ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Employee-guest interface in service failure recovery episodes in upscale hotels in the Accra metropolis

Frontline employee (FLE)-guest interface has been identified as a vital strategic issue in the literature given the fact that the encounter during service delivery could result in service failure which needs to be recovered. Based on the evidence that there is dearth of research examining the interface during service failure and recovery from a managerial point of view, this study assessed frontline employee-guest interface in service failure recovery episodes in upscale hotels in the Accra Metropolis. The study followed the pragmatism philosophy, and the mixed methods approach was used for data collection involving 400 respondents (hotel guests) for the quantitative study, a representative each of the FLEs and FLMs of 15 upscale hotels and two top officials from GTA and GHA totalling 32. The study revealed that the guests were satisfied with the tangible aspects of the hotels, but dissatisfied with the hotels’ services because they did not receive the services promised them; this impacted negatively on their service recovery satisfaction. About 60% of them were dissatisfied with the compensation, yet indicated positive loyalty intentions because of the location of the hotels and some helpful and friendly FLEs. In resolving complaints, guest expected FLEs to be empathetic and responsive by dealing with their problems promptly, yet most of them were not fully empowered to promptly resolve them to minimise guests’ dissatisfaction. It was further revealed that most of the strategies to enable FLEs handle guests’ complaints emanated from the FLMs. It is recommended that a healthy FLE-guest relationship should be sustained to ensure quality guest service delivery, minimise service failures and recover guest service failures effectively by empowered FLEs to satisfy guests and to enhance their loyalty intentions.

Source: UCC
Employees perception on performance appraisal system and organizationational commitment: a study at Techiman Municipal NHIS.

The Purpose of this study was to find out employees perception on Performance Appraisals and organizational commitment at Techiman Municipal NHIS. To achieve the objectives of the study, five research questions were administered to the employees at Techiman Municipal NHIS. The study adopted descriptive survey study design involving the entire fifty-two (52) employee. The main source of data for the study was primary data. Questionnaire was used to gather information from the employees. In analysing and interpreting the results, frequency distribution table whereas STATA version 13 was used to process the statistical results. Performance Appraisal system used at Techiman NHIS were rating scales, comparison method, self and team evaluation, management-by- objective (MBO), 360 degree feedback. From the findings, most workers felt proud to work with NHIS and were not ready to quit their job to any organization in the near future. Also, from the regression results performance appraisals leads to organizational commitment and there exist a positive and significant relationship between performance appraisals and organizational commitment.

Source: UCC
Employees Training and Development and Employee Performance at Apam Catholic Hospital

ABSTRACT The main objective of this research was to examine employee training and development (T/D) and employee performance at Apam Catholic Hospital (ACH) of the Central Region of Ghana. The study considered controlling effect of gender on staff view regarding T/D. The study employed descriptive survey design. The study population involved all 124 permanent workers of the hospital. Due to the relatively small number of permanent employees in ACH, census method was deemed proper for this research. Questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data. Statistical tools including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, Pearson Product Moment correlation and linear multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The study found that T/D interventions of ACH have significant influence on employees’ performance. The study concludes that employees of ACH are aware of the T/D programmes available to them in the hospital. Also, ACH is not well-resourced in T/D delivery. It is recommended that the hospital invest in the essential T/D to ensure optimal employee performance and, as a result, contribute in the achievement of the hospital's fundamental mandate. Also, employees of ACH should develop and maintain positive attitude towards the hospital’s T/D interventions and management as well.

Source: UCC
Employees’ Perception of Appraisal and Job Performance in Ghana Health Service

The purpose of this study was to determine employee perception of performance appraisal on job performance. The study used quantitative approach. The research design was descriptive survey. The data collection instrument was questionnaire. The population was 150 Ghana Health Service employees. The study found that Ghana Health Service management should be flexible, transparent, and responsive, and clearly outline job expectations to all employees across all job categories, aligning them by communicating job expectations for employees to understand the entire performance appraisal process, and provide prompt feedback to employees to understand where he or she stands. In addition, the study suggests that in order to enhance service delivery in the GHS, the strategy concept for employee rating should be adopted. This would be very beneficial in gaining a better understanding of how the employee's expectations are met and aligned with the organization's objectives.

