scholarly journals Evaluating the Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions Considering Macro-Environmental Factors: A Cross-Country Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 5947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Xu ◽  
Hongyong Fu ◽  
Huanpeng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Set Theory ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Soft Set ◽  
Ideal Solution ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Order Preference ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Types Of Information

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) have attracted great attention, due to their significant role in poverty reduction. Given the features of MFIs, this paper proposes a novel hybrid model of soft set theory, and an improved order preference by similarity to ideal solution (HMSIT) to evaluate the sustainability of MFIs, considering accounting ratios, corporate governance factors, and macro-environmental factors, from a cross-country perspective. This setting enables the examination of the role of macro-environmental factors in the sustainability of MFIs. For this purpose, soft set theory is adopted to select optimal criteria. An improved order preference by similarity to ideal solution method, in which the weight of each criterion is determined by soft set theory, is proposed to rank the sustainability of MFIs. This algorithm enables HMSIT to make full use of various types of information. The case study uses cross-country samples. Results indicate that macro-environmental factors are significant in evaluating the sustainability of MFIs from a cross-country perspective. Particularly, they can play a key role in distinguishing MFIs with low sustainability. The results also indicate that HMSIT has strong robustness. Ranked results, produced from the proposed HMSIT are reliable enough to provide some managerial suggestions for MFIs and help stakeholders make decisions.

The role of entrepreneurship in reducing poverty in agricultural communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 665-683
Author(s):  
Mufaro Dzingirai
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Agricultural Entrepreneurship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Entrepreneurship has increasingly become a subject of interest for scholars and policymakers in an attempt to reduce poverty in agricultural communities across the world, especially in Africa. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurship in reducing poverty in agricultural communities of Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory research design informed the data collection and analysis in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 owners of agribusinesses from various socio-economic backgrounds. The collected data from the field were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The results revealed that entrepreneurship plays a catalytic role in poverty reduction in agricultural communities through food security, skill transfer, employment creation, income generation and a decrease in food costs. Research limitations/implications This study focused on four agricultural communities in Lower Gweru which can limit the generalizability of the results to other contexts. Furthermore, this inquiry is a cross-sectional study that did not capture the longitudinal factors that can affect entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in agricultural communities. Practical implications The research outcomes have some practical implications for the Zimbabwean government and microfinance institutions in designing policies and programs to reduce poverty in marginalized agricultural communities. The findings are also useful for non-governmental organizations in designing, monitoring and evaluating poverty reduction programs in agricultural communities. Originality/value This study advances, contextualizes and enriches the body of knowledge concerning agricultural entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in the under-researched setting of agricultural communities. Notably, this study captures the African flavor in the agricultural entrepreneurship and poverty reduction discourse by focusing on the unique Zimbabwean context.

scholarly journals Gender and Poverty Reduction in Ghana: The Role of Microfinance Institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Bibiana K. Batinge ◽  
Hatice Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Gender Disparity ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Access To Finance

Inequality between men and women is widely acknowledged across many parts of the globe. For example, among paid employees in Ghana, women’s average hourly earnings were around 67% of men. The disparity in earnings perpetuates poverty. Access to financial resources is widely regarded as crucial machinery to addressing this gender disparity and reducing poverty among women. Microfinance is a conduit to increasing access to finance among poor urban and rural women who usually lack the collateral to access loans from traditional financial institutions. Notwithstanding the vital role microfinance institutions play, there is no consensus on the assertion that its impact is generally favourable. Therefore, this study investigated the role of microfinance on health, education, and standard of living, as dimensions of poverty reduction in the Techiman Municipality of Ghana. The results indicate that access to microfinance services positively correlates to health, education, living standards and poverty reduction. Therefore, it is essential to extend the reach of microfinance services to increase access further to finance and, consequently, accelerate the rate of poverty reduction within the Municipality.

scholarly journals MICROFINANCE; A POVERTY REDUCTION TOOL, SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROSPECTIVE

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
ADA JAFFERY ◽  
DAWOOD MAMOON
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Efficient Tool ◽  
Joint Liability ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Better Than

This paper aims to critically evaluate the microfinance approach in social and economic perspective. Critical analysis reveals that microfinance can be used as an efficient tool to reduce poverty, thus contributing towards economic as well as social development. Moreover, paper highlights the role of institutional design and indicates that microfinance institutions working on the lines of non government organizations and following the double bottom line approach performs better than the other institutional frameworks. Joint liability and the role of group leader are eminent in enhancing the performance of these institutions. Poverty can be decreased if microfinance institutions are driven in a more systematic manner keeping in mind primarily the well being of society.

