ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Examining human resource practice outcomes and service innovation

This study sought to examine the relationship between human resource practice outcomes and service innovation. It also examines the moderating role of knowledge sharing in the relationship between workplace friendship and service innovation, as well as the mediating role of knowledge sharing in the relationship between job satisfaction and service innovation. The study employed survey research design. The respondents were selected from across the service industry in Ghana using convenience sampling technique. Items measuring the constructs were adapted from extant literature. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to ascertain the validity of the measurement model. Hierarchical regression was used to analyse the data. The results show that knowledge sharing, job satisfaction, workplace friendship, and employee commitment predict service innovation. However, the interaction of workplace friendship and knowledge sharing has no effect on service innovation. Similarly, the moderation of employee commitment and job satisfaction did not make any contribution to service innovation. The findings imply that service firms must create a friendly working environment, ensuring that employees are satisfied in order to promote service innovation. It also implies that service firms must promote social activities that encourage knowledge sharing, but these social activities must relate to employees’ job. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Source: UG
Examining Information Quality and Perceived Learning Performance in a Gamified Environment

Despite the significant research on motivation, engagement, and satisfaction in gamification, the quality of the information provided by instructors and designers to students on the gamified application has not received commensurate attention. One potential reason is that quality is an abstract notion that cannot be expressed by simple definition. This paper focus on the critical aspect of the gamified learning environment: using gamified information to enhance students learning behaviour by providing information systems such as Kahoot Mobile Learning application. Our study, based on the contextual and representational information quality, examined 139 users of a gamified information system and found the differential need for information quality when designing content for students. Additionally, the study revealed the four characteristics (website, user, social and task) of information quality as critical dimensions in determining learner’s satisfaction in the gamified application, which in turn influences perceived learning. Our findings provide educators and instructors with important guidelines which when considered on a contextual basis would motivate learners to obtain further information from gamified systems that may lead to perceived learning performance

Source: UG
Examining intellectual stimulation, idealised influence and individualised consideration as an antecedent to knowledge sharing: Evidence from Ghana. Knowledge Management &amp; E-Learning

Transformational leadership and its relationship with knowledge sharing have been well noted in knowledge management literature. However, how the individual dimensions within Transformational leadership theory contribute to knowledge sharing has been scarcely investigated. This paper explores whether Intellectual stimulation, Idealised Influence and individualised consideration affect knowledge sharing among employees in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. The study employed a convenience sampling technique to select a sample size of 500. However, out of the 500 questionnaires distributed, 283 were used in the final analysis; thus, those that were correctly filled. Data was analyzed using multiple regression. The study found that there is a significant positive relationship between idealised influence and knowledge sharing. However, the relationship between intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration and knowledge sharing was found to be insignificant.

Source: UG
Examining Interventions in Ghana towards Protecting the Human Rights of Persons with Physical Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Ghana Disability Act were both developed to give Persons with Disabilities access to rights that they had been denied of for long. Yet twelve years after, PWDs are still being marginalized and do not enjoy the same benefits and opportunities as persons without disabilities. This research, therefore, focuses on examining the interventions in Ghana towards protecting the human rights of persons with physical disabilities. The conceptual framework used is the Human Rights Model of Disability and it recognizes that disability must not be taken as a legitimate ground for the denial or restriction of human rights. The study is purely a qualitative research and the purposive sampling method was used in selecting the target population. A semi-structured interview guide was used in collecting the data and the data were analyzed using thematic data analyses. Major findings from the study reveal that, interventions have been put in place to protect the rights of PWDs including: The 3% District Assemblies Common Fund; Environmental and Social Framework of the World Bank; the Ghana Accessibility Standard; the Employment Policy; early childhood screening to detect disability; and public education on disability. Some challenges to these interventions are, prevailing traditional beliefs in society, insufficient funding for projects, lack of a legislative instrument to aid enforcement of Act 715 and inaccessibility of public buildings. The way forward is for government to collaborate with international organizations, CSOs and PWDs themselves in protecting their rights, monitoring agencies in their roles and holding them accountable and finally encouraging a policy of inclusion and mainstreaming for PWDs.

