ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessing Job Satisfaction and Morale among Teachers: Case Study of Kumasi Metropolis and Atwima Nwabiagya District Education

The aim of the study was to survey teachers and educational workers on the factors that affect teachers satisfaction, job satisfaction at the work place, study teachers perception about their pay, condition of service, job security, status and also investigate what teachers perceive as factors that influence their job satisfaction. Questionnaires were used to elicit information from 167 teachers in Kumasi Metropolis and Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly. Findings from the study indicated that salaries of teachers were generally low as compared to other professions. However, more than half (55.7%) of the respondent reported that they were satisfied with the teaching profession whiles almost a third of the respondent (33.7%) reported that they were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the teaching profession. The study also showed that teachers who had job security and have received promotion with increase in salary were likely to be satisfied with the teaching profession. Results of the study also show that the working environment of the teachers is not convenient for staff as a result of lack of facilities which will facilitate the delivery of better service to the pupils. It was also evident that not one single factor will provide job satisfaction but a combination of factors, and for which if one of the factors is neglected the service delivery of teachers can become flawed. There is therefore the need for teachers and government to have a look at some of the other variables that affect the teaching profession.

Source: KNUST
Assessing land cover change resulting from surface mining development (a case study of Prestea and its environs in the Western Region of Ghana)

Land use and land cover change (LULCC); also known as land change is a general term for the human modification of Earth's terrestrial surface. LULCC are the direct and indirect consequence of human actions to secure essential resources. It has become necessary to analyse these land changes for the management of natural resources and maintenance of the environment. The rate of urbanization and industrialization in Prestea is causing rapid change to LULC. Mining activities, especially surface mining in the area is creating pressure on the land cover, influencing other activities such as, deforestation, building of houses and industries, farming and other anthropogenic activities. In view of this problem of land cover change, this project was aimed at mapping, monitoring and analysing the spatio-temporal LULCC patterns using multi-temporal satellite images from 1990 - 2010 within the study area (Prestea and its environs). Modelling and analysis of these multispectral images were performed using Erdas Imagine software and Idrisi selva. Seven LULC classes were identified including; high density forest, sparse forest, farmland, built-up, barren land, water and mine site. The results showed that during the period under review (1990-2010) there have been losses in high density forest and sparse forest, while farmland, built-up and mine site have seen some increase. Also the annual rate of change within this period was found to be 2.25%. A LULC map for 2030 was generated for the study area using the 1990 to 2010 LULC map assuming that the transmission mechanisms stay the same, to project areas under risk of invasion in future. The results of the projection revealed an expansion of all land cover classes except high density forest and sparse forest, indicating an increase of 2.11%, 1.56% and 1.35% in farmland, built-up and mine site respectively.

Source: KNUST
Assessing Land use/cover change and Land degradation Risks using Multi-temporal Landsat Images

Rapid land use/cover change and land degradation are occurring in Ghana as a result of demographic pressure, human-induce activities and environmental factors such as drought. This study analyzed the dynamics of land use/cover and land degradation risk as revealed in the Kintampo Municipal district based on the multi-spectral Landsat imagery of 1986 TM and 2005 ETM+.

Source: KNUST
Assessing leasing as a major alternative financing mechanism for SMES in Ghana: a case study of selected SMES in the Accra metropolis.

This work is designed to examine the potential opportunities that are available to small and medium enterprises in using lease financing as an alternative mechanism to enhance their business operation. It is aimed at exploring the views of managers of Leaseafric and some selected SME’s in the area of lease operation, access to finance and transaction experience. The study sought to find answers to views of SME’s on access to lease finance as an alternative financing tool, their level of satisfaction, constraints they face and benefits they derive from their relationship with Leasing companies in accessing lease finance among others. Despite the short comings of the study, the main findings are remarkable. The study indeed establishes the potential for leasing as an alternative financing mechanism for SME’s in Ghana. In addition, the study showed that, there are quantitative and qualitative benefits for SME’s who use financial lease to procure capital assets. It is recommended that government should increase the level of tax incentive measures in the financial market that will stimulate and promote the activities of SME’s, most especially cheaper avenue for sourcing funds. The diseconomies of scale experienced in the rural areas where capital is needed most to support thriving local businesses needs to be changed. Government banks could be empowered to provide leasing finance options for these rural SME’s.

