ABSTRACT The study examined the effect of regulation on financial sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs). A mixed-methods research design was employed involving deductive thematic analysis of interviews with 33 MFI managers. This was followed by t-tests of differences between 24 highly regulated rural and community banks (RCBs) and 31 less regulated “susu” companies on the measures of financial sustainability. A new dimension was added to literature by employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis, giving respondents a voice and ensuring findings reflected their experiences and ideas. Participants recognized an association among financial sustainability, revenue generation and operations efficiency. They noted that regulations provide benefits that improve revenue generation but also increase cost of operations. T-tests showed “susu” companies were more financially sustainable than RCBs. It is recommended that MFIs deliver innovative products to enable owner-managers grow their businesses, while enabling the MFIs to expand their outreach and improve their financial sustainability.

中文翻译：

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法规对小额信贷机构向小企业提供持续金融服务能力的影响

摘要这项研究检查了监管对小额信贷机构（MFI）财务可持续性的影响。采用了一种混合方法的研究设计，包括对33位MFI经理的访谈进行演绎主题分析。接下来是t检验，对24家受到高度监管的乡村和社区银行（RCB）与31家受监管程度较低的“ susu”公司之间在财务可持续性方面的差异进行了检验。通过采用定性和定量分析，为文献添加了新的维度，使受访者有发言权，并确保调查结果能反映出他们的经验和想法。参与者认识到财务可持续性，创收与运营效率之间的关联。他们指出，法规提供的好处不仅可以改善创收能力，而且可以增加运营成本。T检验显示，“ susu”公司在财务上比RCB更具可持续性。建议小额信贷机构提供创新产品，以使所有者-经理们发展自己的业务，同时使小额信贷机构扩大其业务范围并改善其财务可持续性。