Group‐based micro‐credit initiatives, as part of the broader social and solidarity‐based finance initiatives, have gained prominence over the past decade, especially in developing economies like India. Lending to the poor, especially women, through micro‐credit groups, are significantly associated with the utilization of commons. Apart from their financial operations, self‐help groups promote social empowerment activities and collective action following a dual bottom‐line approach. However, the causal role of the group's motivation towards pursuing social objectives has not been explored in the past. The present study, therefore, investigates the interlinkages between the group's intrinsic motivation and efficiency using an innovative two‐stage double bootstrapped DEA‐based methodology. Results from the study affirm that apart from traditional factors like maturity, accessibility and group management, the motivation of the group is a crucial determinant of social efficiency. Additionally, the group's loan‐to‐savings ratio and receipt of cash payments significantly affect its long‐term financial sustainability. Micro‐credit groups cannot contribute sustainably as a viable alternative to traditional means of access to credit if it merely offers innovative forms of financing and consumption. They need to be socially aligned to serve the community better and contribute to the group's overall performance and galvanize community‐based resource management.

中文翻译：

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有社会动机的自助小组的表现更好吗？探索印度东部小额信贷集团业绩的决定因素

在过去的十年中，作为更广泛的基于社会和团结的金融计划的一部分，基于群体的小额信贷计划尤其受到关注，特别是在印度这样的发展中经济体中。通过小额信贷向穷人特别是妇女提供的贷款与公共资源的利用显着相关。除财务运作外，自助组织还遵循双重底线方法促进社会赋权活动和集体行动。但是，过去没有探讨该团体追求社会目标动机的因果作用。因此，本研究使用创新的基于双阶段双引导DEA的方法研究了团队内在动机与效率之间的相互联系。研究结果表明，除了成熟度，可及性和群体管理等传统因素外，群体的动力是社会效率的关键决定因素。此外，该集团的贷存比和现金付款的接收显着影响了其长期财务可持续性。如果小额信贷团体仅提供创新的融资和消费形式，它就无法替代传统的获取信贷手段而可持续地做出贡献。他们需要在社会上保持一致，以更好地为社区服务，并为集团的整体绩效做出贡献，并激发基于社区的资源管理。贷存比和现金付款的接收显着影响其长期财务可持续性。如果小额信贷团体仅提供创新的融资和消费形式，它就无法替代传统的获取信贷手段而可持续地做出贡献。他们需要在社会上保持一致，以更好地为社区服务，并为集团的整体绩效做出贡献，并激发基于社区的资源管理。贷存比和现金付款的接收显着影响其长期财务可持续性。如果小额信贷团体仅提供创新的融资和消费形式，它就无法替代传统的获取信贷手段而可持续地做出贡献。他们需要在社会上保持一致，以更好地为社区服务，并为集团的整体绩效做出贡献，并激发基于社区的资源管理。