ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Does energy consumption follow asymmetric behavior? An assessment of Ghana's energy sector dynamics

The study answered the following questions: First, does energy evolves in different regimes by transitioning over a finite set of unobserved states? Second, does energy consumption follow an asymmetric behavior over “energy boom” and energy scarcity? and, Third, are there unobserved factors underpinning energy crisis? We employed Markov-switching dynamic regression to examine the asymmetric effect, NIPALS regression to examine energy determinants and neural network analysis for prediction. The neural network model suggests a 99% prediction of energy consumption by the predictor variables. It was evident that energy consumption evolves in two states by transitioning over a finite set of unobserved states. The 11.6% growth in energy consumption is expected to occur in 4.1 years while energy crisis is expected to last for 3.7 years. Technological advancement and the development of green energy through foreign direct investment are essential to improve energy sector portfolio.

Source: UG
Does entrepreneurship matter for financial development during elections? Evidence from the African context

this study examines the moderating effect of elections on the relationship between entrepreneurship and financial development using the dynamic system GMM for a dataset of 42 african economies over the period 2004–2022. First, the study examines the independent effects of entrepreneurship and elections on financial development. second, it examines the mediating effect of entrepreneurship on the election-finance nexus by regressing elections on entrepreneurship. the study establishes that elections reduce entrepreneurship and, consequently, reduce financial development. it also shows a positive entrepreneurship-finance nexus, indicating that countries that open their economy for entrepreneurship can increase the level of financial development. Moreover, we provide evidence to affirm that the positive effect of entrepreneurship on financial development is amplified during election years. therefore, policymakers can harness the political energy, entrepreneurial activities, and public engagement typical of elections to drive deeper and accelerate the pace of entrepreneurship and financial development during elections. the originality of this study lies in its novel exploration of whether election cycles influence the relationship between entrepreneurship and financial development, a dynamic that has received limited attention in existing literature, particularly within the african context.

Source: UG
Does financial autonomy imply reproductive and sexual autonomy? Evidence from urban poor women in Accra, Ghana

This article investigates the association between financial autonomy and three other measures of autonomy – sexual autonomy, perceived reproductive autonomy and actual reproductive autonomy in Ga-Mashie, Accra, Ghana. From anthropological accounts, the financial independence of women from this community, coupled with unique living arrangements, have resulted in them being independent and autonomous. The analytical sample consists of 172 women who were in union at the time of the survey. Binary logistic and ordered logistic regression models ran between financial autonomy and the other measures of autonomy, and controlling for relevant socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the women, reveal that in this context, financial autonomy does not have the perceived effect of increasing autonomy in the three other spheres. Rather, measures that hint at egalitarianism and close marital relationships – namely, marital power, agreement with partners about reproductive issues and marital duration – are more significantly associated with sexual and reproductive autonomy. We conclude that, coupled with schemes to increase the financial autonomy of women, in this context, other measures aimed at improving marital relationships should be explored and encouraged.

Source: UG
Does financial market stress matter in renewable energy investment? Empirical evidence from BRICS economies

Policymakers in BRICS economies face several financial risks in increasing their level of investment in renewable energy. This is because investment in renewable energy is crucial in light of climate change. Although numerous studies have investigated the factors driving renewable energy, little is known about how market stress affects renewable energy. This study explores the critical question that has emerged in the financial literature over the past few decades, namely, the role of financial stress in promoting renewable energy investment. To this end, we employ bivariate and multivariate quantile-on-quantile and wavelet coherence to investigate the effect of financial market stress on renewable energy investment covering the period from 1998 to 2021. Our results show that financial stress adversely affects renewable energy investment during extreme economic downturn. This implies that when market is under stress funding for renewable energy become much harder to secure due to systemic risk. These findings highlight the importance of financial stability for accelerating renewable energy adoption. To sustain renewable growth, BRICS economies need resilient financial policies, such as green financing mechanisms, credit support for renewable firms, and investment-friendly regulations. Ensuring financial stability can help attract long-term capital, making renewable energy a more viable and scalable so

Source: UG
Does foreign ownership enhance technological innovation amongst manufacturing firms in Sub- Saharan Africa?

