<p>The aim of this study is to investigate the role of micro-credit in women empowerment. Microcredit is a small-scale credit which becomes effectual for the growth of micro enterprises and thus works in poverty alleviation in Pakistan. The major part of this research is to examine the impact of Khushhali Bank Limited (KBL), the largest microfinance bank with a huge network of branches all across the country, on the socio-economic characteristics of beneficiary women and to study the improvement in their economy and social status. The type of economic activities women have started and extent of poverty alleviation have also been studied. The empirical study is conducted in Pakistan. Based on qualitative research, the data is collected through in-depth interviews from borrowers and National Distribution Manager of Khushhali Bank Limited. The findings suggest that micro-credit has positive impact on women socio-economic status and empowerment. It increases to some extent self-confidence and feelings of identity for women in the society. Through interviews we came to know that microcredit has dual effect on the lives of borrowers. It not only helped women to increase their businesses, but also helped them to provide better education to their children. They feel much independence and decision making power in routine life. It has also increased their prestige and status in their family and society. Micro-credit is much helpful for the women who have their own businesses or have some ideas and expertise about the business before getting credit. The women who don’t have pre-requisite knowledge or expertise of business, they could not make any positive change in their status. Microcredit rather put an extra burden of repayment with an extensive amount of interest. They used the loan amount on personal expenses and it made difficult for them to return the loan amount. The study also entailed lack of centralized system between the microfinance institutions that increased the risk of dual loaning. This trend adversely affects the repayment capacity of borrowers and limits the positive impact of micro-credit.</p>

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of micro-credit in women empowerment. Microcredit is a small-scale credit which becomes effectual for the growth of micro enterprises and thus works in poverty alleviation in Pakistan. The major part of this research is to examine the impact of Khushhali Bank Limited (KBL), the largest microfinance bank with a huge network of branches all across the country, on the socio-economic characteristics of beneficiary women and to study the improvement in their economy and social status. The type of economic activities women have started and extent of poverty alleviation have also been studied. The empirical study is conducted in Pakistan. Based on qualitative research, the data is collected through in-depth interviews from borrowers and National Distribution Manager of Khushhali Bank Limited. The findings suggest that micro-credit has positive impact on women socio-economic status and empowerment. It increases to some extent self-confidence and feelings of identity for women in the society. Through interviews we came to know that microcredit has dual effect on the lives of borrowers. It not only helped women to increase their businesses, but also helped them to provide better education to their children. They feel much independence and decision making power in routine life. It has also increased their prestige and status in their family and society. Micro-credit is much helpful for the women who have their own businesses or have some ideas and expertise about the business before getting credit. The women who don’t have pre-requisite knowledge or expertise of business, they could not make any positive change in their status. Microcredit rather put an extra burden of repayment with an extensive amount of interest. They used the loan amount on personal expenses and it made difficult for them to return the loan amount. The study also entailed lack of centralized system between the microfinance institutions that increased the risk of dual loaning. This trend adversely affects the repayment capacity of borrowers and limits the positive impact of micro-credit.

This study explores men's gender identities in development. It develops an analysis of gender power relations in households as economic limits by considering gender as a social identity not limited to women and exploring the gendered character of men’s work in development. The analysis focuses on three urban programmes from different development organisations involved in the National Microenterprise Plan in Colombia. The thesis examines changing expressions of masculinity and gender relations of power in households in which couples are working in family microenterprises, and one of the members has access to credit or other services. The labour market context, characterised by male job losses, has led many men to find in family businesses an alternative form of work. This process has brought about greater female participation and changes in gender identities. Gender relations are analysed in terms of both the division of labour in micro- economic activity and the contracts couples make around housework. The directly connected nature of the two types of work in family businesses allows different configurations of gender relations from those stemming from general patterns of paid work. The thesis analyses those elements that reveal changes in gender power relations such as control over money, access to property, etc., and discourses constructed around them. These elements are seen as a result of a cumulative process, which in some cases impacts on and is a consequence of women's self-empowerment and emerging masculinities. The changing nature of the gender division of labour in home-based businesses facilitates the negotiation of gender norms. The thesis examines for the three case studies the challenges that they pose to bringing men and masculinities into development.

