ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Optometric Education in Africa: Historical Perspectives and Challenges

The African continent, with a population of more than one billion and 55 recognized developing countries, is still grappling in some countries with socioeconomic and other challenges inherent in developing countries. The continent is working toward a single political entity known as the African Union, and development is taking place faster than ever in most countries. The continent is known to have high levels of health problems, including visual impairment and blindness. Most nations in the continent are making efforts to reduce the scourge of health problems including visual impairment and blindness. Visual impairment in the continent is mostly caused by refractive errors. Consequently, optometry can help reduce the prevalence of visual impairment on the continent. The educational programs currently offered by the different institutions include Diploma in Optometry (DipOptom), Bachelor of Optometry (BOptom), and Doctor of Optometry (OD). There are 17 established institutions offering optometry degree programs on the continent, of which 14 are fully accredited. Considering the optometric manpower needed in the continent, more optometry institutions need to be established. Staffing and infrastructural and training facilities are major challenges facing the majority of the existing institutions. There is also a need to place greater emphasis on postgraduate education to meet the institutional, national, and international professional training standards and to ensure sustainability of optometry education. This article addresses the historical development, educational issues, challenges, and needs, as well as recommendations, for improving the standard and sustainability of optometric education.

Source: UCC
ORAL CLINICAL LONG CASE PRESENTATION, THE NEED FOR STANDARDIZATION AND DOCUMENTATION

Background: The oral presentation of the clinical long case is commonly an implied knowledge. The challenge of the presentation is compounded by the examiners' preferences and sometimes inadequate understanding of what should be assessed. Objectives: To highlight the different opinions and misconceptions of trainers as the basis for improving our understanding and assessment of oral presentation of the clinical long case. Methodology: Questionnaire was administered during the West African College of Surgeons fellowship clinical examinations and at their workplaces. Eligibility criteria included being a surgeon, a trainer and responding to all questions. Results: Of the 72 questionnaires that were returned, 36(50%) were eligible for the analysis. The 36 respondents were from 14 centers in Nigeria and Ghana. Fifty-two percent were examiners at the postgraduate medical colleges and 9(25%) were professors. Eight (22.2%) indicated they were unaware of the separate methods of oral presentation for different occasions while 21 (58.3%) respondents were aware that candidate used the “5Cs” method and the traditional compartmentalized method in long case oral presentation. Eleven (30.6%) wanted postgraduates to present differently on a much higher level than undergraduate despite not encountering same in literature and 21(58.3%) indicated it was an unwritten rule. Seventeen (47.2%) had not previously encountered the “5Cs” of history of presenting complaint in literature also 17(47.2%) teach it to medical students and their junior residents. Conclusion: This study has shown that examiners definitely have varying opinions on what form the oral presentation of the clinical long case at surgery fellowship/professional examination should be and it translates to their expectations of the residents or clinical students. This highlights the need for standardization and consensus of what is expected at a formal oral presentation during the clinical long case examination in order to avoid subjectivity and bias.

Source: UCC
Oral testimonies among Christians on a University campus in Ghana

Genres in religion are gradually being studied in applied linguistics, in general, and discourse analysis, in particular, by scholars in both Anglo-European contexts and non-Anglo-European contexts. This study reports findings of a wider investigation into a key genre among Christians in a non-Anglo-European context. This study aimed to examine the organizational and linguistic features in oral testimonies presented among Christian students in an English-medium university in Ghana, drawing on Swales’ rhetorical move analysis. Findings of the investigation showed three key findings. First, oral testimonies in the selected Christian churches showed a five-move structure. Second, there were obligatory and optional moves that assisted the presenters of testimonies to achieve their overall communicative purpose. Third, the study indicated the dominant use of key lexical items such as personal pronouns and slogans. These findings have implications for the scholarship on genre studies, religion and language as well as future research

