ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Effect of Staff Incentives on Performance of Employeees of Nyakrom Rural Bank Limited

The study analyzed staff incentive schemes and employee performance at Nyakrom Rural Bank Limited. Data for this present study was collected through a questionnaire. The census method was employed which comprised of one hundred and thirty-five employees. Descriptive statistics and regression were used to analyse the data. The findings indicated that staff incentive scheme initiatives have the capability of enhancing employee performance positively. There was positive and significant relationship between incentive schemes and employee performance. The study also came out with the conclusion that, to ascertain an employee performance in relation to staff incentive schemes, the incentives must be feasible for the organization to implement. It was finally recommended that organisations should try to balance material considerations with non-material reinforcements to maximize job quality. Rewards or compensation package should at all-time be equitable and competitive.

Source: UCC
Effect of storage temperature on the microbial quality of fura

Fura, a semi-solid millet-based dumpling, is popularly consumed throughout West Africa. This work was aimed at evaluating the effect of storage temperature on the microbial and physicochemical properties of fura. Freshly prepared fura was stored at 30 and 4°C and sampled periodically to determine the changes in pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and total phenolic content. Additionally, the effect of storage temperature on the microbial (by enumerating aerobic mesophiles, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and yeast and moulds) quality was determined. Storage affected the acidity of fura with a decrease in pH and an increase in titratable acidity. The total soluble solids and total phenolic content were, however, not affected by storage temperature. Lactic acid bacteria were the predominant microbe present in fura. During storage at 30°C, faster growth of lactic acid bacteria and the other microbes was observed compared to storage at the lower temperature

Source: UCC
Effect of storage temperature on the physicochemical, nutritional and microbiological quality of pasteurized soursop (Annona muricata L.) Juice

This work was aimed at investigating the effect of storage temperature on the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbial quality of soursop juice. Physicochemical quality was determined by measuring changes in pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and color (L*a*b* values). Ascorbic acid levels, total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity were analyzed to determine the effect of storage temperature on nutritional quality. The changes in aerobic mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, as well as yeast and molds were enumerated to determine the effect of storage temperature on microbial quality. Soursop juice was pasteurized at 85°C for 5 min and stored at varying temperatures of 4, 10 and 25°C. Storage was carried out for 12 weeks at both 4 and 10°C, while at 25°C the juice was stored for 3.5 weeks when visible signs of spoilage was detected. Storing soursop juice at 4ºC did not affect quality, however, at 25°C, decreases in pH and total soluble solids with an increase in titratable acidity was observed. In addition, a faster rate of ascorbic acid degradation was observed at 25°C. The main group of microorganisms that were responsible for the spoilage of soursop juice stored at 25°C were lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds. The results of this work show that pasteurized soursop juice can be stored at refrigeration temperatures without changes in quality

Source: UCC
Effect of Strategic Management Accounting Practices on Financial Performance of Small Businesses in the Ho Municipality of Ghana

The study purposely examined how strategic management accounting practices affect the financial performance of small businesses within the Ho municipality, Ghana. The study specifically investigated the effects of value chain costing, quality cost analysis, strategic costing and activity-based costing on the small businesses’ financial performance. The theories underpinning this study included the resource-based view theory and upper echelons theory. The study relied on the quantitative approach, explanatory design while structured questionnaires were used to obtain primary data. The study processed valid data set of 107 using the IBM SPSS Statistics (v. 26) and SmartPLS. The PLS-SEM analytical tool was used to analysis the data and it was found that all the four SMA practices had significant positive effects on the financial performance of the small businesses in the Ho municipality. It was concluded that SMA practices play crucial role in improving these businesses’ financial performance. It was recommended that owner/managers should adopt these strategic management accounting practices in identifying, analysing and managing their costs in order to attain higher financial performance.