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Thesis (M.M. (Public and Development Management))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, 2014. / Microenterprises have the potential to address the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality because of the opportunities they present to the socially and economically disadvantaged in South Africa. This has a spillover effect of growing the economy. However, the challenges faced by tax compliant microenterprises as uncovered in this qualitative research, limits them in meeting potential. Twelve respondents comprising of three clusters (tax practitioners, microenterprise owners and SARS official) were purposefully and conveniently sampled to give their views and opinions about the challenges. The lack of expertise, SARS' evolving rules and regulations, financial costs of being compliant, onerous tax compliance preparations, and constitutional ambiguity and unclear definition of microenterprises were observed to be the major challenges that tax compliant microenterprises face. Although the South African government is not oblivious of the dilemma that tax compliant microenterprises often find themselves in, more needs to be done to ease their plight in operating in an enabling business environment. This study provides an insight into the current and future tax issues that government needs to address towards creating an enabling tax environment for businesses. The scope of this paper is limited as the researcher sought to bring to light the challenges faced by microenterprises. Other emerging issues, such as the benefits of being compliant could not be fully established and paves the way for further research.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / The main objective of this research was to measure and compare the influence of institutions (government laws, rules, regulations) on the transaction cost of establishing microenterprises in informal/township areas and suburbs. The research target area was Maitland (a suburb) and Joe Slovo (a township area). A research framework was developed using the theories of institutions and the TACE. In order to achieve the research objectives, both quantitative and qualitative research designs were used. A total research sample of 40 microenterprise owners were selected from these two areas. A random sampling technique was used to select half (twenty) microenterprise traders in Maitland and the other half (twenty) from Joe Slovo. The research also applied non-random sampling technique to select relevant government institutions that regulate microenterprises in these two areas. The research has collected both primary and secondary data. To collect the primary data, face-to-face interviews were held with the shop owners in the two research sites and government (City) officials. A questionnaire containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions was used in collecting the primary data. The secondary data was collected using desktop (internet) search and also physically searching government archives and publications. Descriptive statistics (frequency distributions and graphical representations) of the data were used to analyze and compare the data collected in a meaningful way. The research also used non-parametric independent samples t-test to compare the differences of the transaction costs of establishing microenterprises in Joe Slovo and in Maitland. The data collected was analyzed and compared using SPSS statistical research analysis software. The results show, to establish a microenterprise business, microenterprise owners in both formal and informal areas need to comply with the environmental health laws. In addition to complying with the environmental health laws, microenterprises in formal areas are obliged to comply with the City zoning scheme and seek permission to establish businesses in these areas. The application process for seeking the City zoning approval is cumbersome and subjective. The results show that entrepreneurs in informal/township areas are automatically allowed by the local government to establish microenterprises in these areas and need not comply with the Zoning Scheme. The main findings of the study reveal that microenterprises in formal suburbs face higher TACs in establishing businesses in these areas when compared to those in township areas.

