Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) are voluntary associations of people with the common goal of encouraging savings and granting credit to members as a means to their economic improvement. For a long period of time, SACCOs have been seen as a way of ensuring savings and investments, especially by the middle and lower economic classes. In Kenya, these institutions have managed to accumulate funds running into billions of shillings, and many members have benefited from them. However, in the last few years, many of these institutions have experienced serious financial challenges that have led to some of them winding up or becoming dormant, resulting in a loss of funds for members. The primary objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the financial sustainability of SACCOs in Kenya. The study explored the influence of financial outreach, financial regulation, corporate governance, size and age on financial sustainability. A sample of 166 SACCOs was drawn for the study, and generalised least square technique was used to analyse the data. Empirical findings of the study reveal that financial outreach, as measured by the number of members, exerts a significant influence on financial sustainability. Similarly, financial regulation, SACCOs' governance, SACCOs' size and SACCOs' age were found to exert a significant influence on the financial sustainability of SACCOs. The study has contributed to theory by applying both monetary and non-monetary measures to profitability theory of financial sustainability. While contributing to empirics, the study has delineated the relationship between the study factors and their financial sustainability status (FSS), as well as documenting the FSS of SACCOs in Kenya. In terms of methodology, the study applied the GLS analysis technique. Finally, the study provides useful information to SACCO policy makers and opens avenues for future research, thus contributing to practice. The recommendations of the study provide insights into how to rescue ailing SACCOs in Kenya and ameliorate the existing situation.

Credit cooperatives make a significant economic and social contribution to development in Kenya. They are unique financial institutions that are jointly owned and democratically controlled by their members. This study explores how members of Kenyan credit cooperatives achieve economic cooperation. A sociological basis of cooperation exists because cooperatives are voluntary associations. Economic cooperation was thus conceptualised as collective economic action that enables individual actors to secure economic benefits through associational membership. An economic sociology perspective provided the theoretical basis for combining the analysis of economic interests and social relations. The study employed a qualitative case study research design involving a rural and an urban credit cooperative. Social capital was used to explore the role of associational features in facilitating collective action while the concept of institutions was used to examine how institutions organize and shape collective action. Each cooperative was conceptualised as a microstructure to enable an analysis of group relations. An analysis of the economic and socio-political context provided the contextual basis for economic cooperation. The findings suggest that shared values and solidarity bonds are important in creating collective economic resources while maintenance of the collective resources depends on regular reciprocity exchanges, effective enforcement and transparent representation. A new regulatory framework that emphasizes prudential standards and economic efficiency has redefined the incentive structure for Kenyan credit cooperatives. It is likely to favour a business rather than a social welfare mentality in the cooperatives. The socio-political context reveals persistent vertical linkages that have resulted in low political and economic power for rural smallholder farmers compared to urban public sector employees. The study concludes that although credit cooperatives have acted as financial catalysts by enabling the participation of disadvantaged groups in the economic sphere, they are also societal mirrors that reflect the broader income and gender inequalities existing in society. The recognition of cooperatives as economic and social organizations therefore contributes to a better understanding of how cooperatives work.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T22:00:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 12 / Nenhuma / O cooperativismo de crédito vem demonstrando um expressivo crescimento na última década no Rio Grande do Sul e neste sentido, o Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo – SICREDI RS tem contribuído significativamente para esse desenvolvimento. Constituído, atualmente, por 55 cooperativas e 447 Unidades de Atendimento, o SICREDI RS está presente atualmente em mais de 400 municípios e conta com mais de 700.000 associados. O vigoroso crescimento apresentado pelo SICREDI RS a partir de 1995 despertou o interesse pelo estudo das principais causas que estão contribuindo para tal. Desta forma, buscou-se verificar como os princípios cooperativos, em especial o da democracia e da intercooperação, estão sendo respeitados e qual a influência do Banco Central do Brasil na profissionalização da gestão das suas cooperativas. A pesquisa é considerada do tipo exploratório-descritiva, elaborada através de um estudo de caso. Para tanto, fez uso da análise de documentos e relatórios do SICREDI RS desde a sua fundação e, posteriormente, f / The credit cooperative has demonstrated an expressive growth in last decade in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, and, in this matter, the Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo – SICREDI RS has contributed for this development considerably. SICREDI RS, which is constituted by 55 cooperatives and 447 branches, is present in more than 400 cities and has more than 700.000 members. Since 1995, SICREDI RS strong growth has interested people in studying the main causes that have contributed for its development. In this context, this paper has the objective of verifying how the cooperative principles, specially the democracy and the inter-cooperation, are being respected and what is the influence of Banco Central do Brasil (Brazilian Central Bank) in the professionalism of cooperatives management. It is an exploratory descriptive research, elaborated through a case study. For that, it was analyzed documents and reports of SICREDI RS since its constitution e, after, the members, the managers, the board of directors and the sta