Many African nations have over time relied on the use of foreign ownership to enhance technological innovation in manufacturing firms. The literature on the subject is, however, mixed. While foreign- owned firms can benefit from the technological innovations of foreign sources because of their superior nature relative to local innovation systems, these innovations may not be forthcoming for several reasons, including an uncompetitive business environment. In this paper, we test this hypothesis for Sub- Saharan Africa by relying on a sample of 1157 manufacturing firms from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys. By defining technological innovation as product and process innovations and using the Probit estimator, we find that foreign-owned firms are less likely to introduce product innovation. For process innovation, we did not find foreign ownership to have a significant effect. These findings have some implications for policy. First, the paper throws a spotlight on the kinds of foreign affiliations in the manufacturing sector of Africa and suggests that there must be a deliberate effort to attract the forms that are beneficial to local innovation systems. Second, the paper finds that an improvement in the general business environment can be crucial in attracting foreign firms that will improve local innovation systems.

Source: UG
Does Free Secondary Education Mitigate The Impact Of Teen Births On Educational Outcomes? Evidence From Ghana.

Teenage pregnancy and early childbirth have potential implications for human capital development that can transcend the teen mothers to their children. Using data from the latest demographic and health survey data from Ghana, this study set out to understand how teen births affect the educational attainment of the mother, and how a policy that reduces the financial cost of senior high school education could moderate this effect. We used instrumental variables to account for endogeneity of teen births. Our results show that teen birth has a negative impact on the educational attainment of the mother. Furthermore, a program that reduced the financial cost of senior secondary education helped attenuate this negative impact for girls in urban areas but had no such effect for girls in rural areas. Our findings emphasize the need to intensify efforts to provide support systems for teen mothers that will enable their reintegration into school after childbirth. They also point out the importance of targeting such interventions to ensure that they address groups of people with peculiar challenges including relatively poor infrastructure, economic conditions and cultural practices/beliefs that facilitate risky sexual behavior.

Source: UG
Does health insurance mitigate the economic impact of negative health outcomes? Evidence from Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme

In many developing countries, financial risk protection for health is under-developed and negative health outcomes can be impoverishing. In this study, we sought to investigate the impact of negative health outcomes on household welfare and the role of public health insurance to mitigate this impact. We used data from the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS). To address the potentially non-random nature of the health insurance scheme, the Lewbel instrumental variable estimation technique was used. The results suggest that more days of illness lead to fewer hours of labour supply and this result was statistically significant across all specifications. We found evidence of a heterogeneous impact of negative health outcomes through health insurance coverage on hours of labour supply for the full sample. We also find that for rural dwellers and informal sector workers, days of illness reduced labour supply, while the impact was relatively less with health insurance coverage. The findings call for policies that focus on reforming the NHIS to ensure effectiveness and achieve its primary objectives of removing financial barriers to health care in Ghana.

Source: UG
Does Health Insurance Premium Exemption Policy for Older People Increase Access to Health Care? Evidence from Ghana

Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa causes major challenges for policy makers in social protection. Our study focuses on Ghana, one of the few Sub-Saharan African countries that passed a National Policy on Aging in 2010. Ghana is also one of the first Sub-Saharan African countries that launched a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS; NHIS Act 650, 2003) with the aim to improve access to quality health care for all citizens, and as such can be considered as a means of poverty reduction. Our study assesses whether premium exemption policy under the NHIS that grants non-payments of annual health insurance premiums for older people increases access to health care. We assessed differences in enrollment coverage among four different age groups (18–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70+). We found higher enrollment for the 70+ and 60–69 age groups. The likelihood of enrollment was 2.7 and 1.7 times higher for the 70+ and 60–69 age groups, respectively. Our results suggest the NHIS exemption policy increases insurance coverage of the aged and their utilization of health care services. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UG
Does higher education equip graduate students with the employability skills employers require? The perceptions of employers in Ghana

Recent changes in the labour market and higher education sector have placed graduates’ employability on the agenda of researchers, policy makers and employers in both advanced and developing economies. Yet, the question of whether higher education equips graduate students with the employability skills employers require remains under-studied particularly in a developing country like Ghana. Using survey data and employing a paired t-test analyses, our findings reveal that whilst the employers perceive graduate students to possess various critical skills which match industry demands, the graduate students fall short in these critical skills. The differences were statistically significant indicating that there are still gaps between what higher education is offering its students and what industry requires from graduates at the entry-level. Based on the findings, implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed.