Source: UG
Examining occupational stress, job satisfaction and gender difference among bank tellers: evidence from Ghana

Purpose – Bank tellers have been ignored in stress research. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction, and gender difference among bank tellers in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – Using a cross-sectional survey approach, the authors used questionnaires to collect data from bank tellers in Ghana. Valid questionnaires were retrieved from 112 tellers across four banks. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson r-test, standard multiple regression and independent t-test. Findings – The results revealed that tellers are more likely to exhibit counterproductive behaviours such as job dissatisfaction due to work-related stress. The results further showed that gender is not a strong determinant of job satisfaction and occupational stress among the bank tellers. Thus, both male and female tellers can have similar stress perceptions and experiences. Also, both male and female tellers can be satisfied with their jobs. Research limitations/implications – The findings must be interpreted with caution because crosssectional surveys are often criticised for causality issues. The causality issue here is that the use of crosssectional data did not allow the study to examine any changes in some of the constructs examined with time. Also, the results are occupation, industry and country-specific. Practical implications – To reduce counterproductive behaviours due to occupational stress, human resource managers and line managers of the banks urgently need to train bank tellers on stress management. Emotional intelligence training is also necessary for bank tellers to obtain the needed resources and competencies to deal with daily stress. Social implications – A stressful work environment negatively affects employee and organisational productivity and performance. The socioeconomic consequences of occupational stress are expensive for organisations, economies and society. The indirect effect of stress on employees’ families and friends are often ignored by organisations. Originality/value – The transactional stress theory has been applied towards an understanding of occupational stress and job satisfaction among bank tellers. The examination and establishment of particular relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction and gender difference are significant for human resource managers and other line managers.

Source: UG
Examining pastor-prophet authority in neo Pentecostal deliverance practices

A popular and growing feature of contemporary neo Pentecostal Christianity in Ghana are regular deliverance practices in search for solutions to diverse forms of existential predicaments, known in Pentecostal diction as afflictions. Pastor-prophets have become very popular for these practices with thousands of deliverance seekers attending one deliverance service or the other in search for solutions that these pastor-prophets proffer. Using ethnographic semi-structured interviews, this article examines the phenomenon of deliverance practices within neo-Pentecostalism in Ghana, and particularly focuses on the authority of pastor-prophets around which the activities of deliverance evolve. Findings indicate that supernatural authority and attaining of breakthroughs over life’s predicaments, become the barometer and legitimacy for the authority of pastor-prophets

Source: UG
Examining Patient Choice And Provider Competition Under The National Health Insurance Fund Outpatient Cover In Kenya: Does It Enhance Access And Quality Of Care?.

Background: While patient choice and provider competition are predicted to influence provider behaviour for enhancing access and quality of care, evidence on provider perceptions and response to patient choice and pro vider competition is largely missing in low-resource settings such as Kenya. We examined provider and purchaser perceptions about whether patient choice and provider competition influenced provider behaviour and enhanced access and quality of outpatient care in Kenya. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to explore this across two purposefully selected counties. We con ducted 15 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health facility managers and National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) staf across the two counties. We examined these across five areas summarised as either local market conditions or patient feedback following the Vengberg framework. Results: NHIF members’ choice of outpatient facilities compelled private and faith-based providers to compete for members, while public providers did not view choice as a way of spurring competition. Besides, all providers did not receive any information regarding the exit of NHIF members from their facilities. Providers felt that that informa tion would be crucial for their planning, especially in enhancing service accessibility and quality of care. Most pro viders ensured the availability of drugs, provided a wider range of services and leveraged on marketing to attract and retain NHIF members. Finally, providers highlighted their redesign of service delivery to meet NHIF members’ needs whilst enhancing the quality-of-care aspects such as waiting time and having qualified health workers. Conclusion: There is a need for NHIF to share NHIF members’ exit information with providers to support their service delivery arrangements in response to NHIF members’ needs. Besides, this study contributes evidence on patient choice and provider competition and their influence on access and quality of care from a low-resource setting country which is crucial as NHIF transitioned to the Social Health Authority.