Source: UCC
Employees’ perception of staff training programmes of Manya Rural Bank Limited

The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of employees of staff training programmes using Manya Rural Bank as a case. The sample for the study consisted of 65 employees. Questionnaires were the main instruments used to collect data. Findings indicated that the bank frequently organised training programmes but employees they still have some unresolved training needs which require management’s attention. Moreover, employees considered the period allotted for training inadequate though they appreciated the management’s effort at training them. The findings also indicated that employees of the bank mostly preferred the cognitive training techniques particularly, professional course/training. Additionally, employees at the Manya Rural Bank perceived that the bank’s management did not readily welcome their suggestions about training contents. Based on these findings, it is recommended that management should conduct regular training needs assessment to identify specific training requirements of employees. It is also recommended that adequate time should be given to training sessions and that employees should be involved in planning training programmes.

Source: UCC
Employees’ perceptions of Reward System and Employees’ attitude to Work in Cape Coast Technical University

The study was conducted to assess employees’ perceptions of reward system and employees’ attitude to work in Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU). The quantitative approach and descriptive survey design were adopted for the study. The study population was 400 permanent staff made up of 146 senior members, 86 senior staff and 168 junior staff. A sample size of 196 was used. Respondents were selected through simple random sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was the instrument used with an internal consistency of 0.887 (Cronbach’s Alpha value). AStatistical techniques such as mean, standard deviation, percentage, frequency count, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings that emerged from the study show that workers at CCTU were not fully aware of the components of rewards that exist in the University. Also, the findings showed that expectations of workers regarding reward system at CCTU have not been met by the University. Based on the findings that emerged from the study, it was concluded that reward system of the University is a significant positive predictor of employees’ attitude to work at the University. It is recommended that the Personnel and Welfare Section of CCTU must intensify the communication of reward policies regulating the exchange relation between the University and its workforce. Finally, employee needs analysis should be conducted to identify what reward systems motivate employees so as to have a positive influence on the attitude of the workers at the Technical University.

Source: UCC
Employees’ Stress and Productivity: Evidence from the Staff of the Ghana Revenue Authority at the Kotoka International Airport

The concept of work stress and productivity has been a venerable phenomenon in organisations around the world. This research study aims at investigating employee stress and determines its impact on employee’s productivity among the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). Data for the study were drawn from both interviews and documents obtained from the GRA office at the KIA. The study respondents were purposively sampled to help obtain data from GRA officials who have worked in KIA for two years and above. Findings gathered from the research revealed that GRA officials at KIA are faced with both chronic and acute stress. Some effects of stress on employees include psychological and emotional stress, dizziness, lateness to work, sickness, weakness, and tiredness which affected productivity. The study finally revealed that management has put in no effort to help reduce stress among employees

Source: UCC
Empowerment and Employee Performance of St. Paul’s Senior High School and Minor Seminary in Denu

The St. Paul's Senior High School and Minor Seminary had experienced low employee performance and this is due to lack of employee empowerment. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of employee empowerment and staff performance at St. Paul's Senior High School and Minor Seminary in Denu, Ghana's Volta Region. The three main specific objectives of the study were to determine the effect of employee training on staff performance, the effect of employee involvement in decision-making on staff performance, and the effect of employee autonomy on staff performance at St. Paul's Senior High School and Minor Seminary in Denu, Ghana's Volta Region. The study used a descriptive survey as the study design and used a quantitative research technique. The study focused on the opinions of 100 employees from the study area, and the major research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical Product and Service Solutions software was used to process the data using descriptive statistics. The main findings were that the more an organization invested in adequate training, the better its performance became, which in turn helped to improve the overall working environment. Employee involvement in decision-making was also discovered to be a successful empowerment factor when used as an employee empowerment dimension. Finally, effective job autonomy channel was in place and it had a direct effect on the level of employee performance. Considering this, it was recommended that management should focus on increasing the utilisation of employee empowerment dimensions like training, employee involvement in decision-making and job autonomy to increase employee performance.

