Abstract:
Tanzania. such existence results into having Successful SACCOS (SUS) and unsuccessful
SACCOS (UNSUS). The establishment of the characteristics of SUS and remains inadequate and
determination of the key success characteristics remains silent as well. That was a knowledge gap
on which the research for this paper focused. The study was intended to assess success
characteristics for SACCOS. The specific objectives were to establish characteristics behind SUS
and UNSUS and determine key success characteristics of SACCOS. Primary data were collected
using questionnaires which were administered to 120 SACCOS in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma,
Kilimanjaro and Morogoro regions. Descriptive statistics were used to establish success
characteristics of SACCOS. Binary logistic regression enabled the researcher to establish the key
success characteristics of SACCOS. Fourteen success characteristics of SACCOS were
established. The key success characteristics determined (Wald statistics in parentheses) were, ratio
of number of staff to members being one to 154 (15.392), positive growth of total number of active
members-the number to reach 1000 or more (10.344), positive changes in business of members
(2.538), origin of SACCOS being members (2.097) and repayment rate of loans being 2 95%
(1.983). Nagelkerke R2 was 0.734. The established success characteristics and the determined key
success characteristics were as per motivation components of the cognitive theory. It is argued that
success characteristics of SACCOS should be developed, availed, maintained and applied by the
stakeholders of SACCOS in order to influence increase in number of successful SACCOS in
Tanzania.