Source: UG
Examining Poverty Dynamics in Ghana: Evidence from Longitudinal and Repeated Cross-Sectional Data.

This article examines poverty dynamics in Ghana using the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Surveys and a synthetic panel based on the Ghana Living Standards Surveys. It provides insight into the extent of poverty mobility and persistence in Ghana, and the factors that explain poverty transitions. The results show that upward mobility has been a key feature of Ghana’s poverty transitions between 2006 and 2019. However, there are still high probabilities of poverty persistence and downward mobility among initially poor and non-poor households, respectively. Furthermore, notable heterogeneities exist in poverty transitions across socioeconomic groups. Poverty is more chronic in rural areas and the northern parts of Ghana compared with urban and southern regions, respectively, and among households headed by persons from opportunity-deprived backgrounds. Other characteristics such as the number of dependants, sex, occupation and level of education of the household head are important correlates of poverty persistence and downward mobility in Ghana. Hence, addressing chronic poverty requires targeted policies that foster more inclusive and sustainable growth in rural areas and northern parts of Ghana, and improved access to opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the unemployed, and those in vulnerable employment.

Source: UG
Examining preschool and kindergarten teachers' beliefs about play in Ghana

This study examined the beliefs about play of preschool and kindergarten teachers in Ghana. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A total of 221 teachers who had been working with children (ages 3-5years) for a minimum of one year were recruited via convenience sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire, Teachers' Play Beliefs Survey (TPBS) was employed to collect data for the study. The data was analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics. The results revealed no statistically significant difference in teachers' play beliefs. However, there were differences in teachers' support for play and academic activities in educational/school settings.

Source: UG
“Examining psychosocial and physical hazards in the Ghanaian mining industry and their implications for employees’ safety experience”.

INTRODUCTION: In addition to hazardous conditions that are prevalent in mines, there are various physical and psychosocial risk factors that can affect mine workers' safety and health. Without due diligence to mine safety, these risk factors can affect workers' safety experience, in terms of near misses, disabling injuries and accidents experienced or witnessed by workers. METHOD: This study sets out to examine the effects of physical and psychosocial risk factors on workers' safety experience in a sample of Ghanaian miners. 307 participants from five mining companies responded to a cross sectional survey examining physical and psychosocial hazards and their implications for employees' safety experience. RESULTS: Zero-inflated Poisson regression models indicated that mining conditions, equipment, ambient conditions, support and security, and work demands and control are significant predictors of near misses, disabling injuries, and accidents experienced or witnessed by workers. The type of mine had important implications for workers' safety experience.

Source: UG
Examining public perception on Technical and Vocational Education and Training enrolment in Ghana

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) enrollment in Ghana has been impeded by various challenges. One of the significant obstacles throughout the years has been public perception. As a result, many people prefer grammar-based schools over TVET. This study aims to investigate the operations of TVET in the Ayawaso-West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region in Ghana to determine the level of public perception and its impact on enrollment. The study employs the impression formation theory as a framework. An exploratory research design and a qualitative research approach were used to conduct the study. Thirty-six participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The findings revealed that the negative perception affecting the progress of the TVET subsector included lower societal recognition, lower job prestige and public ignorance of TVET. The study recommends continuous advocacy for TVET to correct public perception

Source: UG
Examining Quality, Value, Satisfaction and Trust Dimensions: An Empirical Lens to Understand Health Insurance Systems Actual Usage

Health insurance policies have become key social policy interventions incepted to extend healthcare to vulnerable populations. In this vein, Ghana devised a health insurance scheme in the year 2003. However, there have been concerns about quality, value, satisfaction and trust regarding healthcare and insurance usage. Using data drawn from 345 participants, our study investigates these dimensions to empirically test their predictive effects on the actual usage of health insurance. Data analysis results using the Structural Equation Modelling technique confirmed these dimensions as predictors of intention and actual usage. Our study delineates the practical, theoretical and policy implications of the study findings.

