Entre mission sociale et résistance au changement : les défis du microcrédit dans les pays en développement – Le cas du Cameroun
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1522/revueot.v35n1.2099Keywords:
Microcredit, microfinance institutions, personal credit, solidarity-based credit, stakeholdersAbstract
This paper examines how stakeholders in microfinance institutions (MFIs) perceive microcredit supply policy in the developing country of Cameroon. The study was conducted between November 2024 and March 2025, based on a series of semi-structured interviews with both beneficiary customers and MFI managers. The results show a marked discrepancy between customer expectations and how they are interpreted by managers, who often tend to downplay or reword the concerns expressed. Such an attitude, which can be seen as a subtle form of resistance to change, hinders the fulfillment of the original social mission of MFIs and illustrates the structural challenges facing microcredit in developing countries.
References
Aker, J. C. et Mbiti, I. M. (2010). Mobile phones and economic development in Africa. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(3), 207-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/jep.24.3.207
Appui au développement autonome (ADA). (2023). Definition of microfinance. https://ada-microfinance.org/en/about-ada/definition-microfinance
Armendáriz, B. et Morduch, J. (2010). The economics of microfinance (2e éd.). MIT Press.
Attali, J. (2014). Les nouveaux visages de la microfinance en Afrique. Revue d’économie financière, 4(116), 243-258. https://doi.org/10.3917/ecofi.116.0243
Banerjee, A., Duflo, E., Glennerster, R. et Kinnan, C. (2015). The miracle of microfinance? Evidence from a randomized evaluation. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 7(1), 22-53. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20130533
Banque des États de l’Afrique centrale (BEAC). (2024). Rapport annuel 2024. https://www.finances.gouv.cg/sites/default/files/documents/RAPPORT-ANNUEL-BEAC-2024-VF.pdf
Basu Dev, L. (2020). Microfinance for women empowerment: A review of best practices. Interdisciplinary Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 1(1), 13-25. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijmss.v1i1.34504
Bateman, M. (2010). Why doesn’t microfinance work? The destructive rise of local neoliberalism. Zed Books.
Berendson, R. M., Gassmann, F., Martorano, B., Tirivayi, N. J. et Kamau, J. (2024). The impacts of the microfinance multiplied approach on seasonal food insecurity: Evidence from a high-frequency panel survey in Uganda [Working Papers No. 14]. UNU-MERIT. https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/206011636/wp2024-014.pdf
Biloa, T. M., Siewe Pougoue, E. B. et Nlom, J. H. (2022). Déterminants de la performance financière et sociale des institutions de microfinance au Cameroun. Journal of Academic Finance, 13(2), 96-120. https://doi.org/10.59051/joaf.v13i2.539
Bimeme Bengono, I. (2023). Contrôle de gestion et pérennité des institutions de microfinance en Afrique subsaharienne. Revue Management & Innovation, 1(7), 140-165. https://doi.org/10.3917/rmi.207.0140
Comité national économique et financier (CNEF). (2021). Rapport sur la gestion des performances sociales dans les établissements de microfinance au Cameroun. https://www.cnefcameroun.cm/images/tele/Rapport_Performances_Sociales_EMF_2021.pdf
Creusot, A.-C. (2006). L’état des lieux de la microfinance au Cameroun. Bulletins du mardi, 9, 1-5. https://microfinancement.cirad.fr/fr/news/Bim/Bim-2006/BIM-09-05-06.pdf
Cull, R., Demirgüç-Kunt, A. et Morduch, J. (2009). Microfinance meets the market. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 23(1), 167-192. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.23.1.167
Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Ansar, S., Klapper, L. et Singer, D. (2022). The global Findex database 2021: Financial inclusion, digital payments, and resilience in the age of COVID-19. World Bank Group. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstreams/d36d178f-8fc4-555a-a7a6-00c1c7e70bf4/download
Doligez, F. (2023). La microfinance contemporaine : les frontières de la microfinance. Revue internationale de l’économie sociale, 1(367), 143-144. https://doi.org/10.3917/recma.367.0137c
Dumez, H. (2016). Méthodologie de la recherche qualitative : les questions clés de la démarche compréhensive. Vuibert.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
Friedman, M. (1970, 13 septembre). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/13/archives/a-friedman-doctrine-the-social-responsibility-of-business-is-to.html
Girod-Seville, M. et Perret, V. (1999). Fondements épistémologiques de la recherche. Dans R.-A. Thiétart (dir.), Méthodes de recherche en management (p. 23–52). Dunod.
