The effect of loan approval decentralization on microfinance institutions' outreach and loan portfolio quality

Hubert Tchakoute-Tchuigoua and Issouf Soumaré

Journal of Business Research, 2019, vol. 94, issue C, 1-17

Abstract: We study the impact of loan approval decentralization on MFI portfolio quality and outreach, and the effects of alignment mechanisms when loan officers combine information production and decision functions. Using an independently pooled cross-section of 374 MFI-year observations for 280 MFIs in 70 countries, we find that effective incentive schemes and internal control systems help mitigate agency problems within MFIs, and thus increase the outreach of MFIs without altering the quality of their loan portfolio. Our results are robust after controlling for alternative portfolio risk and outreach measures, outreach threshold effect, crisis period, selection bias and endogeneity.

Keywords: Loan approval; Decentralization; Loan portfolio quality; Loan portfolio risk; Microfinance; Outreach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G21 G32 G39 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:94:y:2019:i:c:p:1-17

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.09.021

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