Source: KNUST
Assessing low quality water use policy framework: Case study from Ghana

We sought to understand the factors that have undermined the effective implementation of the low quality water reuse provision in Ghana’s Irrigation Policy. Two Strategic Environmental Assessment tools (i.e. compatibility matrix and sustainability test) were used for the policy analyses. The analyses identified neither conflicts nor sustainability issues which could undermine the effective implementation of the policy in Ghana. Rather, its effective implementation was found to be the result of the lack of supportive legislation, regulations and guidelines. Furthermore, most of the institutions, which have been identified as key stakeholders for the policy implementation, not only lack the commitmentto implementthe policy but also perceive low quality water reuse as a practice that can endanger public health. We conclude that effective implementation of the low quality water reuse policy requires an integration of the policy into the broader water resources management context supported with legislation and regulations which spell out clearly institutional responsibilities, and rewards and punishments for compliance or otherwise.

Source: KNUST
ASSESSING MTN MOBILE MONEY IN GHANA

The printing of currency notes and minting of coins takes a heavy toll on every government‟s expenditure. Citizens are also exposed to armed robberies as they carry cash from one place to the other. Not forgetting the numerous queues that exist at banks, supermarkets etc when people want to make transactions. Efforts are therefore being strongly made by the Bank of Ghana to promote electronic payments in Ghana and reduce the over reliance on physical cash for transactions. The use of mobile money will help push this agenda. This research aimed at assessing MTN Mobile Money in Ghana as we drive towards a cashless economy. This was done by critically assessing its current use and investigating the challenges of using MTN Mobile Money. It also established the level of preference for MTN Mobile Money as compared to bank transactions or ATM and e–ZWICH. The study was based on a survey conducted through the administration of questionnaires to users and merchants of MTN Mobile Money in the Ashanti Region. The study showed that single females between the ages of 18 and 25 years use mobile money more often than men. It also identified network instability and unavailability and delay in reversal of wrong transactions as the greatest challenges to the operation of MTN Mobile Money services in Ghana. The findings show that despite these challenges, most users have resolved to continue using the services and also recommend it to other people.

Source: KNUST
Assessing multiple reference station RTK case study: Southern Ghana

The use of RTK methods for surveying purposes have become an efficient way of performing survey tasks around the world. In Ghana however, the RTK surveys are restricted to a few individual private surveyors who carry out such surveys in very restricted base-to-rover distances of a maximum of 8km with a single reference station. The Survey Department of Ghana has three Continuously Observing Reference Stations (CORS) operated offline from Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi. The research sought to compare Single Reference Station (SRS) to Multiple Reference Stations (MRS) methods of performing RTK. The comparison was in the form of tests conducted with different SRS located at different locations with base-to-rover distances of between 7-70km. These reference stations were networked to form a MRS and used to evaluate the performance of both methods. The criteria used were the time to fix ambiguity, the number of ambiguity fixed and the reliability of the coordinates computed for either method. The network of reference stations were located in Accra, Dodowa, Asamankese, Suhum, Nsawam and Winneba. The test results showed that at distances of less than 10km, both SRS and MRS produced comparable results. However at longer base lengths exceeding this limit, the MRS produced markedly superior results. The computed Central Error Probable for the two methods in the tests revealed that the accuracies obtained by the MRS are better for the longer base-to-rover distances. The thesis ends with recommendations for the different owners of CORS in the country to work together to cover a wider area and give better accuracies across the country and also urges the Survey Department of Ghana to work with the universities and other stakeholders to come up with standards for RTK surveys to encourage its proper use.

Source: KNUST
Assessing mothers’ knowledge of prevention of diarrhoeal diseases among children under five years in Ahafo Ano South District of Ghana