Source: UCC
Enabling sustainability: Hierarchical need-based framework for promoting sustainable data infrastructure in developing countries

The paper presents thoughts on Sustainable Data Infrastructure (SDI) development, and its user requirements bases. It brings Maslow's motivational theory to the fore, and proposes it as a rationalization mechanism for entities (mostly governmental) that aim at realizing SDI. Maslow's theory, though well-known, is somewhat new in geospatial circles; this is where the novelty of the paper resides. SDI has been shown to enable and aid development in diverse ways. However, stimulating developing countries to appreciate the utility of SDI, implement, and use SDI in achieving sustainable development has proven to be an imposing challenge. One of the key reasons for this could be the absence of a widely accepted psychological theory to drive needs assessment and intervention design for the purpose of SDI development. As a result, it is reasonable to explore Maslow’s theory of human motivation as a psychological theory for promoting SDI in developing countries. In this article, we review and adapt Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework for the assessment of the needs of developing nations. The paper concludes with the implications of this framework for policy with the view to stimulating the implementation of SDI in developing nations

Source: UCC
Energy Conservation and Awareness Practices of Households in the Cape Coast Metropolis

This study explored energy conservation and awareness practices of households in the Cape Coast Metropolis. With the emergence of the contradictions between energy supply and demand, considerable attention has been paid to the residential household energy consumption with increasing research in this field. Concurrent Mixed method was adopted to assess the efficient use of electrical energy in the Cape Coast metropolis, examine the level of electrical energy conservation awareness among people of Cape Coast metropolis, determine energy-saving practices among people of Cape Coast, determine the sociodemographic factors that influence an individual’s choice of energy-efficient appliances and to assess variability in energy conservation practices among households in the Cape Coast metropolis. Simple random sampling was used to select 396 respondents for the quantitative while 5 stakeholders were interviewed for the qualitative aspect of the study. The study concluded that the level of energy conservation awareness among households in the cape coast metropolis is low and that households engaged in their own perceived energysaving practices. Variables such as years of schooling of household heads, expenditure, income, number of household members below 18years, and hours power goes off daily had direct relationship with households choice of electrical appliances. The study showed that there is a great level of variability existing between social strata and conservation practice of households with respect to the use of appliance such as fridge/freezer. The effect of social strata on the use of television, lightbulbs and fan was low although statistically, there is significant variation in the use of these appliances among households and across various social strata. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that education on energy conservation should be intensified until households become more conversant with the term ‘energy conservation’ and also, policies on energy conservation should be made well known to the public

Source: UCC
Energy Consumption, Institutions and Environmental Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa

Efficient use of renewable energy is critical for ensuring high economic growth and competition. However, the adoption and use of renewable energy alone may not be a sufficient means of ensuring environmental sustainability. By utilising the system Generalised Method of Moments technique on a balanced panel dataset of 26 sub-Saharan African countries from 2002 to 2016, the study investigated the effect of disaggregated energy consumption and institutional quality on environmental quality. The results of this study indicate that while non-renewable energy consumption degrades the environment, renewable energy consumption enhances the quality of the environment. The study also discovers that a lower tax burden and improvement in government integrity lead to higher environmental quality given the consumption of renewable energy. From the moderating effect of energy consumption and institutional quality, more secured property rights and improvement in government integrity significantly moderate the effect of non-renewable energy consumption on environmental quality while a lower tax burden moderates the effect of renewable energy consumption on environmental quality. The study recommends that to reduce carbon-induced emissions, governments and policymakers need to commit to renewable energy development while implementing a flexible tax system, securing property rights, and maintaining strong state integrity.

Source: UCC
Energy Consumption, Institutions and Environmental Quality in Sub-saharan Africa

Efficient use of renewable energy is critical for ensuring high economic growth and competition. However, the adoption and use of renewable energy alone may not be a sufficient means of ensuring environmental sustainability. By utilising the system Generalised Method of Moments technique on a balanced panel dataset of 26 sub-Saharan African countries from 2002 to 2016, the study investigated the effect of disaggregated energy consumption and institutional quality on environmental quality. The results of this study indicate that while non-renewable energy consumption degrades the environment, renewable energy consumption enhances the quality of the environment. The study also discovers that a lower tax burden and improvement in government integrity lead to higher environmental quality given the consumption of renewable energy. From the moderating effect of energy consumption and institutional quality, more secured property rights and improvement in government integrity significantly moderate the effect of non renewable energy consumption on environmental quality while a lower tax burden moderates the effect of renewable energy consumption on environmental quality. The study recommends that to reduce carbon-induced emissions, governments and policymakers need to commit to renewable energy development while implementing a flexible tax system, securing property rights, and maintaining strong state integrity.

