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Microfinance: Does it hold its promises? A survey of recent literature

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  • Khawari, Aliya

Abstract

Poverty alleviation has been the main target of developmental projects world-wide. However, only a few ideas have stirred so much attention in the last two decades as that of the provision of microfinance through specialised institutions. This paper provides a survey of the vast literature that has developed in this field. Though most of the evidence and literature on the subject appears self-praising, nonetheless there is much more to the concept than one can imagine. The establishment of microfinance institutions (MFIs) world-wide for the provision of collateral free loans to the poor through mechanisms and instruments not known to normal commercial banks has set new milestones in the field of financial services. With 900 million households in the less developed countries left without any access to formal financial services, this might just be the key to address market failures in the financial landscape.

Suggested Citation

  • Khawari, Aliya, 2004. "Microfinance: Does it hold its promises? A survey of recent literature," HWWA Discussion Papers 276, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:hwwadp:26394
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    1. Sharma, Manohar, 2000. "Microfinance," MP05 briefs 0, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    Cited by:

    1. Sefa Awaworyi Churchill, 2020. "Microfinance financial sustainability and outreach: is there a trade-off?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1329-1350, September.
    2. A. P. Pati, 2015. "Are Regulatory Microfinance Institutions of India Better Off than Non-regulatory Ones? A Comparison of Performance and Sustainability," Paradigm, , vol. 19(1), pages 21-36, June.
    3. Kent, Derin & Dacin, M. Tina, 2013. "Bankers at the gate: Microfinance and the high cost of borrowed logics," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 759-773.
    4. Steven Si & Xuebao Yu & Aiqi Wu & Shouming Chen & Song Chen & Yiyi Su, 2015. "Entrepreneurship and poverty reduction: A case study of Yiwu, China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 119-143, March.
    5. Innocent BAYAI & Sylvanus IKHIDE, 2018. "FINANCING STRUCTURE AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF SELECTED SADC MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS (MFIs)," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(4), pages 665-696, December.
    6. Volkert Jürgen, 2009. "Unternehmen als Agenten der Armutsüberwindung und Entwicklung. Ihr Beitrag aus Sicht von Ordoliberalismus und Capability-Ansatz / Corporate potentials to fight poverty and foster human development. Or," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 60(1), pages 389-414, January.
    7. Devi, Ganga & Jain, D.K., 2011. "Economic Impact of Micro-Finance: A Comparative Study of Dairy Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Jaipur District of Rajasthan," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 66(4), pages 1-13.
    8. Aneel Karnani, 2006. "Mirage at the Bottom of the Pyramid," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp835, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    9. Johar, Meliyanni & Rammohan, Anu, 2006. "Demand for Microcredit by Indonesian women," Working Papers 2006-03, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    10. Maeser, Paul P., 2008. "Mikrofinanzierungen: Chancen für die Entwicklungspolitik und Rahmenbedingungen für einen effizienten Einsatz," Working Papers 39, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute of Management Berlin (IMB).
    11. Asalatha, B. P. & Vijayamohanan, Pillai N., 2010. "Raising the ‘Beatrice’s Goat’: The Indian Experience in Microcredit," MPRA Paper 29049, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Microfinance institutions; group lending; sustainability; target groups;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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