LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ATM                                                                   Automated Teller Machine

COBAC                                                                Banking commission of Central African State

CCC                                                                    Community Credit Company

CPU                                                                     Central Processing Unit

EBIT                                                                     Earnings Before Interest and Tax

ICT                                                                       Information Communication Technology

IT                                                                          Information Technology

MFI                                                                       Microfinance Institutions

MIS                                                                       Management Information System

OE                                                                        Operating Expenses

OI                                                                         Operating Incomes

PLC                                                                       Public Limited Company

ROA                                                                      Return on Assets

ROE                                                                       Return on Equity

ROS                                                                        Return on Sales

SPSS                                                                       Statistics Package for Social Science

TAM                                                                       Theory of Acceptance Model

TRA                                                                        Theory of Reasoned Action

• Hypothesis of the Study

Abubakar (2004) said, “Hypothesis is a theoretical conceptualization or guess about how the researcher thinks the result should look like or as statement that was usually linked to the theory being treated and it was tested in a testable form to predict the relationship between two variables”. For the purpose of this study, the following hypothesis will be generated for testing;

• Null (Ho): H_o There are no significant impacts of ICT on the performance of micro finance institutions
• Alternative (Ha): There are a significant impacts of ICT on the performance of micro finance institutions
  • Research Methodology

Information will be gotten from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data will be gotten through questionnaire, while secondary data will be gotten from the internet, interview and textbooks.  Closed ended questionnaires will be use. The data will be analyzed using frequency and tables. The multiple regression linear analysis will be used to establish the relationship between information communication technology and performance.

1.7 Significance of the Study.

1) This research is out to help objectively raise an opinion based on personal judgement and also express creatively personal ideas about the credibility and relevance of ICT on the performance to top executives and senior management staffs of micro finance institutions as it portrays major challenges that could be facing their organizations. Also, ICTs organization could improve their effectiveness and efficiency by implementing best practices and improving relationships with
management. The management of ICT departments could also use the study findings to help detect weakness and strength of their internal and external controls. Based on that, other firms whether government or private based might perform the best business practice and services.

2) It is also in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Degree in Accountancy in the University of Buea.

3) This study is aimed at giving other prospective researchers in this domain, a background for a more expansive and elaborate inquiry into the topic of ICT and performance in micro finance institutions  in particular, and to stimulate and open fresher avenues for further future queries into ICT and performance in general.

4) The study basically could improve awareness of the challenges facing ICTs usage in their applications in microfinance institutions. Thus, ICTs discipline could get more exposed in its weaknesses and challenges and how to tackle them for effective ICTs usage in Microfinance institutions

5) This work aims at providing managers, directors, and heads of institutions with IT departments with reasonable assurance and guidelines on how they can institute ICT in their businesses to better enhance performance.

6) Furthermore, this study intends to serve as literature for further researchers and to generate ideas which will have policy implication for management to make decisions, since the study has revealed the real and actual condition of ICTs utilization in microfinance performance. In fact, the proposed measures to rectify or review the current policy may be put into use.

1.8 Scope of the Study

This study will narrow around the impact of ICT on the performance of micro finance institutions in Tiko municipality. In the light of broad coverage, the research will be focus on the study case of Community Credit Company (CCC), Tiko. The reason for the carrying out of the study in Tiko is as a result of its numerous businesses, administrative major town in the South West region and also due to time and financial constraints.

• Limitation of the Study

The following are the limitations to this research;

• The small number of study subjects. Due to the small size of the sample, the use of sophisticated statistical technique to analyze the findings is limited. Also, this small number of study subjects may not be a representation for a larger geographical coverage.
• Another limitation is time constraint. As this is an academic work done within a given time frame, the researcher finds the time to be a limiting factor to the study.
• This research work will require so much material and financial sacrifices

However, the researcher will sacrifice everything possible and will be able to find the necessary data in order for him to come up with sufficient information about the study that can be used to facilitate further researchers.