Source: UCC
Energy Humanization, Institutional Environment And Sectoral Growth In Ghana

The study constructs an energy humanization index for Ghana, estimates the impact of energy humanization dimensions on sectoral growth, and evaluates the moderating influence of institutional environment on the energy-growth relationship. The study employed the minimum-maximum normalization, exponential smoothing forecasting method, and the Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) estimation technique for its analysis. Data was sourced from WDI, EIA, The global economy and Energy Commission of Ghana. The study reveals a positive trend in energy humanization, particularly in energy usage. However, concerning energy security, Sub dimensions such as energy acceptability, affordability, and technology application have exhibited a decreasing trend, which is anticipated to worsen in the future if significant interventions are not implemented. Conversely, energy availability has demonstrated a consistent increasing trend. Furthermore, the study highlights the positive contribution of energy humanization to growth across all sectors of the economy. Whilst energy security as a disaggregated component of energy humanization has no impact on sectoral growth, energy usage emerged as a significant factor affecting growth in Ghana. Finally, the study shows a positive moderating role of both political and economic institutions in the energy humanization and sectoral growth relationship in Ghana. The study recommends the use of carbon capture by IPPs and energy sector policies must deal with energy security and energy usage simultaneously as opposed to treating them separately. The Ministry of Finance must be circumspect in imposing more taxes on petroleum products and electricity tariffs although they are inelastic goods.

Source: UCC
Energy Requirements in Mammalian Oogenesis

Oogenesis is a lengthy, multi-step process occurring in mammals yielding single or multiple oocytes capable of being fertilized upon interaction with male gametes. The overall process is highly complex in nature, starting in the primordial follicles, and its ultimate completion is preceded by the meiotic cycle. There are two major phases in oogenesis: the growth phase, followed by a maturation phase that requires relatively less time. Both phases require energy for the various metabolic processes of the oocytes. The energy requirements and the timing of maturation vary significantly among mammalian species. This review describes the variations in the mammalian oocytes development and their energy requirements. It covers the types of mitochondria, the distribution of their changes, and the metabolic processes occurring during the oogenesis in different mammalian species. Oocyte abnormalities associated with glucose deficiency in mammals are discussed, along with the role of fat and protein as alternative energy substrates. The review concludes with recommendations for future studies on oogenesis in mammalian species in the context of energy requirements.

Source: UCC
Energy Transition, Health Outcomes and Climate Vulnerability in a Changing World

The Sustainable Development Goals provide a vital framework for addressing global challenges. Notably, Target 7.2 aims to “increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix,” while Target 13.1 focuses on enhancing resilience to climate-related hazards. However, some countries may be unable to meet these targets due to the increasing devastation to the environment and public health concerns from energy consumption. This study investigates the often-neglected multifaceted relationships among energy transition, health outcomes, and climate vulnerability in a global context. Using a dataset of 150 countries from 2000 to 2021, this study examines the effects of the rate of energy transition on life expectancy, the extent to which climate vulnerability drives the rate of energy transition, and the drivers of climate vulnerability. This study uses the panel version of the Structural Equation Model, sequential dynamic linear panel data estimation, and a two-step system generalised method of moments. Air quality mediates 56.2% of the total effect of energy transition on life expectancy, while carbon dioxide emission mediates 5.68 times the total effect of energy transition. Climate readiness reduces the negative effects of climate vulnerability on energy transition, with economic readiness dominating the climate readiness component. These findings challenge the conventional notion that poorer countries pollute more by consuming fossil fuels. These results underscore the importance of enhancing air quality and reducing carbon dioxide emission through energy transition policies to improve health outcomes globally. Furthermore, the role of climate readiness in moderating the effects of climate vulnerability on energy transition emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies that include economic, governance, and social dimensions to effectively address climate change. The findings also call for a re-evaluation of global climate policies, acknowledging the disproportionate vulnerabilities faced by lower-income countries despite their lower contributions to global pollution.

Source: UCC