ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessing The Effect Of Monitoring Equipment On Patient Health In A Standard Hospital

A hospital based cross sectional study was used to assess impacts of monitoring equipment on patients’ health in a standard hospital. The main objective of the study was to determine the impact of monitoring equipment on patients’ health in a standard hospital. A cross-sectional study was used to determine the impact of monitoring equipment on patients’ health in a standard hospital in which a purposive sampling technique was used to select 180 patients who were put on 6 monitoring equipment in groups of 30 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Other secondary information was gathered from documentary source in the form of reports, records and review of literature from the various sources. Patients who went through dialysis, 66.6% of them had their temperature increased and this difference is statistically significant (p=0.004). However, 63.3 % of the respondents recorded no change in their temperature after going through computer topography (CT) and ultrasound scans. The results also indicate that 76.6% had their weight reduced after going through dialysis and the difference is statistically significant p=0.003. The study further found out that most of the respondents (80.0%) recorded an increase in their blood pressure after going through dialysis procedure the difference is statistically significant with systolic(p=0.011) and diastolic(0.005). However, majority of the respondents recorded no change in their blood pressure after ultrasound and CT scan. However, more than 70% recorded no change in their pulse after going through CT and ultrasound scan. In conclusion, findings from this study show that there may be negative impacts of monitoring equipment on patients’ health as temperature and others rise as one goes through some of these procedures. It is recommended that further research should include effect of monitoring equipment on body temperature, pule rate, weight and blood pressure as little research has been done in this area.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of outsourcing on organizational Performance: A case study of Metro Mass Transit Ltd

Outsourcing is defined as the strategic use of outside resources to perform activities traditionally handled by internal staff and resources. The key reason for outsourcing includes the financial reasons such as cost reduction. The aim of the study was to critically examine the effects of outsourcing on organizational performance in Metro Mass Transit Limited. Three objectives were set to help achieve the aim of the study. The study adopted a quantitative method of enquiry with questionnaires designed to help achieve the aim and objectives of the study. SPSS version 20 was used in analysing the data gathered from the respondents and Cronbach Alpha was used to test for the reliability and validity of the data gathered from the respondents. Findings from the survey revealed that Metro Mass Transit Unit outsource the cleaning of their facilities, security personnel, Information Technology services/functions, facility management and some human resource functions. From the survey, the respondents at Metro Mass Transit Unit identified some of the impact of the outsourced functions on their company’s profitability; they have time to focus on their core functions which has allowed them to remain competitive, and innovativeness by coming up with new ways of discharging their core duties. Also, there has been an improvement in the discharge of their duties since they have resources that help them to focus on their main activities. Also, some of the effects that Metro Mass Transit has experienced from outsourcing are; they have markedly high market share, their customers are increasingly getting satisfied with their products, there has been a significant reduction of expenditures in the institution as a result of outsourcing, the growth of the firm has been steady and very satisfactory in terms of return on investment and sales and performance of the business is satisfactory. It is however recommended that that a need analysis must be conducted to ascertain whether outsourcing is necessary before implementing it and a thorough background study should be conducted on the outsourcing vendors to know their capabilities and abilities before contracting them so as to avoid any substandard work .

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of procurement planning on service delivery in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA)

Procurement planning has been a primary function of procurement which has the possibility to contribute to the accomplishment of local governments operation in improving service delivery. It sets in motion the whole acquirement and procurement process of local governments. Notwithstanding this importance, very little research has been done to scrutinize the magnitude to which efforts in procurement planning can contribute to effective local governance. Local government authorities, being among the public service institutions, have the responsibility to ensure that procurement planning achieves what it intends for national development programmes and specifically, the procurement activities. It is therefore important for the public organizations to approach the procurement planning as critical success factor for the organizational success and for the value for money in the whole procurement process. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of procurement planning on service delivery within the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. In order to achieve the aim and objectives of this study, the purposive sampling technique was used. In all questionnaires were administered to 62 workers at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. The research reviewed procurement planning influences on service delivery to a greater extent, as it can determine the cost and accessibility of a service. The major importance of procurement planning that was established in the study were; procurement planning ensures efficient and effective delivery of a service. The study also reviewed the challenges faced in dealing with procurement planning. It is difficult for the workers to adapt to new and changing procurement methods. The assembly does not have adequate personnel with the requisite knowledge and skills in dealing with procurement issues. Based on these challenges, some recommendations were suggested to help minimize procurement planning challenges. The Assembly should provide in service training to build the capacity of workers in dealing with procurement planning.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of organizational culture on strategy implementation of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the Kumasi Metropolis

