ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Mechanization in Ghana: Emerging demand, and the search for alternative supply models

Influential studies in the 1980s and early 1990s drew on the Boserup–Ruthenberg theories of farming systems evolution to argue that African countries were not yet ready for widespread agricultural mechanization. Through applying the theories of farming systems evolution and of induced innovation in technical change, this paper shows that demand for certain mechanized farming operations particularly plowing has emerged even among smallholders, suggesting that supply issues may now be the main constraint to successful mechanization. We therefore adopt a supply chain approach to analyze two types of mechanization practices in Ghana, i.e., a recent state-led mechanization program and the private sector-led service hiring market, against an international perspective by drawing on three Asian supply models. We identify two major flaws in existing policies. First, the agricultural mechanization service centers that the government promotes fail to use tractors services with sufficient intensity. Second, direct importation of agricultural machinery by the government inhibits imports of appropriate and affordable machinery. In contrast, the development of mechanized service hiring market in which medium and large-scale farmers who are tractor owners provide hiring-out services to small-scale farmers represents a promising model for sustainable mechanization in Ghana. This private sector-led second model is consistent with international experiences

Source: UCC
Media culture and television news: a review of five recent books and their implications for future research

The purpose of this essay is to explore and examine the usefulness of five fairly recent books in television news production in organizations such as the BBC and CNN, and to show how issues highlighted in the review could inform further research. The review brings to light four key issues. The foremost is that the internal news epistemes of a given media culture heavily influence its news framing. Second, different media organizations proffer and live by different media cultures. Third, the reading reveals that normative standards and universal definitions of objectivity are problematic. Certainly, they are overtly Anglo-American, and reinforce Western hegemonies. Further, such criteria hardly account for cultural dependent factors that shape and constrain the production of news in cultures outside of the West. Finally, the literature shows that research in newsroom is usually ethnographic in nature, drawing on coterminous instruments such as interviews, participant observations and recording. Interestingly, however, the influence of the culture of television stations on news framing has been under-studied, especially in the African context. Prior research, nonetheless, stresses too much content such that empirical knowledge of how variation in news cultures emerges through framing is blurred

Source: UCC
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: Muscles Located at the Site of Pain

Objective.The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the location of theMTSS pain (posteromedial border of tibia) and the muscles that originate from that site. Method. The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy of the School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, and involved the use of 22 cadaveric legs (9 paired and 4 unpaired) from 11 males and 2 females. Findings.The structures that were thus observed to attach directly to the posteromedial border of the tibia were the soleus, the flexor digitorum longus, and the deep crural fascia. The soleus and flexor digitorum longus muscles were observed to attach directly to the posteromedial border of the tibia. The tibialis posterior muscle had no attachment to this site. Conclusion. The findings of this study suggest that if traction is the cause of MTSS then soleus and the flexor digitorum muscles and not the tibialis posterior muscle are the likely cause of MTSS

Source: UCC
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: Muscles Located at the Site of Pain

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the location of the MTSS pain (posteromedial border of tibia) and the muscles that originate from that site. Method. The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy of the School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, and involved the use of 22 cadaveric legs (9 paired and 4 unpaired) from 11 males and 2 females. Findings. The structures that were thus observed to attach directly to the posteromedial border of the tibia were the soleus, the flexor digitorum longus, and the deep crural fascia. The soleus and flexor digitorum longus muscles were observed to attach directly to the posteromedial border of the tibia. The tibialis posterior muscle had no attachment to this site. Conclusion. The findings of this study suggest that if traction is the cause of MTSS then soleus and the flexor digitorum muscles and not the tibialis posterior muscle are the likely cause of MTSS.

Source: UCC
Mediating Conflict In Nae We Tradtional Court: An Analysis Of Rhetorical Practices