Source: UCC
Effect of strategic orientation on performance of star-rated hotels in Ghana

The study used the resource dependency theory to determine the strategic orientation that star rated hotels in Ghana should adopt to realize both financial and non-financial performance. Out of a population of 680 star-rated hotel managers, a sample of 248 were chosen, using the stratified random sampling technique. Self-administered questionnaires were used to solicit the views of managers of the selected star-rated hotels. In all, a total of 178 responses were retrieved and analyzed, using descriptive and partial least squares in structural equation modeling. Findings of the study indicate that none of the strategic orientation types influenced financial performance. However, aggressiveness, analytic, defensiveness, futuristic and riskiness were found to rather influence non-financial performance of star-rated hotels. The study, therefore, confirms the resource dependency theory and concludes that when star-rated hotels tend to be aggressive, analytic, futuristic and risky, it influences non-financial performance. The study, therefore, recommends that managers of star-rated hotels use analytic, defensiveness, futuristic and riskiness strategic orientation to enhance non-financial performance

Source: UCC
Effect of Supplier Relationship Management Practices on Operational Performance of Star-Rated Hotels in the Accra Metropolis

Management of interactions with suppliers of focal firms has become critical towards cost cuts, increased quality, delivery and ultimately the competitive position of organisations. With the increasing levels of outsourcing by hotels towards better service outcomes, performance and competitiveness; supplier relationship management (SRM) enhances the timely access of supplies, cost cuts in transactions as well as decreases the risk of opportunism. Notwithstanding, empirical works in the hotel sector remain scanty. The Ghana hotel industry faces underdevelopment and incapability to meet client needs, high utility tariffs, competition among others. Against this background, the main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of SRM practices on hotel operational performance. Therefore, the study examined the extent of SRM practices adoption in star-rated hotels, the effect of information sharing on HOP and the effect of supplier development on HOP. The study employed descriptive and explanatory research designs using structured questionnaire to gather data from hoteliers and other top managers in a census of 164 star-rated hotels in the Accra Metropolis. 100 usable questionnaires were used for the analysis via PLS-SEM. Findings revealed the extent of SRM practices adoption in star-rated hotels. Also, there was a significant positive effect of SRM on operational performance of star-rated hotels in Accra Metropolis. SRM is thus key towards improving performance. Also, there was significant positive effect of supplier development on Hotel Operational Performance but the effect of information sharing was not statistically significant. It is recommended that star-rated hotels must focus on SDAs such as increase volume of outsourced work, effective communication and feedback systems among others.

Source: UCC
Effect of Supply Chain Disruption on Supply Chain Performance: The Role of Supply Chain Resilience

The study investigated the effects of supply chain disruption on supply chain performance: the role of supply chain resilience in food and beverage manufacturing firms in Accra. The research employed the theory of constraints and the notion of dynamic capability. Regarding the study's objectives, seven hypotheses were formulated and investigated further. The study adopted a quantitative technique and an explanatory research design. At the same time, 152 Procurement/purchasing/supply chain managers, Production/Operations managers, and other management of food and beverage manufacturing companies completed standardised questionnaires to collect primary data. The data were then processed using version 26 of IBM SPSS Statistics and SmartPLS4. All hypotheses were tested using the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The study revealed that supply chain disruptions significantly and negatively influence the supply chain performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Accra. Again, the introduction of supply chain resilience strategies significantly and positively strengthens the relationship between supply chain disruption and supply chain performance. Finally, supply chain resilience has a beneficial impact on supply chain performance. It was determined that supply chain disruption significantly undermines the supply chain performance of food and beverage manufacturing enterprises in Accra. Therefore, the study recommends that policymakers, practitioners, and management pay close attention to disruptions within the supply chain, as they negatively impact the performance of their supply chains, and also pay close attention to resilience strategies, as they can enhance the performance of chain networks during interruptions.

Source: UCC
Effect of Supply Chain Uncertainty on the Performance Of Poultry Firms in Dormaa Ahenkro Municipality, Ghana: the Moderating Role of Supply Risk Management