Source: UG
Does humane leadership influence customer service orientation of financial institutions? The moderating effect of job satisfaction of casual employees

Purpose – This study seeks to assess how a humane leadership style affects customer service orientation among casual employees of financial service institutions in Ghana. Using job satisfaction as a moderator, this study predicts that a humane leadership style influences casual employees’ customer service orientation. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were obtained from 328 frontline casual employees of financial service firms. The structural equation modelling technique of partial least squares was used to test the hypothesised relationships. Findings – The study found that a humane leadership style positively and significantly drives customer service behaviour. Job satisfaction also had a positive effect on customer service orientation among casual employees. Originality/value – The study appears to be the first of its kind to explore the moderating role of job satisfaction in the connection between humane leadership and customer service orientation from the perspective of casual employees. The study highlights insightful practical implications for corporate managers, HR practitioners and marketing academics.

Source: UG
Does informal banking influence monetary policy transmission? Some empirical evidence for Ghana

Informal banking activities have been increasing in many economies in recent years. times. These activities, though are interrelated with the formal banking activities, fall within a different regulatory framework within which the central bank conducts monetary policy. This has a potential effect on monetary transmission. The study, thus, investigated this issue from a Ghanaian perspective using the local projection approach. Using data sourced from the World Bank and Bank of Ghana databases, the study estimated an incomplete monetary pass-through for Ghana. Notwithstanding this, informal banking further weakens the pass-through. Other factors, such as non-performing loans and excess liquidity and the level of financial development were identified as weakening the pass-through. These findings highlight the need for a prudent monetary framework that can address the challenge informal banking brings to monetary policy implementation.

Source: UG
Does Internal Marketing Influence Employee Loyalty? Evidence From the Ghanaian Banking Industry

Even though internal marketing has been a buzzword for over 25 years now, most of the literature has largely remained theoretical and few empirical studies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, exist. Moreover, the relationship between internal marketing and employee loyalty has been underresearched. The current study explores the relationship between internal communication, reward systems, empowerment, organizational culture, training, and organizational commitment and their relationship with employee loyalty using 248 retail bank staff members. The results indicate that the internal marketing dimensions, with the exception of organizational culture, are significantly associated with employee loyalty. Managerial implications are also discussed. © 2015, Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UG
Does is matter where I live? Comparing the impact of housing quality on child development in slum and non-slum areas in Ghana

Deteriorating physical characteristics and limited access to social services are said to typify a substantial number of the housing types in Ghana. The impact of these on vulnerable groups such as children remains largely unresearched. This paper compares the quality of houses in a slum (Old Fadama) and a non-slum (Asylum Down) community and its impacts on child development. Data was collected from 150 children between the ages of 9 and 17 years with the aid of semi-structured interviews. The findings showed housing quality was directly linked to income levels. Hence children in non-slum communities lived in better quality houses, had better access to sanitation services, and had better access to education and recreational facilities. The results served as the basis for a theoretical discussion and recommendations for improving child development through the provision of better quality houses, access to improved sanitation, and facilities for recreation.

Source: UG
Does it matter where I live? Comparing the impact of housing quality on child development in slum and non-slum areas in Ghana

Deteriorating physical characteristics and limited access to social services are said to typify a substantial number of the housing types in Ghana. The impact of these on vulnerable groups such as children remains largely unresearched. This paper compares the quality of houses in a slum (Old Fadama) and a non-slum (Asylum Down) community and its impacts on child development. Data was collected from 150 children between the ages of 9 and 17 years with the aid of semi-structured interviews. The findings showed housing quality was directly linked to income levels. Hence children in non-slum communities lived in better quality houses, had better access to sanitation services, and had better access to education and recreational facilities. The results served as the basis for a theoretical discussion and recommendations for improving child development through the provision of better quality houses, access to improved sanitation, and facilities for recreation.

