Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether small finance banks (SFBs) in India are working towards financial inclusion through qualitative studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a phenomenological approach in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with the employees of two SFBs in Mumbai with different specializations. Employee experience was captured to grasp, interpret and code data for the creation of different themes.

Findings

This research shows that the current literature on financial inclusion is inadequate to explain the behavior of the needy in India. Study found multiple themes of financial inclusion, namely, financial literacy, self-esteem, use of technology, prompt repayment, credit identity, cross-referencing and financial stability. Although overall results are positive, to generalize the results, SFBs need to spend some more time in business. The findings of this study can be of global benefit to micro-finance organizations of a similar scale to achieve financial inclusion and business improvement.

Research limitations/implications

This qualitative study was performed at a single location and with a limited sample size, which underlines the need for repeated exercises at multiple locations with a larger sample size to establish a broader logical generality. It also points out the need for a study of employee themes to enhance the business processes of SFBs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this qualitative study is first attempt to figure out the extent of work done by SFBs in India in promoting financial inclusion. Themes related to financial inclusion can provide further thought process for policymakers for financial inclusion and business improvement. Findings refer not only to Indian organizations but also to small banks around the world to recognize the underpinnings of financial inclusion and what small banks and micro-finance institutions can do to make it meaningful.

中文翻译：

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小型金融银行是否是印度金融包容性的催化剂？现象学研究

目的

本文旨在通过定性研究调查印度的小型金融银行 (SFB) 是否正在努力实现金融包容性。

设计/方法/方法

本文采用现象学方法，对孟买两家不同专业的 SFB 员工进行半结构化访谈。员工体验被捕获以掌握、解释和编码数据，以创建不同的主题。

发现

这项研究表明，当前关于金融包容性的文献不足以解释印度有需要的人的行为。研究发现金融普惠的多个主题，即金融素养、自尊、技术使用、及时还款、信用身份、交叉引用和金融稳定性。尽管总体结果是积极的，但要概括结果，SFB 需要在业务上花费更多时间。这项研究的结果可能对类似规模的小额信贷组织在全球范围内受益，以实现金融包容性和业务改进。

研究限制/影响

这项定性研究是在单个地点进行的，样本量有限，这强调需要在多个地点以更大的样本量进行重复练习，以建立更广泛的逻辑普遍性。它还指出需要对员工主题进行研究，以增强 SFB 的业务流程。

原创性/价值

据作者所知，这项定性研究是首次尝试了解印度 SFB 在促进金融包容性方面所做的工作范围。与普惠金融相关的主题可以为政策制定者提供关于普惠金融和业务改进的进一步思考过程。调查结果不仅涉及印度组织，还涉及世界各地的小银行，以认识到普惠金融的基础以及小银行和小额信贷机构可以做些什么才能使其变得有意义。