ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The impact of corporate social responsibility on performance of small and medium scale enterprises (smes) in ghana. The moderating role of institutional pressure. A case study at the kumasi metropolis

This study seeks to examine the effect of corporate social responsibility on firms’ performance of smes in the Kumasi metropolis, considering the moderating role of institutional pressure. The study used the purposive sampling technique to sample 150 smes for this study. The correlation matrix by pearson was used to check for multi-collinearity among variables. Regression models were adopted by the researcher to test for the relationship among the variables. Research results show a positive relationship between corporate social responsibility and firm performance among smes in the kumasi metropolis, but this correlation is not statistically significant. Therefore, awareness of corporate social responsibility (csr) by smes does not necessarily improve their performance. Therefore, even though smes contribute to the economic, environmental and social development of their communities, which increases the financial burden on companies, it does not necessarily improve their performance. Moreover, research results show that the relationship between institutional pressure and sme performance is not statistically significant. Therefore, pressure from various agencies on smes does not improve their performance. The study recommends that smes should intensify efforts to educate the public on their primary responsibilities, various commitments to other stakeholders, and operational/financial limitations. Moreover, smes should give extensive attention to the current status of the institutional environment and any changes that arise, complying with institutional constraints to avoid being penalized for violating stakeholders’ expectations. Finally, firms should involve the community while planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating csr projects

Source: KNUST
The impact of corporate social responsibility on firm financial performance: does industry type matter?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) of firms creates a connection between the industry and the outside world. Thus, it serves various purposes for the social well being of the people and also has an effect on the corporation’s performance. The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between CSR and the financial performance of firms and how this relationship is influenced by the type of industry the firm operates in. The study draws a diversified sample of 5 leading financial and 5 nonfinancial local and foreign-owned firms over a 12-year period (2010-2021), a period post Ghana Stock Exchange adoption of CSR disclosure for listed firms. In predicting the findings of the study, the static panel regression model was used, and the results showed that increases in CSR initiatives lead to a decrease in the financial performance (ROE) of both financial and nonfinancial firms. This implies the cost of firms investing in social and environmentally friendly initiatives outweighs the benefits. The results also showed that firms in the financial sector experience better financial performance compared to those firms in the non-financial sector. Also, the study finds that the type of industry in which a firm operates positively influences the relationship of CSR on financial performance (ROE). Therefore, despite the fact that CSR initiatives provide valuable benefits for stakeholders and the environment, firms should take caution when investing in CSR initiatives, as it can have deleterious implications on their financial performance due to Agency costs. Also, the study suggests that firms should always consider their industry type (financial or non financial) when investing in CSR initiatives

Source: KNUST
The impact of corporate social responsibilty reporting on a firm’s value; case study of HFC Bank Ltd, Accra.

The study sought to provide reliable information relative to how CSR reporting affects the value of a firm. The objective of the study was to analyze how over time stock price react on the Ghana Stock Exchange to the reporting of CSR initiatives by HFC Bank using Event Study method. The study used the Mixed Research Method – a combination of qualitative and quantitative research designs – and sampled 50 employees of HFC Bank using the stratified sampling method. After data collected was analyzed using Excel and SPSS, it emerged that CSR reporting had positive impact on share price. Time-Series data analyzed for the years under review suggests that CAAR for event window is always greater the pre-event period CAAR. The study concludes that CSR reporting positively affects the value of firms and also CSR increases the reputational capital (Goodwill) of businesses. Based on these findings, the study recommends that, firms must integrate CSR reporting into its CSR programs. It must be reported quarterly on radio, television, newspapers, social media, websites etc. This will enable organizations to make known its contribution to socioeconomic development to most of its customers and prospects as well as beneficiaries of its CSR initiative.