Traditional modes of communication encompass varied forms of transmitting and sharing information. African traditional communication has, over the years, used rhetorical practices on different platforms for different purposes. Researchers such as Yankah (1997) has dealt with the Okyeame in traditional Akan Royal Oratory when the mediator thus Okyeame is praised for his oratorial competence an art which earns him the title as the mouthpiece of the Chief. However, the rhetorical practices in the Nae We traditional court has not been studied when it comes African Traditional Communication. The study dealt with the rhetorical practices within the context of the traditional court at the Nae We Traditional Court at Gbese, Jamestown, Accra, Ghana. The practices identified, however, do not only cover the use of language but also communication via symbols and visual rhetoric. These practices come alive during conflict mediation processes at the traditional court. The research design was partly phenomenology and narrative analysis situated within the context of Afrocentricity and Afrocentric Paradigm. Data gathered for analysis was acquired through qualitative methods such as interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation in the Nae We Traditional Court. The sampling procedure was purposive for key informants and actors who played diverse roles at the traditional court. Using the Rhetoric, the Symbolic Interactionism Theory, the Muted Group and Cultural Sustainability Theory, the study revealed that the position of women in the traditional court is silenced considering most protocols observed by audiences present at the traditional court. It was also revealed that, gradually, tradition is giving way to the modernization of these practices as a way of ensuring continuity, trust andsustainability of most of the traditional and rhetorical practices for the generations to come. The study recommends that for the preservation of culture, full inclusivity should be encouraged in order to amend the way of traditional practices. The use of traditional symbolic language should be encouraged, and its interpretation be given a universal phase across cultures within the country. It also recommended that actors within the confines of traditional institutions, such as the traditional courts should be given periodic training by the legal courts to serve as checks and balances.

Source: UCC
Mediating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate and Job Resources in the Job Demands-Health Relation: Implications for Contemporary Business Management

The ojective of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and job resources (JR) on the relationship between job demands (JD) and health of the fuel customer attendants in Accra. A sample of 876 fuel attendants from the four biggest Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in Ghana was studied using a questionnaire developed from three pre-existing instruments for data collection. The composite reliabilities scales on the questionnaire yielded between .86 and .95. Patial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was the analysis tools used. The results revealed a statistically significant direct effect of JD on health status of the attendants both in the initial (t = 45.15, p< .001) and complete (t = 39.16, p< .001) models when bootstrapping procedure was applied. PSC and JR provided partial mediation to the effect of JD on state of health of the attendants. Fuel station work environment had adverse effects on the well-being of the attendants. Implications on business growth and sustannability in the 21st century business environment, and the role of supervisors’ support for worker health and safety as comtemporary business model are discussed.

Source: UCC
Mediating Role Of Academic Motivation On Academic Satisfaction And Academic Performance Of Shs Students

The study examined the extent to which academic motivation mediates academic satisfaction and academic performance of senior high school students in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese district in the Central Region of Ghana. A descriptive survey design was employed for the study. Three hundred and seventy-two copies of the questionnaire were administered to SHS students, however, 357 were returned. Purposive, proportionate to size, and simple random sampling procedures were employed in selecting the respondents. A questionnaire was the main instrument for collecting data. Analyses were done using Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient (r), and Multiple Regression Analysis. Hayes Mediation Process Model 4 was also adopted for the analyses. The findings of the study revealed that students have a high level of academic motivation. However, a positive weak correlation existed between academic satisfaction and academic performance among students. The study’s findings further revealed that academic motivation does not mediate the relationship between students’ academic satisfaction and academic performance. It was concluded that students’ academic satisfaction levels should be high to influence their academic performance. The study recommends that the Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the school management at Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese district should provide school facilities such as conducive classrooms, libraries, and Information and Communication Technology laboratories. Further, the school management should provide learning resources such as teaching-learning materials for effective academic activities. Guidance and counselling coordinators in the various schools also should be empowered to organise intervention programmes such as basic study habits to increase students’ academic performance.

Source: UCC
Mediating role of enrolment strategies on academic staff retention and enrolment performance of private Universities in Ghana

Globally, there is fierce competition among students and academic staff of both private and public universities; therefore, some private universities have adopted survival strategies to share in the higher education market. This study investigates enrolment strategies that mediate the relationship between academic staff retention and enrolment performance in three chartered private universities in Ghana. Also, it investigates the challenges that confront these chartered private universities and the switching intentions of the academic staff. Random sampling and purposive techniques are used to select the sample size of 287, representing 63% of the academic staff from the selected institutions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using the sequential mixed-methods approach. Linear Structural Relation - Structural Equation Model (LISREL-SEM) was used to test hypotheses about the mediating variables. Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to rank the challenges, and Binary Logit (BL) was employed to analyse academic staff switching intentions. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach to derive the content of responses. Findings of the study reveal that collaboration and innovation mediate the relationship between staff retention strategy and enrolment performance. The findings also suggest that pricing (tuition fee) might not affects students‘ enrolment. Management should, therefore, support innovative admission activities to improve enrolment performance. Also, leadership style and remuneration are predictors most likely to influence staff switching intentions. Therefore, management of institutions selected for the study need to collaborate with their academic staff and invest in research to determine the niche areas of their institutions for better linkages and collaboration with other universities to mitigate the effects of fierce competition for students.