Source: UCC
Orange fleshed sweet potato: its use in complementary infant formula

A complementary food was developed from the vitamin A rich orange fleshed sweet potation to help reduce vitamin A deficiency among infants. Experimental research design was used for the study. Fifty six infants of ages 6-24 months were purposively sampled, together with their mothers, to evaluate 3 complementary food samples code named GAD, PEA, SAB and a control KAN. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The samples were formulated from orange fleshed sweet potato, anchovies, onion and tomatoes and the nutrients and functional properties determined. The results showed that the 3 complementary foods were nutrient dense with high moisture content highest in PEA and least in GAD. Although GAD had the least moisture content, it turned out to have the highest ash content. GAD, PEA and SAB were all high in protein and fibre but lower in fat and carbohydrate, GAD had the highest β carotene content and bulk density while SAB had the least for both parameters. The water absorption capacity was higher in PEA, giving it a high swelling power but lowest solubility index. The lower absorption capacity of SAB was coupled with highest solubility index. GAD on the other hand had low swelling power. KAN (control) was the most accepted, followed by GAD, PEA and SAB although it was not significantly different from these 3. Comments received from the evaluation by panellists showed that probably, decreasing the amount of fish powder added and making the texture smooth would make all 3 products liked as much as KAN, the control. It is recommended that the complementary food samples be reformulated so as to increase the carbohydrate content.

Source: UCC
Orange-fleshed sweet potato (ofsp) – cassava composite gari: effects of processing variables and storage on beta-carotene and sensory qualities

ncorporating orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) into gari could increase the nutritional value of gari. This work sought to improve the nutritional quality of gari by incorporating OFSP into the gari. Multivariate response surface was used for the optimization of the optimum amount of OFSP and the fermentation duration required in producing a good quality gari. The results showed that beta-carotene content increased with increasing fermentation duration and increasing OFSP percentage. However, OFSP amount did not affect the swelling capacity while a longer fermentation period reduced the swelling capacity of the OFSP–cassava composite gari. Incorporation of OFSP into gari lowered its sensory attributes, while attributes such as texture and overall acceptability increased with fermentation duration. Furthermore, the OFSP amount and fermentation duration affected the lightness (L*) and redness (a*) of the gari, but did not influence the yellowness (b*) of the gari. Producing gari by using 90% cassava and 10% OFSP (9:1 ratio of cassava to OFSP) and fermenting for 2.21days gave the best quality gari based on the beta-carotene content of 19.8 µg/ml, swelling capacity of 3.2 and sensory attributes. Moreover, both storage conditions and storage durations influenced the beta-carotene content of the gari but did not affect the swelling capacity, bulk density and colour of OFSP–cassava composite gari significantly. The profit on the OFSP–cassava composite gari was determined to be higher than that of 100% cassava gari. Orange-fleshed sweet potato could therefore be incorporated into gari to improve the vitamin A content of gari and thereby improve the economic status of gari processors

Source: UCC
Organisational change and employee performance at university of education, Winneba, Ghana.

The purpose of the study was to examine organisational change and employee performance at University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the effect of leadership change on employee performance; examine the effect of change in technology +ion employee performance, and, examine the effect of change in organisation structure on employee performance in University of Education, Winneba. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study was a quantitative and the simple random sampling was used to select 128 respondents. The researcher administered the questionnaire through self-administration. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics. Analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study correlation model indicated that there was significant positive relationship between leadership and the employee performance change (r=0.527 and p-value=0.000<α=0.01). The study found that there was linear relationship between technological change and employee performance. Regression model summary shows the R value was 0.584 indicating that there was a positive relationship between effects of technological change (independent variable) and employee performance. The study found that there was significant relationship between organisational structure and employee performance. The study recommended that in order to ensure the success of the change programme, it is appropriate to focus on organisational structure, technology and leadership change. It is also recommended that stakeholders should be educated on the need for the change when the need arises.

Source: UCC
Organisational Change and Employees Intention to Stay at the Berekum Municipality: The Moderating Role of Ethical Leadership

This study examined the effect of organizational change on employee intention to stay through the moderating role of ethical leadership in Berekum Municipality in the Bono Region, Ghana. The proposed conceptual model is tested by using the data collected from a sample (n = 269) of assembly staff at Berekum municipality. The study employed a explantory research design. A total of 269 respondents were used as sample population determined using the Morgan table. The study adopted structural equation modelling for the analyses. The measurement models used for the study were the indicator loadings, internal consistency reliability, Convergent validity and the Discriminant validity. Findings revealed that there is a positive and significant relationship between organisational change and employee intention to stay. Further, ethical leadership showed a positive and significant effect on employees’ intention to stay. Finally, ethical leadership moderates the effect of organisational change on employees’ intention to stay. This study elucidates that, in Berekum municipality, ethical leadership plays a key role in decreasing employees’ intention to quit. The study concludes that the demonstration of ethical leadership behaviours by assembly staff at the municipal reduces employee’s intention to leave the job via the implementation of change interventions. The study thereby recommended that leaders must create an ethically friendly work environment for all employees, communicate ethical issues, serve as role models and ensure the development of responsible employees.

