Stakeholders’ Perception on Self Help Group’s Quality Parameters: A Psychometrics Analysis

Aims: The main objective of this paper is to assess the opinion of the direct stakeholders (i.e. Promoters, Donors, Financial Institutions and Group itself) of SHGs regarding the parameters (like design, governance, operational, impact etc.) to be considered while assessing the quality of SHGs.

Study Design: The study was exploratory in nature with Meta Analysis as well as Psychometric Approach based on empiricism.

Place and Duration of Study: The present study covers all the direct Stakeholders of SHGs of Nagaon districts of Assam, India only. Information through questionnaires were collected during first half of 2012 i.e. from March, 2012 to July, 2012.

Methodology: The information about the number of SHGs in respective development blocks and number of other stakeholders were obtained from the Office of DRDA, Nagaon, Assam, India. With multi-stage random sampling method, initially after collection of 116 filled up questionnaires from the respondents, editing of the data was undertaken in order to ensure the omission, completeness and consistency of the data. Finally, 100 questionnaires consisting 44 SHG group members, 12 Financial, 10 Donors and 34 promoters were selected. The questionnaire was personally administered to all direct stakeholders except Group members. Some questionnaires were collected directly by the researcher on face-to-face method and some of them were collected by arranging meetings at village level. In order to gain an in-depth understanding on the research topic specially structured questionnaires were prepared and were later judged by groups of content judges and finally it was pilot tested. Further, the data collected through the questionnaires were analysed through measures of descriptive statistics like mean, median and standard deviation. Chronbach’s alpha, one sample Kolmogorov- Smirnov Test, Shapiro-Wilk Test, Kruskal Wallis Test and Eta Squared Test were also applied in analysing and interpreting the data.

Results: It was observed from KW Test that there exists enough evidence to conclude that there is a no difference among the opinion of the direct stakeholders of SHGs regarding the parameters to be considered while assessing the quality of SHGs. Further, to investigate the degree of association, Eta Squared test was conducted and it indicates low a level of association.

Conclusion: It can be discerned that Groups of QAP-I covering feeling of homogeneity/ solidarity, member awareness about financial, transactions involvement in village issues etc. are the statements where there are no differences of opinion amongst the stakeholders while Groups of QAP-II where differences of opinion exists amongst the stakeholders exists and are considered more decisive statements or factors influencing the quality assessment parameters of SHG under given methodology which was also virtually supported by other researchers. Further, the present study also satisfies the two models of generalisability i.e. Statistical generalisation and transferability or reader generalisability.