This study assessed the impact of organizational culture on strategy implementation among SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study employed a quantitative correlation design since it sought to establish the relationship existing between organizational culture and strategy implementation. In all, fifty six employees were conveniently sampled from ten SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis to provide relevant information on the forms of organizational culture existing in their respective firms as well as issues concerning strategy implementation in their firms. The findings of the study revealed that four different forms of organizational culture existed among SMEs which included clan culture, adhocracy culture, hierarchical culture and market culture. However, clan culture and adhocracy culture were identified as the dominant forms of organizational culture existing among SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis. On the other hand, market culture and hierarchy culture were found to be the least forms of organizational culture existing among SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis. Per the findings of the study, strategies are well implemented to a greater extent by both employees and management of SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis. The findings of the study also identified a significant positive relationship existing between organizational culture and strategy implementation (β=.377, p-value=0.012). This gives the implication that the adherence to the organizational culture by both employees and management has enhanced their ability to implement organizational strategies effectively. The study therefore recommended the need for continual compliance to organizational core values since they form the basis of their organizational culture and hence play a pivotal role in strategy implementation. The study also recommended the need for a bottom-up approach in both strategy formulation and implementation

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Effect of Procurement Systems on the Design Team’s Performance

The study investigated into performance of design team under traditional and design and build systems of procurement using selected public procurement entities in Kumasi Metropolis. The study employed purposive sampling technique to identify and select the institutions and they were Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) (development office) and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Architects, Engineering Services Limited (AESL) and Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI). The study further identified and selected four members of the design team in all the institutions and these were architects, quantity surveyors, engineers and surveyors who are permanently engaged in procurement activities with specific roles. The study discovered that design team performed their roles better under the design and build system than the traditional system and design and build system reduces time cost and financial cost due to project variable and increases clients expectation. Moreover, design and build systems offered collaboration and coordination among design team and between design team and clients. However, the study found that despite the merit of design and build over traditional system, the traditional system is commonly adopted in Ghana. It was recommended that the building industry should have recruitment or succession and retention plan, increase awareness of design and build method and there should be more collaboration and co-operation among the design team and between design team and clients.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Effect of Seed Quality Characteristics on the Growth and Yield of Four Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) Varieties

A study was conducted to investigate how the parameters of variety, seed size, seed health and some biochemical qualities of the seed affect the growth, yield and viability of the harvested cowpea seeds. Field and laboratory experiments were carried out from November 2012 to March 2013 at the Crops Research Institute of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) at Fumesua near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Results of the study showed that there were no significant differences among varieties and seed size in terms of germinability for both original and harvested seeds. However, Nhyira large and Asontem small seed sizes had significant higher germination before planting. Nine (9) and ten (10) seed borne fungi were however, identified on the original and harvested seeds respectively, after conducting seed health test using the blotter method. On the effect of the incidences of seed-borne pathogens on seeds tested for germinability, a regression analysis showed that Macrophomina phaseolina and Corynespora cassiicola were predominant seedborne pathogens that had major effect on germination. The study also showed that plants from small seeded cowpeas emerged earlier when compared to large cowpea seeds. Small seed size of all the varieties emerged earlier when compared to large seed sizes of the same varieties. Higher seedling establishment was found in large cowpea seeds planted (95%) when compared to that of small seeds (88.6%). Plants from the large seeds were taller than plants from small seeds from 2 to 3 weeks after planting but did not have any advantage from week four up to the end of the growing period . Among varieties, Asontem had the highest height and Soronko recorded the least. There were no differences in pod and seed yields among varieties as well as in seed sizes. Large seeds planted produced larger seeds compared to small seed size. There were also no differences in proximate composition among varieties for original and harvested seeds. Large seed size had the higest proximate composition and that was significantly different from small seed size except for carbohydrate content which was high in small seeds than large seeds.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of selection tools as a predictor of employee performance: A case study of Ghana Revenue Authority, Kumasi

The study was conducted to assess the effect of selection tools as a predictor of employee performance at Ghana Revenue Authority, Kumasi. Hiring the wrong people or failing to anticipate fluctuations in hiring needs can be costly, it is important that conscious efforts are put into human resource planning (Biles, et al.,1980). The purpose of this study is to investigate, identify and determine which selection tool affects employee performance on the job and could be used to enhance organizational development at Ghana Revenue Authority, Kumasi. The study covered 100 respondents consisting of 7 management members, 43 senior staff and 50 junior staff. Respondents were randomly selected using proportional stratified sampling technique. Personal interviews and structured questionnaires were employed in primary data collection. The study revealed that interviews, tests, application forms and background reference checks were the main selection tools used at Ghana Revenue Authority, Kumasi. Interview 6 (85.7%) was the most commonly used selection tool. Reason contributing to the type of selection used included its popularity, ease to use, predictive ability and the organization’s policy. Cognitive test was perceived to be a good predictor of employee performance whereas unstructured interview was perceived to be a poor predictor. Challenges identified with the use of selection tools included the use of outmoded selection tools such as graphology, improper use of selection of the selection tools, panel member bias and faking of some selection tools. Following from the findings, it is recommended in order to improve on the predictability of the selection tools used, the selection process must be based on merits and not on relationships and there is also the need for using combination of selection tools.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of strategic planning on the performance of Microfinance Institutions in Ghana: moderation effect of marketing and managerial capability

