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Is Micro too Small? Microcredit vs. SME Finance

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  • Bauchet, Jonathan
  • Morduch, Jonathan

Abstract

Microcredit and small and medium enterprise (SME) finance are often pitched as alternative strategies to create employment opportunities in low-income communities. So far, though, little is known about how employment patterns compare. We integrate evidence from three surveys to show that, compared to Bangladeshi microcredit customers, typical SME employees in Bangladesh have more education and professional skills, and live in households that are notably less poor. SME jobs also require long work weeks, clashing with family responsibilities. The evidence from Bangladesh rejects the idea that SME finance more efficiently creates jobs for the population currently served by microcredit.

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  • Bauchet, Jonathan & Morduch, Jonathan, 2013. "Is Micro too Small? Microcredit vs. SME Finance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 288-297.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:43:y:2013:i:c:p:288-297
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.10.008
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    3. Adeleke Oladapo Banwo & Jianguo Du, 2019. "Workplace pro-environmental behaviors in small and medium-sized enterprises: an employee level analysis," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 9(1), pages 1-20, December.
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    5. Félix, Elisabete Gomes Santana & Belo, Teresa Freitas, 2019. "The impact of microcredit on poverty reduction in eleven developing countries in south-east Asia," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 52.
    6. Túlio A. Cravo & Caio Piza, 2019. "The impact of business-support services on firm performance: a meta-analysis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 753-770, October.
    7. Obed I. Ojonta & Divine N. Obodoechi & Paschaline N. Ugwu, 2021. "Start-up Capital Source and Credit Access Participation of Household Nonfarm Enterprises in Nigeria: Evidence from Logistic Regression Model," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 19(3 (Fall)), pages 249-267.
    8. Paramasivam Ramasamy & Umanath Malaiarasan, 2023. "Agricultural credit in India: determinants and effects," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 169-195, June.
    9. Demyen Suzana & Jurita (Margineantu) Adela-Adriana, 2022. "The Problem Of Choice - Advantages And Disadvantages Of Smes Vs. Multinational Companies In The Perception Of Potential Employees In The Context Of The Pandemic," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 3, pages 64-77, June.
    10. Shahnaz Parvin, 2021. "Individual’s Perception in Microcredit: A Case Study in the Area of HSTU, Dinajpur, Bangladesh," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 5(8), pages 183-193.
    11. 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.
    12. Trinh Chieu & Tam Nguyen, 2018. "Slack resources and innovation in Vietnamese SMEs: A behavioural, stewardship, and institutional perspective," WIDER Working Paper Series 78, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Obianuju E Okeke-Uzodike & Mogie Subban, 2019. "Cluster initiative management: A potential for African women entrepreneurs in the informal sector," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 34(5), pages 421-438, August.
    14. Surender Mor & Sonu Madan & Geoffrey R. Archer & Arvind Ashta, 2020. "Survival of the Smallest: A Study of Microenterprises in Haryana, India," Millennial Asia, , vol. 11(1), pages 54-78, April.
    15. M. Shahe Emran & A. K. M. Mahbub Morshed & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2021. "Microfinance and missing markets," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 34-67, February.
    16. Anastasia Cozarenco & Ariane Szafarz, 2016. "Microcredit in Industrialized Countries: Unexpected Consequences of Regulatory Loan Ceilings," Working Papers CEB 16-021, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    17. Tam Thanh Nguyen & Trinh Duc Chieu, 2018. "Slack resources and innovation in Vietnamese SMEs: A behavioural, stewardship, and institutional perspective," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-78, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. 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).

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