The impact of microfinance programs on monetary poverty reduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-43
Author(s):  
Mustafa Hassan Elsafi ◽  
Elsadig Musa Ahmed ◽  
Santhi Ramanathan
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Loan Size ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of microfinance programs sponsored by Sudanese microfinance institutions (SMFIs) on monetary poverty reduction in Sudan where poverty is widely spread. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted the control group approach, where income and expenditure are taken as welfare indicators. The updated World Bank’s international poverty line of 1.90 per person per day was adopted to separate the poor from non-poor. The data were collected by the means of a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of beneficiaries in the institution under study. The study adapted the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) model to evaluate the role of microfinance programs in poverty reduction. Furthermore, to gain more insight into the impact of the program, a preliminary analysis was conducted using the independent-samples t-test to examine the difference in the welfare indicators for the sample of the control group and treatment group as well as that of the small loan group and micro-loan group. Findings The findings show that the microfinance program provided by SMFIs has reduced the monetary poverty among the participants. The results also reveal that beneficiaries who had received a larger volume of loan were noted lesser poverty than those who had received very small loan size. Moreover, the results demonstrate that poverty indices based on expenditure as a welfare indicator are far lower than those based on income for both groups. Originality/value This study contributes to the available literature by filling the gaps through including income and expenditure as monetary variables, which included separately in previous studies adopted the FGT model in the area of microfinance, in addition to exploring the role of loan size in the effect of microfinance on poverty reduction.

scholarly journals The Role of Islamic Microfinance for Poverty Alleviation in Mogadishu, Somalia: An Exploratory Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-365
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdi Elmi Xalane ◽  
Marhanum Che Mohd Salleh
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Standards Of Living ◽  
Islamic Microfinance

This research aims to investigate the current practice of Islamic microfinance in Mogadishu, Somalia and to examine the effectiveness of Islamic microfinance institutions in Somalia on poverty reduction. In total, 65 microfinance recipients participated in the survey. This research adopts a quantitative methodology, using a survey and descriptive analysis. Findings show that the current practice of Islamic microfinance in Mogadishu is serving the poor and that these microfinance activities are effective in terms of obtaining loans, enhancement of standards of living and usefulness of the system. Nonetheless, there is a low level of awareness among the locals regarding the availability of Islamic microfinance.

scholarly journals The role of microfinance institutions on poverty reduction in Ethiopia: the case of Oromia Credit and Saving Share Company at Welmera district

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dejene Adugna Chomen
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Standards Of Living ◽  
Microfinance Institution ◽  
Special Zone

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to assess the contribution of Oromia Credit and Saving Share Company microfinance institution on poverty alleviation in Welmera district, Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfine, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Both random and purposive sampling techniques were used for data collection. Three hundred and fifty-seven respondents were selected from twelve different villages for the data collection. The study used a binary logistic regression to identify the key determinants of the income improvement of respondents. The findings confirmed that education level, voluntary saving, and utilization of loan for the intended purposes are statistically significant and positively contributed to the income improvement of the respondents in the study area. The finding revealed that most of the respondents' income improved after they joined the program which impacted positively in improving their standards of living.

Questions on the role of biofilms for the adaptation of microorganisms to unfavorable environmental factors by the example of P. aeruginosa

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-383
Author(s):  
Vasily N. Afonyushkin ◽  
N. A. Donchenko ◽  
Ju. N. Kozlova ◽  
N. A. Davidova ◽  
V. Yu. Koptev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Barrier Function ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
The Face

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely represented species of bacteria possessing of a pathogenic potential. This infectious agent is causing wound infections, fibrotic cystitis, fibrosing pneumonia, bacterial sepsis, etc. The microorganism is highly resistant to antiseptics, disinfectants, immune system responses of the body. The responses of a quorum sense of this kind of bacteria ensure the inclusion of many pathogenicity factors. The analysis of the scientific literature made it possible to formulate four questions concerning the role of biofilms for the adaptation of P. aeruginosa to adverse environmental factors: Is another person appears to be predominantly of a source an etiological agent or the source of P. aeruginosa infection in the environment? Does the formation of biofilms influence on the antibiotic resistance? How the antagonistic activity of microorganisms is realized in biofilm form? What is the main function of biofilms in the functioning of bacteria? A hypothesis has been put forward the effect of biofilms on the increase of antibiotic resistance of bacteria and, in particular, P. aeruginosa to be secondary in charcter. It is more likely a biofilmboth to fulfill the function of storing nutrients and provide topical competition in the face of food scarcity. In connection with the incompatibility of the molecular radii of most antibiotics and pores in biofilm, biofilm is doubtful to be capable of performing a barrier function for protecting against antibiotics. However, with respect to antibodies and immunocompetent cells, the barrier function is beyond doubt. The biofilm is more likely to fulfill the function of storing nutrients and providing topical competition in conditions of scarcity of food resources.

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