How the unbanked cope with financial exclusion: Evidence from Pakistan

This article investigates both the coping strategies employed by low-income unbanked consumers in Pakistan and the consequences of those strategies. Qualitative data were gathered from low-income unbanked consumers through in-depth interviews. The findings suggest that unbanked consumers utilize their respective social networks and various market and personal resources to cope with financial exclusion. The utilization of social network resources to cope with financial exclusion typically enabled participants to fulfill their obligations in a positive manner and enhanced solidarity and trust among group members, whereas the use of market and personal resources tended to produce more negative…

An Exploration of Issues and Challenges Faced by Students in Distance Learning Environment

This paper investigates the issues and challenges encountered by students obtaining distance education in Pakistan. We conducted interviews with students obtaining distance education and they were enrolled in different study programs. Qualitative interviews were conducted to understand the perception of the study participants regarding the issues and challenges faced by them in learning. Students from five distance learning programs were selected and five participants from each study program were interviewed in this study. The findings reveal that distance learning students encounter impediment in their learning due to their personal circumstances, teachers’ related issues, and due to asses…

ROSCAs Role in Facilitating Control to the Unbanked : Evidence from Pakistan

This study investigated the role of Rotating savings and credit association ''ROSCA'' in allowing unbanked consumers to control and manage their routine financial matters and assessed the consequences of the Committee (i.e.ROSCA) system for unbanked consumers in the Pakistani context. Qualitative data were gathered from low-income unbanked consumers through semi-structured interviews. The study finds that the institutional culture and rules of Committees offer unbanked participants control over their everyday financial affairs and generally provide the unbanked an opportunity to address their vulnerability. However, Committees lack legally binding contracts and thus the possibility of fraud…

Vulnerability of the unbanked : evidence from a developing country

Financial exclusion is an apparent phenomenon globally, the majority of people without bank accounts living in the developing countries. Those who lack access to financial services could experience vulnerability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to unfold the vulnerability of the low-income unbanked consumers in a Pakistani context. Qualitative data were gathered from low-income unbanked consumers through in-depth interviews. The findings suggest that unbanked consumers are vulnerable in many ways. The participants faced several negative consequences due to their financial exclusion, which resulted into their personal, economic and social detriment. Based on our study findings, we p…

Banks’ unfairness and the vulnerability of low-income unbanked consumers

This paper’s objective was to explore low-income unbanked consumers’ perceptions of bank fairness and the way these perceptions were linked to consumer experiences of vulnerability. Qualitative data were used to analyse low-income consumers’ perceptions about banks’ services and communications. The study finds that although consumers’ financial inclusion is partially hindered by their personal circumstances, the perceived unfair treatment by banks has an even more negative impact on their financial inclusion. Low-income unbanked individuals report banks avoiding them, discriminating against them and impeding their financial inclusion. Banks’ perceived unfairness towards low-income consumers…

Vulnerability of the unbanked: evidence from a developing country

How Organizational Unfairness Impedes Service Employees Needs Fulfillment? The Case of Islamic Banking Industry in Pakistan

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how organizational unfairness impedes fulfilment of various needs of non-managerial employees at Islamic banks. Methodology: The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews from sixteen non-managerial employees of different fully Islamic bank branches located in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. Findings: The study findings indicate that issues in the distributive, procedural and interactional justice elements of Islamic banks impedes fulfilment of basic, social, security, self-esteem, and self-actualization needs of non-managerial service employees of Islamic banks and adversely affects their wellbeing. Significance: This resear…

The marketplace vulnerability of low-income unbanked consumers : a developing country perspective

Financial exclusion is recognised as an important element of socio-economic inequality where economically vulnerable groups are excluded from basic financial services. The issue of financial exclusion is mainly concentrated in the world’s developing countries. However, research on the issue of financial exclusion in the field of marketing as well as from the perspective of unbanked consumers is lacking. Although financial exclusion impedes low-income consumers’ welfare, there is a shortage of wellbeing related studies on low-income consumers in the context of developing countries. This doctoral dissertation aims to investigate the ways in which low-income unbanked consumers experience vulne…

Potential Issues of Skin Fairness Creams TV advertisements in Pakistan

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential product performance and social issues caused by Fairness creams Television advertisements in Pakistan. Qualitative data was gathered from the female university students and gilrs from low socio economic backgrounds in Rawalpindi (19-28 years, n=96) through twelve focus group interviews. Firstly; study results suggest that fairness creams television ads overstate the product benefits. Some respondents revealed face skin problems after the usage of fairness creams. Secondly; study findings suggest that roles shown in the commercials are potentially reinforcing and raising negative values in the society, show stereo type roles of the women…