The Indispensable Role of Financial, Psychological and Social Capabilities for Micro-Entrepreneurs: A Qualitative Analysis of Microfinance in Pakistan

This study aims to explore how microfinance banks are addressing its clients’ financial, psychological and social capability needs in Pakistan. For this purpose, qualitative technique has been used and data collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews of microfinance experts, managers and loan officers from different microfinance banks of Pakistan. This study used QSR Nvivo 12 software for data analysis. The research findings implied that microfinance banks are mainly focusing on micro-entrepreneurs’ financial capability needs and only to some extent on social capabilities. However, clients’ psychological capability needs are not being addressed by microfinance banks in Pakistan. This is the first research study in Pakistan to jointly explore the role of microfinance institutions in supporting financial, social and psychological capabilities for the growth of micro-entrepreneurs at BOP