The subject of this dissertation is a cooperative banking in the Czech Republic and Austria. This sector is in the Czech banking system made by credit unions and in Austria made by cooperative banks. Working with the theoretical part deals with the origin and historical development of these institutions, examines the legal environment in both countries, which does not neglect the influence of The European Union directives, and briefly describes the Austrian banking market with the accent on the functioning of the local supervisors. The practical part analyzes the current status and role of the cooperative banking institutions in the Czech and Austrian territory and compares the cooperative sector and banks sector. Finally, it made a brief summary and evaluation of the most important conclusions, where emphasis is placed on a comparison between the Czech and Austrian cooperative banking and their mutual differences.

This article presents the perception of audited on internal audit practices in a credit union. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of audited on the practices of internal audit in a credit union and check through the perceptions of the audited personal characteristics and aspects of internal audit of the organization sectors. The methodology used for the development of the research was exploratory followed by a case study with use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Data collection took place through a semi-structured interview applied to the organization’s employees in the study. According to the survey results, was obtained different perceptions of internal audit in accordance with each aspect analyzed, this is also justified by the fact of being applied in different parts of the organization. Thus the expansion of knowledge in the practice of internal audit serves as support for planning and improvement in organizational processes as well as the feedback from this survey that was presented to their managers. / Este artículo presenta la percepción de los auditados con respecto a las prácticas de auditoría interna en una Cooperativa de crédito. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la percepción de las personas auditadas sobre las prácticas de la auditoría interna en una cooperativa de crédito y verificar, a través de las percepciones de los auditados, sus características personales y los aspectos de la auditoría interna en los sectores de la organización. La metodología utilizada fue la investigación exploratoria seguida de un estudio de caso, usando métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos. La recolección de datos se hizo a través de una entrevista semi-estructurada aplicada a los colaboradores de la organización en estudio. De acuerdo con los resultados de la investigación, se obtuvieron diferentes percepciones según cada aspecto analizado, esto también se justifica por el hecho de ser aplicado en diferentes sectores de la organización. De esta manera, se amplía el conocimiento de las prácticas de auditoría interna, lo cual sirve de apoyo para la planificación y mejora de los procesos organizacionales, así como de feedback para esta investigación que fue presentada para los directivos. / Este artigo apresenta a percepção dos auditados sobre as práticas de auditoria interna em uma Cooperativa de Crédito. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a percepção dos auditados sobre as práticas da auditoria interna em uma cooperativa de crédito e verificar através das percepções dos auditados suas características pessoais e os aspectos da auditoria interna entre setores da organização. A metodologia utilizada para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa foi exploratória seguida de um estudo de caso, com uso dos métodos qualitativo e quantitativo. A coleta de dados deu-se por meio de uma entrevista semiestruturada aplicada aos colaboradores da organização em estudo. De acordo com os resultados da pesquisa, obteve-se diferentes percepções de auditoria interna de acordo com cada aspecto analisado, isto também se justifica pelo fato de ser aplicado em diferentes setores da organização. Desta maneira a ampliação do conhecimento sob as práticas da auditoria interna serve de apoio para o planejamento e melhoria nos processos organizacionais assim como o feedback desta pesquisa que foi apresentado para seus gestores.