Source: UCC
Organisational Citizenship Behaviour of Employees in Star Rated Hotels within the Central Region

Rapid competition in the hotel sector due to globalization, development of e-commerce, new technologies and falling costs of travel place constant pressure on management in response to rapid changes in the market. The encouragement of citizenship behaviours of employees that go beyond job duties and contribute to the overall performance of a hotel cannot be over emphasized. The growing interest in the concept of organizational citizenship behaviour indicates the recognition and importance to both industry and academia. This study investigated the nature of organizational citizenship behaviour among employees in star rated hotels in the Central Region with focus on its practices, antecedents and perceived costs associated with it. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test and multiple regression. The results indicated that employees do engage in altruism, courtesy, conscientiousness, civic virtue, and sportsmanship. Among the antecedents given, trust in supervisor, leadership and personality emerged as the significant determinants of the respondents’ OCB practices. The study also showed that organizational citizenship behaviour has some negative effects associated with it. Practices like altruism and conscientiousness had a negative impact on employees as it spelt out extra work load and job stress on employees. It is recommended that the hotel industry put in measures to encourage citizenship behaviours towards better performance and therefore a competitive advantage in the industry.

Source: UCC
Organisational Citizenship Behaviour of Teachers and Performance of Some Junior High Schools in Wa East, Upper West Region

The study sought to examine the effect of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) of Junior High School (JHS) student’s performance in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region. The study’s population size consisted of public JHS students comprising 255 of which 235 were males and 20 were females. Using Yamane (1967) formula at 95% confidence level with a probability of 0.5, a sample size of 96 respondents was drawn from all the 15 selected public JHS in the Wa East District. The study primarily adopted the mixed method (both qualitative and quantitative) approach to obtain primary data through questionnaires and interview guides. The questionnaires were processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software. The data was then analysed frequencies, percentages and chi-square. The study found that OCB exists at the JHS level in the district. Again, combined p-value of 0.0021 from the findings shows a strong relationship between OCB and student performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from 2010 to 2017. Major factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness and students’ academic performance identified ranged from unconducive teaching and learning environment, large class size, inadequate salaries of teachers, poor accommodation, OCB, TLM, supervision, parental care to poor motivation of teachers. The study, therefore, recommended that the Government of Ghana through the District Assembly should set up an awarding scheme for students who performs creditably well in BECE to propel competition among them.

Source: UCC
Organisational Climate and Employee Performance within the Hospitality Industry: Evidence from Cape Coast Metropolis

The study examined the effects of organisational climate on the performance of employees at hotels in Cape Coast, Ghana. It specifically investigated the individual effects of employee flexibility, employee training, employee welfare and employee innovation on employee performance. The study employed a quantitative approach and explanatory design, and it is informed by the job demand-resource theory. A dataset of 139 was obtained via structured questionnaires from 153 employees of one-star-rated hotels in Cape Coast. Data processing was done with the IBM Statistical Package Social Science and the SmartPLS software and analysed with the PLS-SEM technique. The study found that the organisational climate dimensions significantly and positively affected the performance of the employees of the hotels in the Cape Coast Metropolis. It was also found that employee training has the highest significant effect on employee performance. The study concluded that organisational climate plays a critical role in strengthening the performance of employees in the hotels. It was recommended that the management of the hotels should pay critical attention to the dimensions of organisational climate used in this study to ensure that their employees' welfare, innovation, flexibility and training levels are improved to enhance employee performance.

