ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Total Quality Management (TQM) Application at Aluworks Limited

Quality has become imperative in today’s business environment as a means of survival. The aim of this study was to ascertain the quality awareness and application situation at Aluworks Ltd and the potential benefits associated with it. It also aimed at looking for areas of improvement in TQM implementation in the company. This is important especially when Ghana’s industries are facing severe competition from low cost and high value added rivals from industrialized countries. The result should help not only to increase quality awareness, but also to implement quality management more effectively. The review of this subject matter established the fact that human-oriented factors such as training, education, motivation, communication, and customer satisfaction among others are factors essential for effective TQM implementation. It also considered the importance of TQM, benefits and criticisms against International Standards Operations (ISO) 9000 and the relationship between TQM and ISO 9000 family standards. It was also established that even though ISO 9000 has its own limitations, it offers a solid foundation to a successful TQM implementation thus need not be an enemy to TQM implementation but be seen as a complementary tool. The study revealed that the quality culture in the company is not fully developed. There were missing elements like measurement of cost of quality in each department and benchmarking. However, production, profit, dividend per share and sales, especially export has been increasing at an increasing rate since the introduction of the quality management systems in the company. This establishes the fact that quality systems have direct relationship with productivity and profitability, which makes its application economically feasible. There is the need to develop quality management curricula in our polytechnics and universities to prepare potential managers and industrial workers before they enter into industries. Again there is the need for technical assistance to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in quality implementation as well as creating a quality award system with the initiative of The Ministry of Trade and Industries to encourage manufacturers in adopting quality systems. A change in company culture in terms of increasing acceptance of TQM/ISO 9000 concepts and ideas is mostly needed. There is therefore the need to the review reward and recognition systems, training and communication system as well as undertaking measurements in each department. Again, continued efforts have to be put in training and educating the reluctant managers to adopt the ISO 9000/TQM to accept the concepts thereby establishing uniform management commitment. More so, integration of the quality system with that of Human Resource Management (HRM) function to translate the performance in quality management programmes into objective career performance evaluation criteria is a necessity.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the total quality management of the engineering department of cocoa processing company limited

Organizations which have effectively utilize Total Quality Management (TQM) have client and quality installed in their corporate system. Manufacturing companies are not the exception to this since they are companies that are not isolated from society but on the contrary, they are strongly linked to it. The purpose of the study, assesses the Total Quality Management (TQM) of the engineering department of Cocoa Processing Company Limited. The research design adopted for the study was survey design and the quantitative research approach. The population of the study was employees of the engineering department of Cocoa Processing Company Limited, Tema from which the sample size was drawn. The sampling method adopted in this research is convenience sampling method. SPSS such as mean, standard deviation, rank score and frequency distribution tables were employed to analyze the data collected. The data analyzed confirmed that the Total Quality Management (TQM) of the engineering department of Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPCL) focus on quality and productivity improvement and team work to fix common problems in the product or process. The study discovered that every company member was focused on service quality, while there was collaboration with all departments and that with Total Quality Management (TQM) of the engineering department of Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPCL), anyone can suggest areas for improvement, focuses on implementation of changes, and requires training to be familiar with the necessary Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques. It is recommended that, top administration and the whole staff in the Engineering Department of Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPCL) to be focused on the change of value in all parts of their tasks

Source: KNUST
Assessing the systemic risk of the banking system in Ghana.