92 Abstract and keywords The audit of financial institutions The purpose of my thesis is to provide a comprehensive view on the issue of the audit of financial institutions. The main reason for my research is my personal interest in this area stemming from my contemporary occupation. Secondly, I would like to broaden a range of a few existing theses dealing with related topics by complex and especially legal point of view. The thesis is composed of four chapters, each of them dealing with the issue on different level of generalization and specialization. Chapter One is introductory and defines basic terminology used in the thesis: "audit" and "financial institutions". The chapter is subdivided into three parts. Part One describes audit, its aims and functions and explains important concept of materiality. Part Two deals with various understandings of the term "financial institutions". Part Three determines scope of the thesis and its structure. Chapter Two examines relevant Czech legislation, International Standards on Auditing and Code of Ethics. The chapter consists of eleven parts which focus on respective elements of audit regulation. Namely it investigates requirements for compulsory audit, eligibility of an auditor, rights and duties of an auditor with deeper focus on ethical imperatives (especially...

本研究分析我國49家本國銀行、55家信用合作社、287家農會信用部及27家漁會信用部等四類金融機構之經營現況，並參照各國金融預警制度運作方式，選取適合的財務比率，運用SAS統計軟體及Z-score、Logistic等模型，分別找出造成各類金融機構經營失敗之顯著相關財務比率，評估各類金融機構之經營效率、失敗機率與模型之正確區別率，以建立預測金融機構失敗機率之預警模型。研究之樣本資料分別為：本國銀行49家、2001年第2季~2003年底共計11季25項財務比率，信用合作社55家、1998年底~2003年底共計21季26項財務比率，農會信用部287家1998年底~2003年底共計21季25項財務比率，漁會信用部27家1998年底~2003年底共計21季25項財務比率。 本研究之結論為： 一、彙整Z-Score模型對各類金融機構具有顯著性之財務變數，本國銀行有6項、信用合作社有7項、農會信用部有6項，漁會信用部有4項。 二、彙整Logistic模型對各類金融機構具有顯著性之財務變數，本國銀行、信用合作社各有6項，農會信用部有5項，漁會信用部有4項。 三、金融預警模型中，Logistic模型較Z-Score模型有較高的正確區別率。 / This research analyzes 49 domestic banks, 55 credit cooperative unions, 287 credit department of farmer associations and 27 credit department of fisherman associations above four kind of financial institution´s management situation, and refers the operation ways of various countries financial early warning system, selects suitable financial ratios , utilizes SAS statistics software and Z-score, Logistic models, it identifies the root cause of bankruptcy thus reveals finance of ratio the correlation, appraises management efficiency, the defeat probability each kind of financial institution if the correct difference rate. It appraises each kind of financial institution´s management efficiency, defeats probability and correct difference rate. It establishes early warning model that forecasts financial institutions failure rate. The research model and period: used 49 domestic banks from 2001 in 2nd season to the end of 2003 total 11 seasons and 25 items of finance ratio、55 credit cooperative associations from the end of 1998 to the end of 2003 total 21 seasons and 26 items of finance ratio、287 credit department of farmer associations and 27 credit department of fisherman associations from the end of 1998 to the end of 2003 total 21 seasons which used respectively 25 items of finance ratio. The conclusion of this research are: Firstly, it collects the entire Z-Score model to have significant financial indicator to each kind of financial institution, the domestic banks have 6 items, the credit cooperative associations have 7 items, the credit department of farmer associations have 6 items, and the credit department of fisherman associations have 4 items. Secondly, it collects the entire Logistic model to have significant financial indicator to each kind of financial institution, the domestic banks and the credit cooperative associations have 6 items respectively, the credit department of farmer associations have 5 items, and the credit department of fisherman associations have 4 items. Thirdly, in the financial early warning model, when comparing Z-Score with Logistic model , the latter appears to have a higher correct difference rate.