Source: UCC
Organisational Climate and Job Satisfaction of Nurses in the Nsawam Government Hospital in the Eastern Region, Ghana

This study focused on organisational climate and nurses’ job satisfaction in the Nsawam Government Hospitals in the Eastern region of Ghana. Specifically, three research objectives were investigated: to assess the factors contributing to nurses’ job satisfaction in the Nsawam Government Hospital; to assess the relationship between organisational climate and job satisfaction; and to examine the effect of organisational climate on nurses’ job satisfaction in the Nsawam Government Hospital. The study relied on the quantitative approach and descriptive correlational design. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from all the 200 nurses in the hospital. The data was then processed using SPSS version 26. Both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (simple regression) were used to address the objectives in the study. The results showed that there was a strong and positive relationship between organisational climate and job satisfaction of nurses in the Nsawam Government Hospital. Again, the relationship between organisational climate and nurses’ job satisfaction was found to be significant and positive (r = 0.596, p < .001). Finally, the study found that, organisational climate has a significant effect on job satisfaction of nurses in the Nsawam Government Hospital. The study concluded that when components of organisational climate are improved, they further advance the job satisfaction of the nurses of the hospital.

Source: UCC
Organisational climate and job satisfaction of staff of the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences

The study sought to assess the effect of organisational climate on the job satisfaction of staff at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences (UCCSMS). Quantitative research design was adopted for the study. A total of 119 respondents were sampled from a population of 169. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for collecting data from the respondents. The data were processed by SPSS version 21. The data were analysed based on the research objectives. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages were used to analyse data from all the research questions. Inferential analysis such as chi square test of independence and regression were also used to analyse the data. An error margin of five per cent was used for all inferential analysis. The study found that organisational characteristics such as career development opportunities, interpersonal relationships, and internal communication were important organisational characteristics that determined the organisational climate of UCCSMS. Staff of the UCCSMS were generally satisfied with the level of remuneration, however, many of them were not satisfied with the career development opportunities and interpersonal relationships among staff at the UCCSMS. Organisational climate made a significant explanation about the changes in job satisfaction of staff at the UCCSMS. The study further found that having the necessary logistics to work and contributing to decision making made the highest contribution to variations in job satisfaction of staff of UCCSMS. The study suggests that the University should enhance career development opportunities for all categories of staff. Management of UCCSMS should ensure adequate supply of working logistics to staff.

Source: UCC
Organisational Climate, Psychological Empowerment and Job Performance of Star-rated Hotels in the Central Region: the Role of Emotional Intelligence

Relying on social exchange and job demands-resources theories, this study examined the role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between organisational climate, psychological empowerment and job performance in star-rated hotels in the Central Region. The study adopted the positivism research paradigm along with the quantitative approach. The study employed the explanatory research design. Using the lottery method of simple random sampling technique, 289 data were gathered from employees through a self-administered structured questionnaire. Each construct was evaluated on a five-point Likert-like scale. IBM SPSS 26 and SmartPLS 3 were used to process data. The analytical tool was descriptive and inferential statistics. Organisational climate, psychological empowerment, as well as emotional intelligence were found to have a significant positive effect on job performance. Also, it was discovered that emotional intelligence partially mediates the relationship between psychological empowerment and job performance, however, it does not play a role in the relationship between organisational climate and job performance. It was therefore recommended that policy makers; government, managers, and owners of hotels should be concerned with the organisational climate measures that fit into the industry and individual organisations to enhance job performance while ensuring employees are psychologically empowered and emotionally intelligent.

Source: UCC
Organisational Culture and Employee Commitment in University of Cape Coast: The Moderating Effect of Organisational Justice

The aim of this study is to examine the influence of organisational culture on employee commitment in University of Cape Coast: the moderating effect of organisational justice. There were five main specific objectives, among them were to examine the influence of organisational culture on affective commitment; normative commitment; and continuance commitment. Also, to determine the extent to which the combined effect of the types of organisational culture influence employee commitment and finally, to analyse the moderating effect of organisational justice on organisational culture and employee commitment. The study was based on the views of 300 staff from the study area. It was a quantitative study with self-administered and an online-administered questionnaire as the main research instrument. The results from the survey was analysed with the help of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS v26.0) and the Smart PLS 3 (v 3.3.8) software. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was the main multivariate statistical analysis technique used in the study. The independent constructs were: Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchical and Market Cultures. The dependent constructs were: Affective; Normative, and Continuance Commitments and organisational justice as a moderating factor. In a nutshell, the study results indicate that all the independent constructs had positive influence on employee commitment except Clan culture which had negative influence. Also, Organisational Justice had a negative moderating effect between the two variables. The study therefore recommended that there should much focus on combining all the organisational culture types to produce a higher level of effect on employee commitment.

Source: UCC