Source: UG
Examining relations between performance on non-verbal executive function and verbal self-regulation tasks in demographically-diverse populations

Self-regulation is a widely studied construct, generally assumed to be cognitively supported by executive functions (EFs). There is a lack of clarity and consensus over the roles of specific components of EFs in self-regulation. The current study examines the relations between performance on (a) a self-regulation task (Heads, Toes, Knees, Shoulders Task) and (b) two EF tasks (Knox Cube and Beads Tasks) that measure different components of updating: working memory and short-term memory, respectively. We compared 107 8- to 13-year-old children (64 females) across demographically-diverse populations in four low- and middle-income countries, including: Tanna, Vanuatu; Keningau, Malaysia; Saltpond, Ghana; and Natal, Brazil. The communities we studied vary in market integration/urbanicity as well as level of access, structure, and quality of schooling. We found that performance on the visuospatial working memory task (Knox) Cube) and the visuospatial short-term memory task (Beads) are each independently associated with performance on the self-regulation task, even when controlling for schooling and location effects. These effects were robust across demographically diverse populations of children in low- and middle-income countries. We conclude This study found evidence supporting visuospatial working memory andvisuospatial short-term memory as distinct cognitive processes which each support the development of self-regulation

Source: UG
Examining Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: A Flow Theory and Privacy Perspective

Social media and other web 2.0 tools have provided users with the platform to interact with and also disclose personal information to not only their friends and acquaintances but also relative strangers with unprecedented ease. This has enhanced the ability of people to share more about themselves, their families, and their friends through a variety of media including text, photo, and video, thus developing and sustaining social and business relationships. The purpose of the paper is to identify the factors that predict self-disclosure on social networking sites from the perspective of privacy and flow. Data was collected from 452 students in three leading universities in Ghana and analyzed with Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling. Results from the study revealed that privacy risk was the most significant predictor. We also found privacy awareness, privacy concerns, and privacy invasion experience to be significant predictors of self-disclosure. Interaction and perceived control were found to have significant effect on self-disclosure. In all, the model accounted for 54.6 percent of the variance in self-disclosure. The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed, and directions for future research proposed.

Source: UG
Examining students’ satisfaction with online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic - an extended UTAUT2 approach

Given that the educational sector was particularly hard hit in most countries around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, the study employs an extended UTAUT2 to investigate student use and satisfaction with e-learning in a developing country setting. We employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) on 616 data responses gathered online from university students during the pandemic to evaluate our integrated model. This paper found that not all the predictors of the UTAUT2 model were statistically significant in predicting behavioural intention. Our results revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions, as predictors, have no influence on various outcomes relating to the behavioural intention to use e-learning. The study also found that e-learning interaction quality predicts student satisfaction. Other theoretical and practical implications are also detailed in our study.

Source: UG
Examining Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Government Of Ghana’s Wi-Fi Technology Program On Teaching Practices: An Empirical Study From The Senior High Schools In The Cape Coast Metropolis

The study discusses the impact of a nationwide deployment of Wi-Fi technology in some Senior High Technical Vocational Schools (SHTVs) in Ghana, using the first four levels of Guskey’s framework. A stratified sampling approach was used to select 119 teachers as participants in the study. An embedded mixed-methods research design was employed to collect data using a questionnaire with both closed-ended and open-ended items. The findings revealed that the deployment of Wi-Fi technology impacted positively on the teachers’ learning experiences and was positively perceived by the teachers in facilitating teaching and learning practices. However, the study also revealed some deficits in reliability, trust, and connectivity associated with the Wi-Fi technology, highlighting the need to explore factors that maximize the output of technological initiatives. The study identifies the school’s organization and the teachers’ learning experiences as two key predictors of maximizing the use of Wi-Fi technology in educational establishments. The study recommends equipping teachers with the requisite competencies in the use of Wi-Fi technologies through professional development programs, training, and the enactment of ICT curriculum-based policies in schools. These policies and support will promote and enhance the effectiveness of of Wi-Fi technology among teachers, enabling them to shift from traditional to more technologically inclined, student-centred learning.

Source: UG