Source: UCC
Mediating Role of Organisational Politics Perception On Leader-member Exchange and Work Withdrawal Behaviour Among Public Senior High School Teachers

The study sought to examine the mediating role of organisational politics perception on leader-member exchange and work withdrawal behaviour among teachers in public senior high schools in the Sunyani municipality. The Explanatory-Cross-sectional design with a sample size of 152 selected through the simple random sampling procedure, comprising 106 males and 46 females with an average age of 37 was used. Questionnaires were used and data was generally analysed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, Simple Linear Regression and Independent Samples t-test. Also Hayes (2013) process approach for testing mediation was employed. Analyses of results revealed that, leader-member exchange had a significant negative relationship with composite work withdrawal, turnover, absenteeism and presenteeism but a positive weak correlation with acquiescent silence. Again, leader-member exchange had significant negative relationship with organisational politics perception. Further, organisational politics perception had a significant positive correlation with work withdrawal. Also, tenure did not relate positively with organisational politics perception. Moreover, there was no gender difference in organisational politics perception and work withdrawal. Lastly, organisational politics perception did not mediate the effect of leader member exchange on work withdrawal. Based on the findings it was recommended that, heads of schools should endeavour to fulfil teachers’ expectations and ensure that there is equity in dealing with teachers if they want to portray fairness

Source: UCC
Mediating role of organisational politics perception On leader-member exchange and work withdrawal Behaviour among public senior high school teachers

The study sought to examine the mediating role of organisational politics perception on leader-member exchange and work withdrawal behaviour among teachers in public senior high schools in the Sunyani municipality. The Explanatory-Cross-sectional design with a sample size of 152 selected through the simple random sampling procedure, comprising 106 males and 46 females with an average age of 37 was used. Questionnaires were used and data was generally analysed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, Simple Linear Regression and Independent Samples t-test. Also Hayes (2013) process approach for testing mediation was employed. Analyses of results revealed that, leader-member exchange had a significant negative relationship with composite work withdrawal, turnover, absenteeism and presenteeism but a positive weak correlation with acquiescent silence. Again, leader-member exchange had significant negative relationship with organisational politics perception. Further, organisational politics perception had a significant positive correlation with work withdrawal. Also, tenure did not relate positively with organisational politics perception. Moreover, there was no gender difference in organisational politics perception and work withdrawal. Lastly, organisational politics perception did not mediate the effect of leadermember exchange on work withdrawal. Based on the findings it was recommended that, heads of schools should endeavour to fulfil teachers’ expectations and ensure that there is equity in dealing with teachers if they want to portray fairness.

Source: UCC
Mediating Role of Students’ Aspiration in the Relationship Between the Stakes of University Examination and Students’ Learning Approaches in the University of Cape Coast

The study examined the mediating role of students’ aspiration in the relationship between the stakes of university examination and students’ learning approaches in the University of Cape Coast. The study was carried out using the descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The target population was undergraduate students. Through a multi-stage sampling technique, questionnaires were administered to 758 regular undergraduate students, however 680 of the administered questionnaires were returned. The data collected were analysed using multivariate, t-test, and one-way ANOVA/Welch analyses. A simple mediation analysis was also conducted with Hayes’ PROCESS, using bootstrap samples. It was found that the stakes attached to university examination was a significant positive predictor of deep learning approach, surface learning approach, and strategic learning approach. It was further revealed that students’ aspiration mediated the relationship between the stakes of university examination and (a) deep learning approach, as well as (b) strategic learning approach, but not surface learning approach. The study also discovered that, the stakes attached to university examinations were higher for first year students compared to second, third and fourth-year students. It was concluded that students’ aspiration plays a major role in the adoption of the various learning approaches. Parents, academic advisors, as well as lecturers of the University of Cape Coast are therefore encouraged to roll out intervention programmes such as student mentoring, that will assist students develop high aspirations regarding their educational and occupational goals.

