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Success Factors of Microfinance Institutions: State of the Art and Research Agenda

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Abstract

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) operate in increasingly commercialized environments. To be successful in competitive markets, good management is crucial. Drawing from research on organizational success as a theoretical background, the authors systemize which management-relevant success factors for MFIs have been analyzed previously in the microfinance literature, then highlight promising research avenues for assessing MFIs from a management perspective. This approach lays the groundwork for reliable success factor research in microfinance settings.

Résumé

Les institutions de microfinance (IMF) opèrent dans un environnement de plus en plus commercial. Afin de réussir dans un marché concurrentiel, la gestion des organisations est essentielle. Basé sur des connaissances théoriques concernant le succès des organisations, cet article systématise les connaissances académiques concernant les facteurs de réussite des IMF et développe un programme de recherche instructif concernant ces facteurs. Ainsi, cet article serve de base à la recherche en les facteurs de réussite des IMF.

Zusammenfassung

Mikrofinanzinstitute sind einem steigenden Kommerzialisierungs- und Wettbewerbsdruck ausgesetzt. Um in diesem Marktumfeld erfolgreich zu sein, müssen sie gute Management-Praktiken etablieren. Dieser Artikel systematisiert auf Basis der Erfolgsfaktorenforschung das Wissen zu Erfolgsfaktoren von Mikrofinanzinstituten und identifiziert Forschungslücken. Zudem stellt er eine Forschungsagenda für weitere Managementforschung – insbesondere zu Erfolgsfaktoren von Mikrofinanzinstituten – auf. Dadurch legt er eine wesentliche Grundlage für eine verlässliche Erfolgsfaktorenforschung im Mikrofinanzbereich.

Resumen

Las instituciones de microfinanzas (MFI, del inglés microfinance institutions) operan en entornos cada vez más comercializados. Para tener éxito en mercados competitivos, una buena gestión es crucial. Basándonos en la investigación sobre el éxito organizativo como trasfondo teórico, los autores sistematizan qué factores de éxito relevantes para la gestión de las MFI han sido analizados previamente en el material publicado sobre microfinanzas. Ademas destacan vías de investigación prometedoras para evaluar las MFI desde una perspectiva de gestión. Este enfoque pone los cimientos para una investigación fiable de los factores de éxito en escenarios de microfinanzas.

小额信贷机构 (MFI) 在日益商业化的环境中运营。为在竞争市场成功,良好的管理至关重要。借助于以组织成功的研究为理论背景,作者系统化之前在小额信贷文献分析过的MFI管理相关成功因素,并重点介绍了从管理角度评估MFI的充满前景的研究道路。本方法奠定了小额信贷环境的可靠成功因素研究的基础。

マイクロファイナンス機関(MFI)は商業環境で増加している。競争の激しい市場で成功するためには、行き届いた管理が必要である。理論的背景として組織の成功を生かすためには、マイクロファイナンスの文献で以前から分析されているように、MFIの管理に関連する成功要因を体系化して、その後管理の観点からMFI を評価するための有望な研究手段を強調することである。このアプローチから、マイクロファイナンスの設定で信頼性の高い成功要因研究の基礎が生み出される。

مؤسسات التمويل المتناهية الصغر(MFIs) تعمل في بيئات تجارية على نحو متزايد. إنه أمر بالغ الأهمية أن تكون ناجحة في الأسواق التنافسية، والإدارة الجيدة. يستخلص من البحوث على النجاح التنظيمي كخلفية النظرية، مؤلفي الكتب يقوموا بمنهجة أي إدارة ذات الصلة بعوامل نجاح لمؤسسات التمويل االمتناهية الصغر (MFIs) التي تم تحليلها من قبل في أدب التمويل المتناهي في الصغر، ثم تسليط الضوء على سبل البحوث المتوقع لها النجاح لتقييم مؤسسات التمويل المتناهية الصغر من وجهة نظر الإدارة. هذا النهج يرسي الأساس لعامل نجاح بحوث موثوق بها في إعدادات التمويل المتناهي الصغر.

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Acknowledgments

This research project was supported by the Julius-Paul-Stiegler-Gedächtnis-Stiftung and Center for Doctoral Studies in Business Administration of the University of Mannheim. The authors are grateful for comments received at the Conference on Contemporary Microfinance-Institutions, Polices and Performance, German University of Cairo (5–7 September 2011, Cairo, Egypt), the 40th ARNOVA conference (17–19 November, 2011, Toronto, Canada), and the Third European Research Conference on Microfinance (10–12 June, 2013, Kristiansand, Norway). Finally, they thank their colleagues for helpful suggestions.

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  1. Chair of Public & Nonprofit Management, Business School, University of Mannheim, L 5, 4, 68131, Mannheim, Germany

    Alexander Pinz & Bernd Helmig

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  1. Alexander Pinz
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  2. Bernd Helmig
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Correspondence to Bernd Helmig.

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Pinz, A., Helmig, B. Success Factors of Microfinance Institutions: State of the Art and Research Agenda. Voluntas 26, 488–509 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-014-9445-2

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