Central Banks and the various stakeholders in the banking sector are charged with safeguarding overall financial stability and one key concern is systemic risk. This study focused on assessing the systemic risk of the banking system in Ghana. Secondary data from the balance sheet of 20 selected banks for the period 2014 to 2016 (financial years) as well as the interbank market transaction data were used for the study. Risk rating and stress testing were employed for the analysis. Risk rating was done using some ratios criteria based the Basel II, Basel III, general liquidity and capital requirements. Again, an assumed extreme case of negative shocks was used to stressed test the banks (and banking system) in Ghana to see if they have enough ―muscles‖ to absorb the shocks, and this was done in two folds: solvency stress test and liquidity stress test. The study showed that The Royal Bank contributed the highest to systemic risk whilst Standard Chartered Bank contributed the lowest. The study further revealed that the average risk rating of banks in Ghana is medium implying a relative financial stability of the risk profile of banks in Ghana. It was also found that the resilience of banks in Ghana to systemic risk under solvency stressed scenario is moderate. However, the resilience to systemic risk is very low in the case of a sudden distress with a bank’s funding resulting from information spillover. Finally, the study showed a moderate impact of loan default of banks on systemic risk. Based on the findings it is recommended that the existing financial regulatory framework should be revised by regulators and supervisors of the banking system in order to make the systemic situation of the banking system of Ghana better. It is also recommended that, the banks in Ghana monitor and control their funding and liquidity mismatch limits across legal entities, business lines, currencies and jurisdictions to ensure that there are always adequate funds to fulfil their withdrawal obligations.

Source: KNUST
ASSESSING THE TAKEOVER OF INTERCONTINENTAL BANK GHANA LIMITED BY ACCESS BANK GHANA LIMITED (ABG) AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ABG

The increased globalization has seen businesses enter new markets in order to expand their customer base and compete better within the ever increasing competitive environment. Mergers and acquisitions (Takeovers) has become one major strategy of growth used by these businesses to survive these competitions and ensure growth. This study assessed the takeover of Intercontinental bank Ghana Limited (IBG) by Access Bank Ghana Limited (ABG) as a growth strategy. The research was undertaken as a case study where quantitative research analysis was employed to determine the impact of the takeover on the financial performance of ABG (the predator bank) while assessing the existence of synergy in the takeover process. The final objective was to identify the challenges faced by ABG after acquiring IBG and assess the various strategies employed by management to overcome the challenges. Secondary data (Published financial reports of ABG and IBG) was used for measuring financial performance and synergy. Here, financial ratios were calculated for financial performance measurement while in measuring synergy, t statistics analysis was used to determine the significance difference between the mean of ABG after the merger, and ABG & IBG together where there is no merger. A researcher administered interview was also used to gather primary data for assessing the challenges encountered during the takeover and strategies adopted by management to overcome the challenges. The study found that, the takeover had a positive impact on the financial performance of ABG as majority of the financial ratios calculated gave a positive impact. In terms of synergy, there was a positive evidence of synergy in the takeover processed. This was confirmed with the t statistics results where it was found that the mean of the financial figures for ABG was significantly higher for when there is a merger than when there is no merger. The study recommended that the bank liberalizes its banking philosophies to take advantage of the large retail banking opportunity of IBG.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the user participation in the operation and maintenance for the sustainability of community water and sanitation programme in the Birim South District, Eastern Region of Ghana

A lot of experiences support the assertion that user participation in the operation and maintenance (O&M) is crucial for the sustainability of water supply and sanitation services. The views of the user are therefore necessary in the performance measurement of such services. User involvement in operation and maintenance (O&M) could be theoretical even in a system that claims to have been practising it. There can be new construction to solve the problem of water supply and sanitation but the real solution is the capability to operate and maintain the water supply and sanitation system. The former government-managed water system in the Birim South District has been replaced by a community-owned and managed system in some communities since 1998.The new system is to be strengthened and replicated in more communities. The system, which envisages an improvement in O&M and ensures sustainability through user participation has so far not been assessed. Without such an assessment a lot of useful information could be missing to help in taking remedial measures and the replication of the programme. The study, which elicited the views and opinions of mainly female users, revealed that while the programme was welcomed a lot of teething problems in O&M threaten its sustainability. The problems with water services ranged from the difficulty in operating the facility, frequent breakdowns, long waiting hours, poor water quality and long distance to facility. On the present showing, for example, a minimum of 50% of the water facilities are not functioning. The problems with sanitation were leakage along vent pipes, nuisance from vectors like flies and cockroaches .and rising water table. Users were not adequately involved in O&M especially at the inception of the programme. There had also been little education or sensitisation on community-ownership and management. Users therefore do not see any clear roles and responsibilities to play in O&M. Furthermore there had not been any training for users to play any specific roles in O&M. From the benefit of the study strategies have been recommended to make the user more proactive to meet the new challenges in O&M to make the water and sanitation services delivery sustainable. These include the early and full participation of the user in all the processes from planning to post implementation stages, capacity development of users and based on gender considerations, education or sensitisation, strengthening of local institutions and putting in place participatory monitoring and evaluation systems. The results of the study will be useful and disseminated to all stakeholders dealing with community-owned and managed programmes; especially District Assemblies which are advised to emphasise on user participation in their District Water and Sanitation Plans. Areas for detailed and further research include financial, technical and social management for O&M.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Training Needs of Academic and Research Libraries Staff in Ghana