Source: KNUST
The impact of corporate sustainability practice on performance: the mediating role of board diversity. A case study of some selected corporate institutions in the kumasi metropolis

This study examined relationship between corporate sustainability practice and performance of corporate institutions using board diversity as a mediator in the Kumasi metropolis. The study used a total response of 150 from the total population. Regression models were adopted by the researcher to test for the relationship among the variables. the findings of the study reveal that corporate sustainability practices have no influence on an institution's performance. Businesses spend more money on sustainability activities, decreasing their net financial performance. As a result, if a company contributes to the economic, environmental, or social growth of a community, it will incur additional costs, hence raising its financial obligations. Corporate boards of directors play a crucial role in determining the organization's long-term strategic direction. As a result, companies with a diversified organizational structure are more likely to achieve operational transparency and innovation. Finally, the analysis reveals that the lack of clear csp legislation and guidelines is the most significant factor influencing business sustainability practices .the researcher made the following recommendations; governments and local authorities can explore ways in which an agency can use a certain amount of tax to conduct community-based initiatives, such as schools, energy, clean water, housing and income generating activities. This may be in a form of tax exemptions given to these organizations also the local authorities are recommended to organize periodic seminars for various corporate institutions in other to clarify the various regulations and guidelines of corporate sustainability practice finally, the composition of board should be done to take care of some core aspect of diversity. As board diversity leads to better corporate governance and increase companies value.

Source: KNUST
The impact of court-connected alternative dispute resolution on case management in court and effective justice delivery.

Alternative Dispute Resolution was created as an alternative to the customary dispute resolution system, litigation, which had turned out to be exorbitant, tedious,and did not give the parties power over the result of their disputes and was commonly cumbersome. In 2010, Ghana passed the ADR Act (798) to spare time, cash, and give procedural fulfillment without the unpleasant court environment, ensure privacy just as improve correspondence and conservation of relationships. Since the passing of the Act in 2010, little has been accomplished by way of research to assess the adequacy of ADR with regards to case management in court and furthermore on the effective justice delivery. The current research tries to look at the effect of Court Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution (CCADR) on case management in court and effective justice delivery. The study recruited 30 participants that comprised of court users and judicial service staff who were interviewed using a semi structure interview guide. Findings from the study revealed that CCADR has led to reduction of workload and backlog cases in courts. Also participant viewed CCADR as effective because it provides quick resolution to conflict, it is cheaper and very traditional. When it came to participants experiences of CCADR, there were both positive and negative experiences. Some of the positive experiences included the system being flexible and less formal. Some of the challenges enumerated by participants included inadequate resources and problem with meeting time. Participants suggested public education and providing resources as ways to improve the system. It is therefore recommended that Government allocate funds to pay allowances of mediators regularly and if possible employ permanent mediator to help improve ADR system.

Source: KNUST
The impact of credit risk on the profitability of microfinance institutions in Ghana.

The main objective of the study was to examine the impact of credit risk on the profitability of microfinance institutions Ghana. To address the main objective, the study examined the relationship between Cost Per Loan Asset (CLA) ratio and profitability (Return On Asset, i.e. ROA). and the relationship between Default Rate (DR) ratio and profitability. The study made use of an explanatory research design based on quantitative data. The study also made use of purposive sampling technique to select microfinance institutions that have been operating for the last three years (2014 to 2016). The annual reports of the thirteen (13) sampled microfinance institutions were obtained from the website and office and data on the profit after tax (PAT), total assets, non- performing loans, total loan, total operating cost and total amount of Loans from 2014 to 2016 were extracted. Descriptive statistics, correlation, as well as random-effect generalized least square (GLS) regression techniques were utilised as tools of analysis in the study. Findings of the study revealed that, the DR has a negative relationship with ROA. Thus, a unit change in DR results in a -.07 change in profitability. The relationship is statistically significant (p=0.02 < 0.05). Again, the findings from the study revealed that CLA has negative effect on ROA. Thus, a unit change in CLA results in a -0.06 change in profitability. However, the result is not statistically significant (p=00.56> 0.05). The study recommended that management should implement credit scoring strategies such as signing on to credit referencing bureaus and periodic review of credit risk policies in order to cover new risks that revolve in the lending cycle so as to mitigate against any default that may lead to a reduction in the profits of the microfinance institutions.

Source: KNUST
The impact of covid-19 on the marketing strategies of smes of insurance companies: the case of prudential life insurance.

