COMMUNICATION IN MICROFINANCE
An Exploratory Case Study

Irina Gendelman and Giorgia Aiello
University of Washington

Introduction

The main goal of this study is to propose a research model rooted in communication scholarship for the study of development issues as it relates to the transnational activity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Communication plays an important role in how norms and agency are constructed and how relationships of power are defined. Communication patterns and strategies reveal how meanings are articulated within an organization's culture. These meanings do not only stem from an international shared vision, but they are also embedded in each organization's national and/or regional cultural contexts. This is particularly interesting, because it can offer a set of tools for the study of meaning making practices in a global context.