The Analysis of participation accelerators and their influence on Economic performance of Micro-credit funds for Rural Women (The case of: Jiroft County)

Micro-credits are one of the poverty alleviation strategies that utilize expansion of profitable activities especially for low-income women to accelerate the development of local societies. On the other hand the effect of participation and its accelerator factors on the improvement of Micro-credit funds performance is undeniable. The population of the study includes all the members of micro-credit funds who are in the central part of Jiroft (N=125). As the sample of the study was limited, it was investigated in the form of census. The tool of the research was a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experts of the field and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.71 till 0.92). Structural Equation Modeling using the software of LISRELver8.54 was utilized to investigate the fitness of latent variable and test the research hypothesis. The results of factor analysis, reliability, and fitness of latent factors confirmed the research. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the coefficient of standardized path between political-support factors (t=4.13, γ=0.40), educational factors (t= 3.70, γ= 0.30) and social factors ( t=2.01, γ=0. 32) has a positive significant effect on the economic performance of credit funds. Also, the coefficient of determination showed that 66 percent of variance changes of women’s attitudes toward the performance of micro-credit funds is due to participation accelerators.