Tag Archive

> Posted by Chris Wolff, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships & Major Gifts, ACCION International

I love misbehavior.

Don’t get me wrong. I grew up one of the most compliant kids you’d know, and I’m no advocate for breaking rules. But I’ve come to appreciate how much can be learned by paying close attention to “misbehavior.”

Of course, I wish nobody spent the proceeds of microfinance loans to buy cigarettes or alcohol, but as we are often reminded by writers on financial behavior, money is fungible. Microfinance fosters agency building, so we need to honor the rights of different people to choose to spend money on what they deem valuable.

But should providers assist clients by providing options that they can “misuse”?

My view is that service providers should not only respect, but also listen to those choices. When outsiders disregard choices we deem “bad,” or merely tolerate as someone’s right, then we miss opportunities to discern how needs might really be assisted through financial intermediation (or in any way). I’d be worse off if companies just derided American obesity and missed business opportunities to make gyms more appealing or create new product lines like Coke Zero or Pepsi Max to satisfy my sweet tooth. By better understanding good and “bad” choices, providers can offer more meaningful help. Read the rest of this entry »