All Aboard? Discretionary Work by Agents of Access

Abstract

This paper examines how local agents of access exercise discretion to determine who gets access to essential resources that have bearing on societal welfare, when they face the dilemma of taking into account organizational and community interests simultaneously. Using an inductive study of loans officers of the largest microfinance organization in Cameroon, we investigate how they distinguish between members that are worthy/unworthy of loans. Findings show that a combination of enabling and required factors from both the community and organization guide agents’ discretionary work. The community presents a variety of contexts that enable agents’ creativity to develop simplified decision-making alternatives to choose among clients. The organization empowers agents to legitimize their actions and gain credibility in their dealings with the community. Strong relational ties between the agents and clients condition the discretionary work of controlling community members’ access to organizational resources.