Academic and Research Libraries are transiting from the various traditional means of services provision since the dawn of the 21st century. As a result, training and retraining of staff have become imperative in the Library and Information Science profession. This paper takes a look at the training needs of staff in Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana. The main objective of the study was to investigate the training needs of staff of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana and make recommendations to improve them. The survey approach was adopted in conducting the study and questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data and findings were presented using tables, pie charts and graphs. The findings suggest that Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana organise training programmes for their staff. However, the frequency and duration of the training programmes are not enough to meet the needs of the staff. Also, staff in the Libraries have specific preferences but they are not given the opportunity to make inputs in their training programmes. The study recommended that the frequency, duration and methods of training should be improved. Needs assessment should be conducted in order to know the actual training needs of staff and all categories of staff should be given the opportunity to attend training programmes.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Water Quality of River Asuotia And Six Hand-Dug Wells at Wamfie in the Dormaa East District of Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana

he reliance on rivers and hand-dug wells as the only source of good drinking water in most communities in Ghana makes the assessment of the quality of such water sources important. A large section of population of Wamfie is outside the grid of treated water supplied by the Bia water treatment plant and as such depend on River Asuotia and hand-dug wells to meet their basic daily water requirement. These water sources unlike treated piped water are not monitored for pollution indicators even though bulk of the population relies on them for drinking and other domestic activities. The study looked at the water quality of River Asuotia and six hand-dug wells which serve as source of water to the greater section of Wamfie inhabitants in terms of microbial load and some physico-chemical parameters. Water samples were collected and analyzed monthly for four months from December 2011 to March 2012. The results were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ghana standards for drinking water. Physico-chemical parameters such as conductivity and total dissolved solids were low in the wells and the river studied. The pH of the wells was found to be acidic whilst that of the river was neutral. The river showed high turbidity level above WHO/EPA-Ghana recommended guideline value of 0-10NTU. Arsenic and lead were below detection in both water sources. Iron levels in the wells were within standard limit but high in the river. Nitrate concentration was also low in the river. There were presence of total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli in both water sources at levels high above WHO/EPA-Ghana maximum control level for drinking water. It is recommended among others that the wells should be disinfected at least once a year, and be sited at higher elevations away from septic tanks, refuse dumps and latrines. Free range system of raising animals should be discouraged in the community to avoid indiscriminate defecating and direct access to the river by grazing and domestic animals to prevent faecal pollution.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the vehicle income tax payment within the informal sector: A Case Study Of Kumasi Metropolis.

Taxation plays an important role in economic development by sustaining the existence of the state and financing both social programs and infrastructure investment. However the widespread informal sector posits challenges on transitional economies with domestic revenue mobilization. The key objective of the research was to assess the effectiveness of the Vehicle Income Tax system in widening the tax net and the perception of drivers and car owners’ towards the Vehicle Income Tax. The population consisted of all commercial drivers in Kumasi. The study adopted purposive and convenience sampling in collecting data from respondents. Both primary and secondary data were used with questionnaires as the main instrument used for the collection of primary data. Most of the respondents are of the view that the government does not provide enough information about how they use taxpayers’ money (VIT). Again, a large proportion of taxes are used by the government for meaningless purposes. They see issues of waste and corruption in government to be so high that they do not see the need to pay VIT. The study recommended that the printing of the VIT stickers should be vested in the hands of Ghana Revenue Authority.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Water Supply Potential of Boreholes on Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Campus