Guérin, I., Labie, M. et Servet, J.-M. (2011). The crises of microcredit. Zed Books.
Guérin, I. et Servet, J.-M. (2005). L’économie solidaire entre le local et le global : l’exemple de la microfinance. Revue internationale de l’économie sociale, 296, 83-99. https://doi.org/10.7202/1021864ar
Gugerty, M. K. (2007). You can’t save alone: Commitment in rotating savings and credit associations in Kenya. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 55(2), 251-282. https://doi.org/10.1086/508716
Guilmot, N. et Vas, A. (2012). Le processus de création de sens en contexte de changement organisationnel. Revue internationale de psychosociologie et de gestion des comportements organisationnels, 18(45), 77-99. https://doi.org/10.3917/rips1.045.0077
Kadandji, A. (2022). The impact of competition on the social performance of microfinance institutions in Cameroon. Economics Bulletin, 42(3), 1381-1387. https://ideas.repec.org/a/ebl/ecbull/eb-21-00140.html
Karlan, D. et Zinman, J. (2011). Microcredit in theory and practice: Using randomized credit scoring for impact evaluation. Science, 332(6035), 1278-1284. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1200138
Khandker, S. R. (2005). Microfinance and poverty: Evidence using panel data from Bangladesh. The World Bank Economic Review, 19(2), 263-286. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhi008
Koffi, C. H. A., Djeundje, V. B. et Pamen, O. M. (2024). Quantifying socio-temporal effects of loan delinquency drivers in microfinance [Sous presse]. ArXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2410.13100
Kouakou, T. G-D. (2025, 21 janvier). Le rôle du genre dans la relation entre performance sociale et performance financière : cas de la microfinance en Côte d’Ivoire. Saving and Development. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390178897_Le_role_du_genre_dans_la_relation_entre_performance_sociale_et_performance_financiere_cas_de_la_microfinance_en_Cote_d%27Ivoire
Labie, M., Lelart, M. et Montalieu, T. (2010). Microfinance : le temps de la maturité? Mondes en développement, 4(152), 7-11. https://doi.org/10.3917/med.152.0007
Ledgerwood, J. (dir.), Earne, J. et Nelson, C. (2013). The new microfinance handbook: A financial market system perspective. World Bank Group. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/233251468182337007/pdf/The-new-microfinance-handbook-a-financial-market-system-perspective.pdf
Lelart, M. (2008). Proximité et risque dans la microfinance. Revue Gestion 2000, 25(5), 37-46.
Long, I. (2009). Perceptions of microfinance in Cameroon: A case study of UNICS, Yaoundé. Independent Study Project Collection. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/729?utm_source=digitalcollections.sit.edu%2Fisp_collection%2F729&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
López-Penabad, M. C., Maside-Sanfiz, J. M., Agha, Y. et Iglesias-Casal, A. (2024). Microfinance institutions and corporate social responsibility: A scientometric study. Future Business Journal, 10, article 90. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00374-w
Mayoukou, C. et Kertous, M. (2015). L’accès au crédit individuel par les clients des institutions de microfinance du Congo : une analyse des déterminants de l’auto-exclusion et de l’obtention du prêt. Mondes en développement, 1(169), 121-138. https://doi.org/10.3917/med.169.0121
Mbouombouo Mfossa, P.-H., Mvogo, G. et Ndzana, M. (2015, septembre). Performance sociale versus performance financière : quel objectif pour les microfinances camerounaises? 5es Journées internationales de la microfinance « Mutations et crises de la microfinance », Douala (Cameroun). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282933858_performance_sociale_versus_performance_financiere_quel_objectif_pour_les_microfinances_camerounaises
Mersland, R. et Strøm, R. Ø. (2010). Microfinance mission drift? World Development, 38(1), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2009.05.006
Messomo Ellé, S. (2017). Microcrédits et performances financière et sociale des institutions de microfinance au Cameroun. Revue Gestion et Organisation, 9(2), 79-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rgo.2017.09.004
Messomo Ellé, S. (2021). Caractéristiques des produits de microcrédit et performance financière des institutions de micro finance (IMFs) au Cameroun. Recherches en sciences de gestion, 2(143), 143-170. https://doi.org/10.3917/resg.143.0143
Mia, M. A., Jibir, A., Sharma, A. et Abdu, M. (2023). Can Kuznets curve hypothesis explain the mission drift of microfinance institutions? Evidence from developing countries. Asia and the Global Economy, 3(2), article 100062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aglobe.2023.100062
Miles, M. B. et Huberman, A. M. (2003). Analyse des données qualitatives (2e éd.). De Boeck.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M. et Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4e éd.). SAGE.