Many companies today from multi-billion dollar corporations to Microfinance enterprises fail in one way or the other, not because they are incompetent, but because they do not have a solid grasp of what business strategy really is. Again, implementation of strategy has been identified as an enigma and source of frustration in many companies. Unfortunately, few studies have addressed issues relating to strategy-making processes of MFIs. This study generally sought to assess the interactive effect of strategic planning, managerial and marketing capabilities on the performance of MFIs in Ghana. The study adopted a descriptive approach. Out of a total of 64 licenced MFIs in the Ashanti Region, the study drew 60 MFIs for the study. In all 200 respondents were selected from the 60 MFIs. The main sources of data comprised primary and secondary data. The researcher adopted purposive sampling technique in selecting respondents. Questionnaires constituted the main research instrument. At the end, the study found that microfinance institutions involved in a generally accurate and frequent strategic planning activities. In investigating the direct impact of strategic planning on the performance of the microfinance institutions, the study found that only firm size had a significant impact on performance (B = 5.931, sig = 0.000). The coefficients of the organisational capability variables; marketing (B = 0.86, p> 0.10) and managerial (B = 0.25, p> 0.10) shows that though marketing and managerial capability have a positive effect on performance, the impact of each variable was not strong or adequate. It is therefore recommended that management undertakes periodic comprehensive analysis in addition to effective evaluation and control to identify strengths and weaknesses as well as possible threats and opportunities that may exist. Again, MFIs are also encouraged to consider inorganic growth through Mergers and Acquisitions if they need to expand and grow their market share.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of strategic purchasing on supply chain performance - a case of selected firms in the beverahe industry in Ghana

The main purpose of this study is to improve supply chain performance through strategic purchasing function of organisations. The study develops a conceptual model where strategic purchasing practices are considered as the independent variable with supply chain performance as the dependent variable which is measured in three dimensions – resource performance, output performance and flexibility performance. The conceptual model is tested by data collected from firms in the beverage industry in Ghana in an attempt to address the objectives of the study. Out of the one hundred (100) questionnaires administered, 82 were iv returned representing 82% response rate. This research provides a clear insight into and a particular finding on the relationship between strategic purchasing practices and specific supply chain performance measures (resource performance, output performance and flexibility performance) among firms in Ghana. The studies that were conducted by previous scholars had found and stated that strategic purchasing has positive effects on overall company performance. In this research, the findings are also in line with that statement, and identifying that among firms in Ghana especially, the strategic purchasing activities have great and positive influence on company supply chain performance. However, the effect on output performance and resource performance were more than that of flexibility performance. Therefore, firms in Ghana should have an emphasis on improving and leveraging the purchasing functions into a more strategic direction so that they achieve their performance targets’ and gain significant cost savings on key resources.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of supply chain management practices on competitive advantage and customer satisfaction

The study assessed the effect of supply chain management practices on competitive advantage and customer satisfaction. An explanatory research design was utilized to collect data from a convenience sample of 110 respondents using closed-ended questionnaires. Quantitative and explanatory designs were adopted for the study. Also, the data was analysed using the PLS4 and SEM. The study found that, supply chain management practices have a negative effect on customer satisfaction, hence, H1 is unsupported. The study further found that supply chain management practices positively affect competitive advantage which, in turn positively affects customer satisfaction. Moreover, the mediating effect of CA between SCMP and CS is also significant. The study therefore recommends that, there is the need for companies to carefully manage their supply chains to ensure that they are delivering high-quality products to customers in a timely and transparent manner. The study based on these findings recommends that, management of firms should continuously engage their supply chain partners in a collaborative manner to help satisfy customer demand. Again, it is recommended that, there is the need for the firms to consider and implement which SCM practices positively results in achieving competitive advantage which in turn leads to customer satisfaction. The study again conceptualized customer satisfaction as the predicted variable and the supply chain management practices being the predictor variable. nevertheless, future researchers are recommended to consider how supply chain management practices affect firm performance and the moderation role of top management commitment.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the effect of supply chain management practices on the operational performance of ghana rubber estates limited: the mediating role of knowledge sharing.

For the majority of businesses that wish to continue operating and acquire a competitive edge in today's global market, effective and efficient supply chain management has emerged as a serious topic of discussion and worry. Since rivalry is now within supply chains rather than between firms, it has emerged as a potentially fruitful method of achieving competitive advantage through improving organizational and operational performances. Seven dimensions of SCM practice (strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, level of information sharing, logistics, internal lean practices, Responsiveness, Outsourcing) are conceptualized, developed, and tested in this study. It also examines the links between SCM practices and operational performance. Data for the study were gathered from 52 GREL employees. The relationships proposed in the framework were tested using Pearson correlation, the causal relations were analyzed using regression analysis and the chi-square test of independence of which the strength was further investigated with the Phi’s and Crammer’s Values respectively. From the result of the analysis, it is concluded that SCM practices largely influences operational performance. Consequently, the mediation test revealed that knowledge sharing is not a mediator of Supply chain management practices and organizational operational performance, thus the direct effect of knowledge sharing on supply chain management practices and operational performance is insignificant and hence has a non-mediation effect Therefore, in order to achieve advancement in their supply chain management practices in the long-run through enhancing operational performance, it is better for the organization to give due emphasis to the constructs of SCM practices (logistics and responsiveness) and the measures of operational performance

Source: KNUST