In the year 2005, there was an outbreak of cholera in the AASD of the Ashanti Region. The number of Out-Patient-Department cases in the district rose to a total of 684. Notwithstanding the various interventions, there was an increase to 690 in 2006. A study to assess mothers’ knowledge of prevention of diarrhoea diseases was conducted in the Ahafo Ano District of Ghana. A three-staged sampling strategy was used to select 300 respondents. This study showed that 58.3% of the respondents practised exclusive breast feeding; it exceeded the WHO recommendation (James, 2000). There were positive associations between mothers’ level of education and introduction of water, occupation and hand washing, and the level of education and the use of IEC on health issues (p < 0.05; OR=1.46). IEC was highly effective for feeding practices. The findings also showed that there was no significant association between occupation of mothers and introduction of water, however, 85.1% of the 121 respondents who served water to their babies before six months were self-employed. Significantly, 60.2% of the respondents were also adult mothers between 26 and 35 years who gave artificial feed to their children. This study showed that 44.7% and 1.3% of the respondents obtain drinking water from hand-dug wells and streams respectively. This revelation render support to WHO 2005 Report that indicated one billion people in the world cannot get access to safe drinking water and develop diarrhoea. 143 (47.7%) of the respondents mentioned that they sometimes wash their hands with soap and water before they breastfeed their babies. This confirms the results by Mensah and others in 2002. The study also revealed that 79.9% of those who do not wash their hands with soap and water were self-employed and 20.1% were public service employees (0dds ratio=1.4594), this shows a positive association between mother’s occupation and hand washing practices. Again, 39.3% of the respondents store water in wide-mouthed pots and buckets and the use of cups which are kept under unhygienic conditions. This can cause contamination. Significantly, there were no clear socio-cultural barriers to the use health information but farming and poverty affect mothers use of health information. In management of diarrhoea diseases, 26.0% mentioned the use of ORS and drugs; this confirms the WHO/UNICEF Report in 2008 that recommends the combination of ORS and oral zinc supplementation. It is recommended that more health staff should be retrain to manage diarrhoea cases, intensify and broaden its health education and promotion activities.

Source: KNUST
Assessing natural resource use conflicts in the Kogyae strict nature reserve, Ghana

Natural resources are of great importance to millions of people in Ghana, especially those whose livelihoods largely depend on them. However the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve (KSNR) in Ghana has been the scene of conflicts since its establishment in 1971. Conflicts in the KSNR have taken place at a variety of levels especially among the community members and between the community members and the wildlife Division. The conflict is mainly violent in nature with varying dimensions such as destruction of farms, destruction of Wildlife Division camps, excessive logging; arrests of poachers and eviction of the host communities in the KSNR. This study therefore assesses the type, origin, nature, level and the effect of the conflicts on development. It also seeks to examine constraints confronting effective conflict management in KSNR, with the view to recommending policy interventions that will help curta il the conflicts in Ghana. Data for the study were derived from direct interviews with the stakeholders and on-site observation. The results revealed that a structural conflict was the major type of conflict characterizing the conflicts in the KSNR. This conflict mainly originated from weak enforcement of resource laws, absence of conflict management mechanism, land litigation and demographic changes. These together with inadequate source of livelihood and imposition of policy without effective participatio n of stakeholders have fuelled illegal activities, mainly hunting and encroachment, resulting in uncontrolled conflicts in the KSNR. Efforts to address these conflicts have always been done on ad hoc basis. This was mainly due to the lack of legislative instrument to ensure that a well structured conflict management mechanism was in place to address these conflicts. The study recommends that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources ensures the establishment of legislative instrument to ensure establishm ent of a well structured conflict mechanisms to address conflicts in natural resource areas. In the meantime, regular conservation education programmes should be embarked on in the fringe communities for the people to appreciate the need for natural resource sustainability.

Source: KNUST
Assessing occupational safety culture among workers in the printing industry in Kumasi

ABSTRACT The industrial sector including the printing industry in Ghana contributes significantly to the gross national product (GDP) and employment. It is also an industry where employees are doing tasks that are likely to expose them to equipment, machinery or chemicals that can be hazardous to health and in turn cause effect on employees. Although there are some studies on health issues in this industry, not much has been written on safety culture. Therefore, the study focused on assessing occupational safety culture among workers in the printing industry in Kumasi. The objectives of the study were to assess occupational safety culture among workers in the printing industry, identify various occupational safety practices, identify the factors that influence occupational safety culture, and find out the challenges associated with occupational safety practices in the printing industry. A total of 130 respondents were considered for the study, out of which 100 responses were received representing 76.92% response rate. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique in selecting respondents. Pearson correlation and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The study showed that the occupational safety practices in the printing industry in Kumasi mainly ensured that, proper machine handling procedures were undertaken. The study also showed that training, employee attitudes, organizational policies on safety, the provision of adequate preventive measures, and adequate information on safety precautions, adequate guarding and safe interventions on machine works, management commitment to safety, constant communication about emergency exit procedures influence a culture of safety. The challenges associated with occupational safety practices in the printing industry in Kumasi were time pressure, pressures of organizational cost cutting, overly strong pursuit for success, management indifference to hazards, lack of clear safety policies and lack of planning and risk assessment. The study recommended establishing the lines of authority for safety; developing a safety policy that includes workplace safety, and includes safety responsibilities in the job descriptions and performance plans of all employees. Also, building awareness and caring for safety by emphasizing safety throughout the company safety policy and practically throughout the company.