Morduch, J. (1999). The microfinance promise. Journal of Economic Literature, 37(4), 1569-1614. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.37.4.1569
Morduch, J. (2000). The microfinance schism. World Development, 28(4), 617-629. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(99)00151-5
Moyole, M. E., Abomo Nga, C. M. C. et Moungou Mbenda, S. P. (2024). La relation client à l’ère du numérique dans les institutions de microfinance au Cameroun : entre tradition et modernité. Mondes en développement, 4(52), 89-110. https://doi.org/10.3917/med.208.0090
Nambie, N. B., Akrofi, K. S.-A. et Amoah, R. (2024). Effect of financial regulations, risk management, on performance of microfinance institutions in Sub-Saharan African countries. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(11), 2283-2310. https://ijeponline.org/index.php/journal/article/view/720
Nzongang, J. et Takoudjou Nimpa, A. (2020). L’impact sociétal des institutions de microfinance (IMF) : le cas du modèle MC2 du Cameroun. Dans S. Frimousse (dir.), Africa positive impact : agir pour un meilleur impact sociétal (p. 334-343). EMS. https://doi.org/10.3917/ems.frimo.2020.01.0334
Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU). (s. d.). Objectifs de développement durable. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/fr/objectifs-de-developpement-durable
Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU). (2005). Année internationale du microcrédit 2005. https://www.un.org/french/events/microcredit/
Paillé, P. et Mucchielli, A. (2016). L’analyse qualitative en sciences humaines et sociales. Armand Colin.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon & Schuster.
Ricci, L. A., Ahokpossi, C., Quayyum, S. N. et Turk, R. A. (dir.). (2025). Digital payment innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/-/media/files/publications/dp/2025/english/dpdpiea.pdf
Roodman, D. et Morduch, J. (2013). The impact of microcredit on the poor in Bangladesh: Revisiting the evidence. Journal of Development Studies, 50(4), 583-604. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2013.858122
Servet, J.-M. (2015). Banquiers aux pieds nus : la microfinance. Odile Jacob.
Simonet, M.-A. (2011). Conquête et fidélisation des clients dans les établissements de microfinance au Cameroun : cas des MC2 à l’Ouest Cameroun. Revue des sciences de gestion, 3(249-250), 113-120. https://doi.org/10.3917/rsg.249.0113
Stiglitz, J. et Weiss, A. (1981). Credit rationing in market with imperfect information. The American Economic Review, 71(3), 393-410. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1802787
Vanroose, A. et D’Espallier, B. (2013). Do microfinance institutions accomplish their mission? Evidence from the relationship between traditional financial sector development and microfinance institutions’ outreach and performance. Applied Economics, 45(15), 1965-1982. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2011.641932
Vas, A. (2009). Challenging resistance to change from the top to the shop floor level: An exploratory study. International Journal of Strategic Change Management, 1(3), 253-298.
Wamba, H. (2001). La gestion bancaire en Afrique Centrale à l’heure des grandes mutations : bilan et perspective. Gestion 2000, 18(6), 123-140.
Widin Bongasu, S. (2015). A study of accounting and accountability practices in microfinance institutions (MFIs): Case evidence from Cameroon [Thèse de doctorat, Université de Birmingham]. eTheses. https://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6008/1/Sha%27ven15PhD.pdf
Yunus, M. (2007). Creating a world without poverty: Social business and the future of capitalism. Public Affairs.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jean Roger Mfelam

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