This thesis sought to unravel the impact of covid-19 on the marketing strategies of smes of insurance companies using prudential life as a case study. The covid-19 epidemic has had a significant and disastrous effect on smes of insurance firms all around the world, with the Ghanaian economy being particularly affected. All small and medium business industries have experienced operations disruption as a result of the virus outbreak. Using prudential life insurance ltd as a case study, this quantitative case study explored the overall issue of how the covid-19 epidemic affected the marketing initiatives of insurance firms. A thorough grasp of the covid 19 pandemic was supplied by the research by concentrating on the important research questions that helped to understand the problem statement. The case study results helped people comprehend how insurance businesses have survived since the beginning of the pandemic breakout. Descriptive statistics were also employed to give a snapshot of the variables used in the analysis. Results from the data analysis had a significant association between the pandemic and its effect on the marketing strategies of prudential life insurance. The case study company's personnel answered the questionnaires collectively to help guide these research conclusions. Additionally, the research case study results showed how the covid-19 pandemic affected prudential life's marketing strategy and how the company changed its business strategies to be adaptive and innovative as the pandemic got worse. The study also identified key lessons that insurance companies among others should learn. Notably, the research included suggestions for further study and the use of coordinated approaches to deal with a pandemic of this scale.

Source: KNUST
The impact of csr on the performance of financial institutions in ghana

The study's primary objective was to evaluate the impact of CSR on the performance of financial institutions in Ghana. The study will focus on achieving the following specific objectives was to examine the effect of CSR spending on Return on Assets (ROA), determine the effect of CSR spending on Return on Equity (ROE), examine the influence of the size of financial institutions on financial performance. The study uses fourteen (14) commercial banks from 2010 to 2021 and uses the hierarchical regression method to accomplish its goals. According to this study, banks with larger CSR budgets are more likely to outperform their smaller counterparts in terms of asset performance. This study clearly shows that CSR spending affect ROA and ROE positively. This study also shows that bank size affects financial performance positively. As a result, the size of the bank has a significant effect on its financial performance (total assets). The study recommended that, managers must direct resources to other elements that have a large impact on performance because CSR expenditure has a good but minor impact on financial success (ROE). According to the researcher, the high risk and high expense involved with CSR are in part to blame for the low impact of CSR investment on financial success. This necessitates rethinking CSR practises in order to lower CSR expenses.

Source: KNUST
The impact of customer care on consumer purchasing behaviour in the bottled water industry in Ghana, the mediating role of packaging.

In achieving the main aim of this research, a quantitative survey was employed with a well-designed questionnaire as a tool for the collection of data to evaluate how consumers of bottled water in the Kumasi Metropolis view the customer care practices and the packaging concept of bottled water products and whether packaging mediates the relationship between customer care and consumer purchasing behaviour. Two different questionnaires were employed; one for the employees of a top brand bottled Water Company within the Kumasi Metropolis and the other for consumers of bottled water within the Kumasi Metropolis. In all 384 respondents were sampled, constituting 82 employees and 302 of customers. The customers were sampled through multistage sampling and the employees through simple random method. The collected data was processed and fed to the Statistical Software Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS) for the appropriate statistical analyses. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential analytical methods. The study established that competency of the employees positively influenced the purchasing behaviour of the consumers and the credibility of the bottled water companies also positively influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers. As part of the critical findings of the study, competency and courtesy of the employees of the bottled water companies positively influenced the packaging of the products in terms of colour of the wrappers, the wrappers and innovation of the bottled water packages. The colour of the bottled water package and the innovativeness of the packaging were both found to positively influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers of bottled water products. The study further revealed that the relationship between the competency and the purchasing behaviour of the consumers was mediated by the colour of the packaged bottled water. The relationship between the competency and the purchasing behaviour of the consumers was mediated by the innovation of the packaging of the bottled water products. The relationship between the courteous attitude of the employees and the purchasing behaviour of the consumers was mediated by the colour of the wrapper of the bottled water products. The study also further revealed that the relationship between the courtesy of the employees and the purchasing behaviour of the consumers was mediated by the innovation of the bottled water packages.