Source: UG
Does Job Security Affect Fertility and Fertility Intentions in Ghana? Examining the Evidence

The tradeoff that women face between work and family depends largely on a country’s institutional settings. Provisions like stable employment, maternity benefits, and childcare services can affect women’s fertility behaviours. In Ghana, the majority of women work in vulnerable self-employment positions. Among paid female employees, the degree of job security also varies. Largely studied in the developed country context, job insecurity has been found to have important effects on women’s reproductive health outcomes. As yet, there is no consensus on the direction of effects. The relationship has been argued to be largely country- and context- specific. This paper examines the nature of the relationship for a developing country, Ghana, where female labour force participation is high, paid employment is scarce, and there are few affordable childcare services. We use 2017 data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) and empirical techniques to control for self-selectivity. Initially, we find evidence consistent with the compensation hypothesis, an uncertain work environment encourages higher fertility. This is because becoming a parent and having more children can be a way to make the future safer and more predictable. This explanation is particularly relevant for settings like Ghana where fertility is valued. The observed strong, negative relationship between job security and fertility is however found to be largely attributable to self-selection of women into particular jobs. Career-oriented women self-select into more secure jobs, and have fewer children, given the higher associated costs; and, characterized by lower pay, family-oriented women self-select into less secure but more flexible jobs, in order to care for their children. In the absence of government or institutional policies, women face a difficult choice between family and work aspirations. Polices and institutions should therefore be put in place to reduce these work-family challenges.

Source: UG
Does knowledge on socio-cultural factors associated with maternal mortality affect maternal health decisions? A cross-sectional study of the Greater Accra region of Ghana

BACKGROUND: The concern of all maternal health stakeholders is to improve maternal health and reduce maternal deaths to the barest minimum. This remains elusive in low and middle-income countries as the majority of factors that drive maternal deaths stem from the socio-cultural environment especially in rural settings. This study was aimed at finding out if knowledge on socio-cultural factors related to maternal mortality affects maternal health decisions in rural Ghana. METHODS: Community-based cross-sectional in design, the study involved 233 participants from 3 rural districts in the Greater Accra Region. Mixed-method of data collection was employed after informed consent. Quantitative data were analyzed using simple statistics, Fisher's Exact Test of independence and crude odds ratio were used to interpret the results, whilst the FGDs were recorded, transcribed and analyzed based on themes. RESULTS: Statistically, significant relationship exists between all the socio-cultural factors studied (Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), religious beliefs and practices, herbal concoctions, and pregnancy and childbirth-related taboos) and maternal health decisions (p = 0.001 for all the variables) with very strong associations between maternal health decisions and knowledge on pregnancy and childbirth related taboos, TBA patronage, and religious beliefs and practices (OR = 21.06; 13; 7.28 respectively). However, misconceptions on factors associated with maternal mortality deeply rooted in rural communities partly explain why maternal morbidity and mortality are persistent in Ghana. CONCLUSION: Meaningful and successful interventions on maternal mortality can only be achieved if misconceptions on causes of maternal mortality especially in rural areas of the country are tackled through mass education of communities. This should be done consistently over a long period of time for sustained behavioral change.

Source: UG
Does Language Matter When Advertising to Africa’s Multilingual Audience? An ELM Study of Audience Language Preference and Responses

Choosing the most effective language is critical when advertising to multilingual audiences as the success of any advertising campaign depends on whether the audience “gets” the message. This paper argues that in Africa, “getting the message” is partly dependent on language given that indigenous languages, colonial legacy languages, and blends between them compete for audience attention. Using Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) arguments, the study examines this possibility among 1000 multilingual audience members in five cosmopolitan cities in Ghana. Findings show that advertisements are not consumed in a language vacuum and that language blends are the most appealing to the multilingual audience. The study also finds that attention to, and belief in advertisements are partly shaped by language preference. Besides these empirical contributions, the study positions the ELM as a viable theoretical lens for analyzing the implications of advertising language. Its use of an African sample to test the ELM’s assumptions also introduces novel evidence to the theory’s body of scholarship. Recommendations are made on how advertising practitioners and brand communicators may take advantage of language as an important segmentation criterion in advertising strategy.

Source: UG