Source: KNUST
Assessing organisational learning practices in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (Smes) in Ghana: A case study of selected Smes at Adum-Kumasi

Continuous innovation and strategic motivation play critical roles on the ability of firms of all sizes to effectively compete and sustain a competitive strategy. Organizational learning is a concept that provides an efficient platform for continuousimprovement in businesses in order to cope with the dynamics of the economic world. The study adopted a case study approach. Data for the study was collected with semi-structured questionnaires from 248 selected small and medium-scale enterprise operators. Data collected were analyzed using SATA 11 to examine the organizational learning practices among the small and medium scale enterprises selected for the study. Respondents were predominantly males and the age distribution for all respondents was concentrated between twenty-six (26) and forty-five (45) years. Results indicated that the very slow growth experienced by the SMEs may have significant negative impact on their ability to engage in learning practices. The results further suggest a rather passive behavior of employees in seeking learning opportunities. Three challenges that significantly influenced the ability of SME operators to engage in organizational learning practices were the cost of providing such opportunities, the change in attitude of employees when they returned and the attrition rate among employees who were provided learning opportunities. Interestingly, a significant proportion of SME operators were fully satisfied with the value derived from such learning practices, and this satisfaction gets better with time. As recommendations to this study, SMEs need to invest more into learning in order to be competitive in the market and to continue their survival since the value of organizational learning is evident.SME operators are particularly encouraged to further their formal education since their willingness to expose employees to learning opportunities, either consciously or unconsciously, is largely influenced by the level attained by these operators.

Source: KNUST
Assessing operational risk management at Utrak savings and loans limited

Operational risk has increased its importance and is being looked at by various banks due to deregulation, improvements in technology and increased international competition. However, financial institutions do not just accept or look up for risk to occur but they develop plans to deal with them vigorously through operational risks management. It was on this basis that this study was designed to investigate into the types, causes, and the impact of operational risks and how it is managed within the capacity of Utrak savings and loan limited. Data for the study was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The Annual Financial Statements for the bank were used to check the impact of operational risk on profitability. The study used only the purposive sampling and thus structured interview sessions were designed for staffs of Utrak savings and loans limited. The data was collected from six (6) respondents who were staff of Utrak. The study revealed various types of operational risks in Utrak. Prominent among them included infrastructure mismanagement, employee agitation and claims, system failure, external fraud, internal fraud, power supply problems, software and IT challenges, Policy/Process non-compliance. The study further indicated that the occurrence of these types of risks were due to the poor internal control systems of the institution. These risks however, had affected the performance of the institution in terms of profitability. Data from the financial statement of Utrak indicated that though there is no true reflection of operational risk effects on profitability performance, operational risk had contributed to the high expenditure of the institution. This could invariably affect the profitability performance of Utrak. The study therefore recommended that there should be institutional strengthening and collaboration to promote corporate governance and effective internal control systems for proper management of operational risks.

Source: KNUST
Assessing outsourcing process and its effects on organisational performance: a case study of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The study examines outsourcing processes and its effects on organisational performance with specific reference to Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Pension House in Accra. The study obtained both quantitative and qualitative data from a total of ninety five (95) staff of the case study organisation. The quota and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the staff of SSNIT. Data obtained was analysed using SPSS version 23 and Microsoft Excel 2010 statistical tools and descriptive statistics were generated to present results through tables and figures. The study found that key reasons for outsourcing were the desire to focus on promoting the core mandate of managing pensions of workers in Ghana and reduce cost and maximizes revenue. Again, these factors have implications on the performance of SSNIT because there is significant reduction of costs, operational efficiency and effective service delivery. It was also noted that the challenges related to outsourcing were delays and inaccuracies in service delivery. The study therefore recommends that management of SSNIT should intensify supervision or monitoring of the products and services used by service providers. Again, it is very important to build the capacity of staff involved in the outsourcing process to broaden their knowledge on outsourcing process.

Source: KNUST