Source: UCC
The mediation of cultural identities: texts and contexts in Ghanaian video-films

This paper examines the texts and contexts that inform the mediatory processes that Ghanaian video-films have engaged in towards the creation of new cultural identities, often ambivalent, but sometimes extreme and contestable. The narratives and subtexts of video-films, particularly those of the Pentecostal and occult genres, have often posited new cultural identities and worldviews. The historical and cultural contexts within which these videos are produced and consumed often demonstrate their potential to create new perceptions about Ghanaians in general, and to effectively engage in the mediations and negotiations for new forms of socialization. This paper discusses those processes that inform contemporary public perceptions of Ghanaian identity (or identities) and what role video-films play in such processes, particularly within a Ghanaian context. Using theories of identity, representation and mediation, the paper attempts a textual reading of a sample of video-films in order to frame their narrative contexts and ideological subtexts in relation to their role in identity formation

Source: UCC
Membership of Chinese Farmer Specialized Cooperatives and Direct Subsidies for Farmer Households: A Multi-Province Data Study

The introduction of direct subsidies to farming households and the development of farmer cooperatives has provided two important approaches to China’s twenty-first century food policy challenges. However, research undertaken largely separates and focuses on subsidies or cooperatives. This neglects their interaction and complementarities. This article seeks to rectify this omission using a survey from 35 farmer specialized cooperatives (FSCs) and 561 farming households in 16 provinces, based on a two-stage treatment effect model. The findings suggest FSCs have become important organizations that improve farmers’ net income. Moreover, usage of agricultural machinery and direct subsidies also result in higher net income, though they have little impact on farmers’ machinery investment. The results provide an evidence source that contributes to debate concerning government subsidy policy. Policy may act more like an income transfer program, since it has little impact on farmers’ investment in agriculture. The study also highlights that there are complementary effects between FSCs and direct subsidies, and that China’s cooperative policy integrated with direct subsidies could be progressive.

Source: UCC
Memory and food intake in sheep: Effects of previous exposure to straw on intake and behaviour later in life

The ban on open-air burning of agricultural by-products by the European Union created disposal problems on many farms. Success was limited in attempts at feeding agricultural by-products like cereal straws to previously grazed livestock. This initial reluctance to accept unfamiliar feeds was also reported when livestock were fed whole-grain cereals in drought, or when grazed on new pastures and shrubs. It is suggested that previous exposure to feed might speed up the rate at which it is accepted, particularly if such experiences take place at pre-weaning. This study aimed at establishing the veracity of this assertion, and whether an early learning experience is carried over into adulthood. Two feeding trails were carried out with lambs not exposed (NE) to straw and those given access to straw at 12 weeks of age for either 10 (E-10) or 28 (E-28) days. At 24 weeks (Experiment 1), 10 lambs from each of the three treatment groups were tested, over 21 days, on their readiness to accept straw as feed. At 36 weeks (Experiment 2), another batch of lambs (from the E-28 and NE groups only) were similarly tested. For each, the lambs were penned individually (in view of lambs from their own treatment group) and also offered a concentrate supplement to meet daily nutrient requirements. In both experiments, intake of straw OM, N and DOM, as well as leaf to stem ratio in reject straw, were assessed for each penned lamb. Animal behaviour pattern was monitored once every 5 min, over an 8-h period, immediately after first confinement. Frequency of eating, idling, ruminating, or drinking were all found to be significantly greater (P<0.001) for previously exposed lambs. Intakes of OM, N, DOM, and leaf fraction in straw were also significantly greater (P<0.01) over the 1st week of assessment. However, the differences (P>0.05) between lambs exposed for 10 or 28 days were not significant in all the parameters measured. Results from these trials support the belief that animals exposed to feeds, pre-weaning, recognize such feeds and accept them later in life more readily than those given such feeds for the first time. The study implies that production systems that expose animals to a wide range of feeds early in life may be advantageous to them later. Research protocols may need to look more into the feeding history of experimental animals, particularly those assembled from different backgrounds. It may also be possible to exploit this observed behavioural pattern to “prepare animals” early in life to either accept or reject particular feeds they may meet later in life

Source: UCC