Institute for International
Cooperation and Development Studies

Microfinances in the framework of development financing: compatibility and/or conflicto between social and financial objectives
DOCTORAL THESIS

Microfinances in the framework of development financing: compatibility and/or conflicto between social and financial objectives

Jorge Gutiérrez
Professor and researcher

Jorge Gutierrez Goiria, Hegoa Institute professor, defended his doctoral thesis, within the Development Studies Programme, on April 12th, 2011. The thesis is titled “Las microfinanzas en el marco de la financiación del desarrollo: compatibilidad y/o conflicto entre objetivos sociales y financieros (Microfinances in the framework of development financing: compatibility and/or conflicto between social and financial objectives)” and has been supervised by Koldo Unceta.

The thesis studies the main perspectives related to the study of microfinance, the struggle against poverty approach and the finance system approach, examining the real scope of the existing conflict between them. With that aim, in addition to a deep theoretical and bibliographic analysis, it carries out a quantitative study, based on a wide data-base that gathers over 1000 microfinancing institutions all over the world.

In addition to shedding light on various issues, the thesis concludes that an unavoidable contradiction between the search for more social protection by micro-finance institutions and their financial solvency does not exist, thus showing that, in practice, both issues can be compatible and complementary.

The thesis was given a Distinction Cum Laude (Extraordinary Award)



Details

Thesis supervisor

Koldo Unceta
Professor and researcher

Research lines

Development finance and microcredits