Title: Productivity of women self-help groups through quality training and capacity building

Authors: Sarmistha Apat; Snigdha Mohapatra

Addresses: Birla School of Management, Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar, India ' Birla School of Management, Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar, India

Abstract: This research evaluates the impact of training and capacity building towards enhancing the performance of women self-help groups (SHGs) in the context of an emerging economy. Based on the insights from prior studies, this research identifies certain gaps and attempts to fill the vacuum in the literature of rural empowerment, mainly through SHGs. The hypothesised model was empirically tested using structural equation modelling with 418 responses drawn from survey participants. The findings exhibit training positively drive SHGs' performance, while, the link between training and capacity building was also found statistically significant and positive. Moreover, capacity building acted as a potential mediator in the path from training to SHG performance. The findings provide new and interesting insights to facilitate conceptual development and policy formulation. Consequently, this study evidences the vitality of implementing capacity-building and quality training measures to empower and provide economic independence to the underprivileged women in the rural areas.

Keywords: capacity building; quality training; productivity; performance; self-help groups; SHGs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2025.143964

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2025 Vol.44 No.1, pp.1 - 17

Received: 29 Oct 2022
Accepted: 18 Feb 2023
Published online: 16 Jan 2025 *