The formation of community-based organizations: an analysis of a quasi-experiment in Zimbabwe

Barr, Abigail; Dekker, Marleen; Fafchamps, Marcel

Abstract

Previous analyses of the formation and composition of community-based organizations (CBOs) have used cross section data. So, causal inference has been compromised. We obviate this problem by using data from a quasi-experiment in which villages were formed by government officials selecting and clustering households. Our findings are as follows: CBO co-memberships are more likely between geographically proximate households and less likely between early and late settlers, members of female-headed households are not excluded, in poorer villages CBO co-membership networks are denser and, while wealthier households may have been instrumental in setting up CBOs, poorer households engage shortly afterward.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 16, 2014
• Deposit Date: Sep 3, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 3, 2015
• Journal: World Development
• Print ISSN: 0305-750X
• Electronic ISSN: 0305-750X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 66
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.003
• Keywords: Community-based organizations; quasi-experiment; social networks; Africa; Zimbabwe
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/735824
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X14002319#