The purpose of the research was to investigate the proposition that current Microfinance solutions are not adequate for Microenterprises operating at the Base of the Pyramid. The research proposes Microfinance solutions for Microenterprises should provide all-inclusive solutions; encompassing both financial and business development services. While the government can lead the debate and deliver on some of the enabling requirements, the limited government resources cannot deliver fully on development requirements at the Base of the Pyramid. There is an increasing need for the private sector to participate in sustainable development initiatives. A key limiting factor is a lack of in-depth understanding of the needs of Microenterprises operating at the Base of the Pyramid. Quantitative research was conducted, using a survey-based method. The results show there is appetite amongst Microenterprise owners at the BOP for holistic Microfinance solutions that can deliver financial and business development services. The study also found business development services, focusing on developing business knowledge and business management skills, were rated the highest. BOP markets for Microenterprises are complex and require dedicated initiatives to understand them and deliver solutions tailored to their needs accordingly. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study examined marketing communications in South African microenterprises. Large organisations normally engaged in marketing activities to support their growth and success. With microenterprises, a type of small business, touted as having a critical role to play in the development of South Africa’s economy but failing to live up to that expectations the purpose of this study was to explore and gain a preliminary understanding of the perceptions and understanding of the importance and the use of marketing communications by microenterprises in South Africa.Micro-entrepreneurs around Gauteng were identified as the population to be studied and from that population, micro-entrepreneurs who work with MEDO were identified as a sample. Using a questionnaire, data was collected from owners of microenterprises and analysed to arrive to findings outlined below:An overwhelming majority of the owners of microenterprises have a positive perception towards marketing communications. They believe it can play a vital role in the growth and success of their businesses. However, it was interesting to note that again a majority of them did not understand the concept of marketing communications. What was also interesting was that they were prepared to learn more about the concept because they believe it can make a difference to their businesses. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Dans un contexte de crise de développement dans lequel ont été plongés les PMA depuis leurs indépendances et la persistance, voir l’expansion continue de l’économie dite informelle, la dynamisation des micro-entreprises devient un sujet clé afin de développer des PME dynamiques capables de générer de la valeur ajoutée. Dans la réflexion que nous proposons notre ambition est de mieux comprendre les modes de fonctionnement des micro-entreprises et d’identifier les principaux facteurs qui déterminent leur dynamisation et leur transition vers des PME commerciales dynamiques. L’étude fait une synthèse des théories explicatives de l’économie dite informelle et de la micro-entreprise. Pour cela, nous avons réalisé une enquête conduite en 2012 auprès d’un échantillon de 205 micro-entrepreneurs urbains de la république de Mali. Cette thèse analyse l’existence et la réalité de l’économie dite informelle ; étudie la logique de fonctionnement des micro-entreprises ; établit une typologie des MPME en deux groupes en fonction de leurs logiques de fonctionnement et de la taille du capital investi : entreprises de subsistance et entreprises commerciales ; cible les interventions pour chaque type de micro-entreprises et propose des politiques de dynamisation et d’incitation à la formalisation des micro-entreprises dans les PMA. / In a context of development crisis which, the Lest Developed Countries (LDCs) are trapped in since their independences and faced to a persisting if not a contained expanding informal economy, micro enterprises are seen as a solution to boost dynamic Small Medium Sized business (SMEs) that can generate added value. Our reflection in this research project is to shed more light on the operational patterns of micro-enterprises and contribute to identify the main factors that determine their dynamism and thus, their transition to dynamic commercial SMEs. The project presents a synthesis of some of the different theories explaining the so-called informal economy and micro-enterprises. For this purpose, we have conducted a survey in 2012 among a sample of 205 urban micro-entrepreneurs in the Republic of Mali. Our research led us to accept and analyze the very existence and reality of the so-called informal economy; and study the operational logic of micro enterprises and thus come out with a typology of MSMEs into two main categories. The division is made according to the logic of operation and the size of the invested capital: enterprises for mere subsistence or commercial enterprises. For each category, appropriate incentive policies that can prompt micro enterprises to comply with formal legislation in force in the LDCs.

Most of the research on microfinance focuses on the microloan activities of microfinance institutions such as Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and Banco Sol of South America. These institutions make small loans to the poor to help them engage in income generating activities. Many organizations have tried to translate this practice to the United States, but due to fundamental differences between the advanced U.S. business environment and that found in the developing world, such attempts have been met with limited success. There is a substantial amount of research on microfinance institutions and activities in the U.S., however almost all of the activity is focused on making microloans. In this paper, a new method for pursuing microfinance, microequity, is put forward as a potential candidate for successfully and sustainably implementing microfinance in the United States. The preliminary conclusions reached in this paper, based on research into traditional microfinance internationally and in the U.S. as well as research on the pros and cons of traditional equity and debt financing, show that a microequity model for microfinance could offer a solution to the difficulties that have prevented microfinance from being successfully and sustainably implemented in the United States.