Cooperative Finance in Developing Economies

This book discusses the challenges, impacts, and prospects of cooperative finance and microfinance arrangements in developing nations. It has been published as a response to the United Nations General Assembly's resolution declaring 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The book comprises papers from members of academia from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The scope of the book includes all forms of cooperative and microfinance arrangements such as cooperative societies, cooperative banks, informal microfinance, credit unions, multipurpose cooperatives, and NGOs. Chapters in the book discuss:

• Evolution of financial cooperatives in Nigeria;
• Importance of cooperatives and informal microfinance in poverty alleviation and economic development;
• Role of insurance in managing microfinance program risks;
• Place of cooperatives in Nigerian microfinance;
• Performance of microfinance banks in financing agricultural cooperative societies in rural Nigeria;
• Role of financial service cooperatives in Latin America;
• Impact of microfinance on rural households;
• Growth and resilience of credit cooperatives in Vietnam;
• Impact of cooperative finance on capital formation and members business;
• Personality and leadership style as predictors of intent to escalate commitment in financial institutions;
• Human resource management practices in cooperative organizations;
• Role of corporate governance in family and cooperative business.