BUILDING HIGH PERFORMING MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

The present study reviews the literature on microfinance and draws on findings to propose future research avenues. It shows that although many studies have analysed the impact of microfinance on development levers, there are... [ view full abstract ]

The present study reviews the literature on microfinance and draws on findings to propose future research avenues. It shows that although many studies have analysed the impact of microfinance on development levers, there are still research opportunities in understanding MFIs organisation and management for these institutions to achieve social and economic efficiency. Many issues related to the assessments of the impact of MFIs on beneficiaries are presented and while there is no consensus on how to measure these effects, many studies have claimed that microfinance positively affects the lives of the beneficiaries. There is however still need for more studies looking at the providers of microloans who are the main actors in the microfinance movement. We argue that management scholars can contribute to the understanding of the effects of microfinance by taking a different perspective from economists and providing a holistic view of the MFIs and their organisation.