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Assessing the Impact of Microcredit: A Zambian Case Study
Abstract
Expectations are high, but evidence of the impact of microcredit remains in short supply. This article estimates the impact of an urban credit programme in Zambia on business performance and on a range of indicators of wellbeing. Borrowers who obtained a second loan experienced significantly higher average growth in business profits and household income. Inflexible group enforcement of loan obligations resulted in some borrowers, especially amongst those who had taken only one loan, being made worse off. Our methodological investigations suggest that the supply of rigorous impact studies can be increased by basing them on data collection that serves a wider range of purposes, including market research.
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Citations
Cited by
The Impact of Microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Evidence
van Rooyen, C., Stewart, R., & de Wet, T. (2012) · World Development · doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.012 · Cited by 554
Social efficiency in microfinance institutions
Gutiérrez-Nieto, B., Serrano-Cinca, C., & Mar Molinero, C. (2009) · Journal of the Operational Research Society · doi:10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602527 · Cited by 301
(2011) · The University of Bath Online Publications Store (The University of Bath) · Cited by 284
DYER, W. G., WEST, B., PEACOCK, I., YAMADA, S., & DYER, J. (2016) · Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship · doi:10.1142/s1084946716500084 · Cited by 12
Metadata
- Authors
- Copestake, J., Bhalotra, S., & Johnson, S.
- Venue
- Journal of Development Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2001-04
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 81-100
- ISSN
- 0022-0388 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-9140
- OpenAlex
- W2137625110
- Cited by
- 307
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 13.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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