Expanding Inclusive Markets through Corruption Control: A Multilevel Modeling Analysis for a Grand Challenge

To tackle the grand challenge of poverty alleviation, we investigate the role of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in fostering inclusive markets amid the influence of corruption. Corruption hampers MFI's efforts to reach out to women and the poor, leading to increased costs and resource wastage. Specifically, corruption negatively impacts financial inclusivity by affecting service costs, female borrower inclusion, and loan officer effectiveness. By adopting an institution-based view, we propose that corruption control can counteract this negative effect by enhancing information transmission and stakeholder cooperation within microfinance, thereby promoting inclusivity. Corruption control also moderates the effects of three firm-level factors, namely service cost, female borrowers, and loan officers on expanding inclusive markets. Leveraging a panel data set of 618 MFIs across 30 developing countries from 2005 to 2011, we employ multilevel modeling and find a positive association between corruption control and the breadth of MFIs' outreach.