Source: KNUST
The impact of customer service on loan performance in the microfinance sector. The case study of some selected microfinances in takoradi

The main objective of the study was to analyze the impact of customer service on loan performance in the microfinance sector using selected microfinance institutions in takoradi as case study. This research sought to address the following objectives: to identify the customer service practices in these microfinance institutions; to examine the key challenges in the implementation of customer service practices and to determine the relationship between customer service and loan performance. The study adopted a descriptive study approach. Descriptive survey aims predominantly at observing, describing and documenting aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs rather than explaining them. The design provides a more accurate picture of events at a point in time. The study was purely quantitative in nature. The population of the study comprised all the employees of the selected microfinances namely, coastal commerce microfinance, first rate microfinance, loan line microfinance, yalex microfinance and cashpoint microfinance. For this study, fifty (50) employees were sampled out from the entire population. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the 50 employees out of all the employees. A questionnaire was chosen as the data collection instrument. The statistical package for the social science (spss) was used for data coding, entry and analysis. Good customer service is one of the essential skills needed to be adopted by employees of corporate world in order to retain its customers. Most studies such as nagar and rajan, (2005) and peppers and rogers, (2004) showed that, satisfaction of customers leads to retention of customers and hence a better organizational performance. In light of data presented, it can be said that customer service has a positive impact loan performance. The study recommends that management of mfis should ensure that, there is a strong relationship between employees and clients of the mfi to ensure a free flow of information and complaints from the customers to the employees in order for management to find efficient ways of addressing the day-to-day complaints expressed by customers

Source: KNUST
The impact of democracy and good governance on rural poverty reduction: The case of Nkoranza North District.

Poverty has been and may continue to be one of the main challenges to confront global civilization and continues to plague many developing countries around the globe. Poverty is the lack of capacity to do things, lack of power, exclusion, and deprivation of basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education, and good drinking water. Poverty is regarded as more predominant in rural areas than urban areas. Rural communities in Ghana including Nkoranza North District are wallowing in the quagmire of poverty. One of the main issues in development debates is how to tackle the issue of rural poverty. Good governance is a critical policy requirement for a successful poverty reduction strategy and is seen as the panacea to poverty as it offers the platform for the participation of the poor in decisions that affect them and empowers them to get their views on the policy agenda. It also promotes and sustains growth, development and socio-economic transformation. The main objective of this study was to examine the role democracy and good governance plays in promoting rural poverty reduction. In order to attain the main objective of the study, the case study approach was employed whilst questionnaires and interview guide were used to elicit data. In all, 150 respondents provided information for the study. The study revealed that, there is poverty in the district in all its dimensions and so efforts are being marshaled to reduce poverty through the effective implementation of national poverty reduction policies and programmes, capacity building, job creation, job-skills training and infrastructural development. However, there are the challenges of delay in the release of statutory funds to facilitate quick execution of programmes in the district and lack of commitment from stakeholders. The study recommends a shift from the over concentration on the provision of social services and infrastructure to employment generation, improving the basic needs of the poor, access to credit facilities, and women empowerment.

Source: KNUST
The impact of demographic factors on financial risk tolerance of public sector workers in Ashanti Region.

This study investigated the impact of demographic factors on the financial risk tolerance (FRT) of public sector workers in the Ashanti region of Ghana. FRT of investors in Ghana is a subject that has not been explored and as a result data on the risk level of investors is not available to aid decision making in terms of investment and insurance. The survey design was employed and a questionnaire, made up of questions from the 13 item multidimensional risk tolerance measurement instrument developed by Grable and Lytton (1999) and demographic characteristics, was developed and used to collect data on a 502 sampled public sector workers in the Ashanti region. The ANOVA and the ordered logit regression techniques were used to analyze the data. The study findings reveal that the level of risk tolerance is average for Public sector workers. The results further indicated that demographic characteristics indeed affect the level of FRT of public sector workers with income and gender being the high predictors. Specifically, the study revealed that males are more risk tolerant than females and the higher the income, the more risk tolerance one was. The study also revealed that FRT decreased with age whiles Muslims were seen to be slightly more risk tolerant than Christians. Again, high levels of education corresponded to high levels of risk tolerance. Interestingly, marital status did not have any effect on financial risk tolerance unless moderated by gender and income. It was also revealed that the higher the number of dependents, the less risk tolerant public sector workers were but when the leverage of income and gender was brought to bear, at high incomes dependence serves as a drive to an aggressive risk preference. The study recommends that Investment and Insurance managers must aggressively approach workers bearing in mind this general pattern of risk tolerance and offer products that meet their demographic differences and risk tolerance preferences.

Source: KNUST