Efficiency of financial cooperatives. A structured review of the literature

The objective of this study is to provide a complete overview of models, methodologies, and variables used in the measurement of financial and social efficiency in financial entities, their determining factors, the main topics on which the studies revolve, as well as their possible gaps, through a structured literature review. Researched was done in 67 multi-country bibliographic sources (1992-2023) identified in the WOS and SCOPUS databases. The studies focused on ten topics: ownership, social efficiency, crisis, risk, determinants, size, mergers and acquisitions, methodologies, input-output and others. Among the main findings is the type of ownership, it is evident that efficiency varies according to the institutional context (banks, cooperatives, microfinance institutions). The evidence so far indicates that cooperatives and non-governmental organizations (hereafter NGOs) are less efficient than banks and Non-Banking Financial Institutions (hereafter, NBFIs). Social and financial performance can produce synergies; however, cooperatives that are more financially efficient are not efficient in their social dimension or vice versa. Efficiency in times of crisis has been a factor of interest in studies of cooperatives and they have proven to be resilient in these times. Non-Performing Loans (hereafter NPL) risks reduce efficiency as well as liquidity and solvency risks. With respect to the determinants of efficiency, competition, territory, and financial indicators: Capital, Asset, Management, Earning and Liquidity (hereafter CAMEL) are significant in the studies. Size has been a characteristic factor due to economies of scale; larger cooperatives tend to be more efficient not only economically but also from a social point of view. Data Envelopment Analysis (hereafter DEA) is the most used methodology to determine the efficiency of financial cooperatives based on the inputs and outputs used. Mergers and acquisitions do not improve efficiency and the determining in being part of these processes is the smaller asset size. This study revealed the importance of the financial efficiency and social efficiency as factors in financial cooperatives. Future lines of research are also added when gaps in the literature are detected.