologne, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Microfinance; Joint liability; Free-riding; Vietnam; マイクロファイナンス; ベトナム;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

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