There have been major expansions on the Kumasi water supply system all in the bid to meet the demand of its ever-growing population. However, many places in the metropolis still continue to experience interrupted water supply and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) even though it is a priority area, continues to experience water shortages. In a bid to cover these shortages, colleges, departments, hostels etc. have drilled boreholes to make up for the shortages. As a result, many boreholes are dotted over the university campus serving the needs of individual departments and hostels. This project seeks to assess the groundwater potential of KNUST to see if all the boreholes could be integrated into a system of water supply for the university community. Mapping of all boreholes (with coordinates and some characteristics such as yield and depth) on campus has been done. The daily water demand for the university has been estimated to be 3000 .The potential of all the boreholes drilled on campus has been assessed to be 2220 when pumping for 18 hours a day. The water quality of the water from the boreholes has been analysed and the results show that, there are no major health concerns from the existing boreholes in terms of iron, lead, manganese, arsenic and fluoride. However, total coliform was found to be present and the pH values show the water was slightly acidic and would pose some health risks to consumers. Therefore the water from the boreholes requires a limited amount of treatment in respect of disinfection and pH correction. Since the boreholes on the university campus have the potential of meeting about 74 % of the university’s total demand, it is recommended that a conscious effort be made to bring all the borehole water to a point where quality improvement can be done before its distribution to the whole university community.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Welfare Value of the Elmina Beach

Beaches worldwide offer a broad range of goods and services to coastal communities and economies. One of such services which provide considerable benefit to Ghanaians is beach recreation. This work represents a Ghanaian attempt to estimate the welfare value a recreational visitor places on the Elmina beach, in the Central Region of Ghana, using the individual Travel Cost Method. The main objective of this research was to find the welfare value of the Elmina beach. Specifically, the factors affecting the recreational visits made to the Elmina beach were analyzed, the visitor’s consumer surplus gained for visiting the beach was established and lastly, an entrance fee that would maximize entrance fee income to local managers of the Elmina beach was computed. The trip generating function was estimated by using Negative Binomial Count Model and survey data collected on-site. The average number of visits made to the beach was 7, with an average distance traveled to the beach at 10.51km and an average trip cost of GH¢ 5.24. Travel cost, age, educational level and multi-destination and multi-purpose trips were the significant factors that helped to explain recreational trips made to the beach. The consumer surpluses per visitor for local, non-local and all visitors were GH¢ 39.43, GH¢64.47 and GH¢ 37.17 respectively. The hypotheses tests revealed there was a significant difference between local and non-local visitors; and multi-destination and multi-purpose trips affect number of trips made to the beach. The maximum entrance fee that would maximize income was GH¢ 0.21 per day. It is recommended that efforts should be made by the government and private sector to improve monitoring at the Elmina beach so that there would be efficiency in collecting entrance fees in the future. Furthermore, similar research should be undertaken in other beaches in Ghana to help get the economic value of all beaches in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Assessing total quality management (TQM) as a basis for effective customer satisfaction in customs, excise and preventive service (CEPS), (a case study of Tema Collection)

The research study deals with the measurement of customer satisfaction in relation to service quality or TQM implementation in CEPS, - with particular reference to the TEMA COLLECTION. It is focused on the perception or expectation of customers notably the Registered Clearing and Forwarding Agents dealing with the services. A literature review was conducted on various models of measurement of service quality and customer satisfaction. The research was conducted with a structured questionnaire based on the critical factors of TQM and Customer Satisfaction. Primary data was gathered by personal administration of questionnaire to respondents from a sample of forty (40) customers and forty-five (45) employee/officers. Results of questionnaires for both customers and employees on their levels of satisfaction ranged between poor and satisfactory, while the overall service quality was just satisfactory. This is fully confirmed by the hypothesis tested for relationship and correlation between service quality and customer satisfaction which showed that the coefficient of correlation is significant. This indicates the existence of relationship between TQM and customer satisfaction. It is therefore recommended for CEPS to adopt the full implementation of TQM which will yield higher customer satisfaction and its resultant benefits.

Source: KNUST