ABSTRACT Supply chain uncertainty associated with global supply chain management has created a discourse among practitioners and academics. This event is evident in the businesses as supply chain management uncertainties keep growing, thus threatening the entire network flow and performance. This study aims to provide empirical evidence for supply risk management moderating supply chain uncertainty and performance in poultry firms. The study used an explanatory research design backed by a quantitative research approach. The population of the study was 182 registered members of the Dormaa Poultry Farmers Association. The census sampling technique was used for the study, thus all 182 registered members. The study's findings showed that the predictive capacity of supply chain uncertainty to cause a positive but weak variance in performance was statistically significant, and the predictive capacity of supply risk management to cause a positive but weak variance in performance was also statistically significant. Again, the findings showed that supply risk management significantly moderated the relationship between Uncertainty and performance. It was, thus, concluded that the management of these poultry farms can, therefore, put in place clear measures that can help identify and deal appropriately with Uncertainty and supply risk management practices that brought about the positive variance performance. It was recommended for the various poultry farms to institutionalize periodic research in its management of Uncertainty to timely diagnose grey areas in its Uncertainty that could be well managed scientifically to improve the impact and policies on the performance of the poultry industry

Source: UCC
Effect Of Sustainability Reporting On Financial Performance Of Listed Financial Institutions In Ghana

This research examines how reporting on sustainability affects Financial Performance of Listed Financial Institutions in Ghana. The study analyzed 12 sampled firms in Ghana from 2012-2021. Sustainability Reporting was measured using Global Reporting Initiative, Financial Services Sector Disclosure guidelines, while Firm Performance was measured using Return on Assets. The study used a cross-sectional design and quantitative research approach, employing the linear regression ordinary least square estimation technique for analysis. The results showed a significant positive relationship between Economic Disclosure Scores and the Financial Performance. The Environmental Disclosure Scores showed a positive insignificant effect on Financial Performance. The study found a negative insignificant relationship between Social Disclosure Scores and Financial Performance, with higher reporting for Economic Disclosure Scores, Social Disclosure Scores, and Environmental Disclosure Scores respectively. The study examined the restraining effects of Firm Size and Debt Ratio on the relationship between Sustainability Reporting and Financial Performance. The results showed a negative significant relationship between Debt Ratio and Financial Performance, while the relationship between Firm Size and Sustainability Reporting was positive but nonsignificant. The study recommends that financial institutions in Ghana adopt the Global Reporting Initiative content index template to disclose Sustainability Reporting. Also, Government of Ghana should establish an awarding scheme for firms that disclose sustainability information. Lastly, the study offers proof of the topic in scholarly works, especially in Africa, using data from Ghana.

Source: UCC
The Effect of Talent Management Practices on Employee Performance in Colleges of Education Ghana: The Mediating Role of Employee Competence

The study examined the effect of talent management on the performance of teaching staff in colleges of education. Four colleges of education in the Western North region of Ghana were targeted. Employee competency was conceptualized as playing a mediating role. The structured questionnaire for the primary data gathering supported the quantitative approach adopted in the study. since the study is more on prediction and explanation, explanatory research design was used to conduct this empirical survey-based study. A response rate of 93.55% was recorded. Data analysis was based on 166 cases at the individual level of the unit of analysis. The multiple regression results prove talent management practices account for weak positive variance in employee performance among teaching staff in colleges of education. However, only employee competence partially mediates the predictive relation between talent management practices and employee performance. The human resource directorate of the colleges of education must continue to use talent-oriented HR practices if employee performance is to be improved in the future.

Source: UCC
The Effect of Tangible and Intangible Rewards on Pupils’ Performance: A Case Study of Pupils in Assin South Zone, Central Region, Ghana

The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of the use of tangible and intangible rewards on pupils’ performance. Six schools were selected from 41 primary six classes by simple random sampling in the Assin South Zone of the Central Region of Ghana for the study. There were 158 pupils involved in the study. They were made up of 102 boys and 56 girls. Quasi-experimental design was used for the study. The pretest-posttest comparison group was also adopted. The data collecting instruments were pretest and posttest developed by the investigator. The test items were twenty multiple choice questions each for English language and mathematics. There were three experimental schools and three control schools.. The three experimental schools received intervention for one month. The intervention took the form of teaching. The three control schools were taught by their class teachers without the use of any kind of reward. The researcher paid visits to the control schools to ascertain whether the teachers did use any form of rewards. There was a pretest before the intervention and a posttest after the one month period. The data was analysed by means of independent t-test and one way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The major findings of this study are that pupils who received tangible rewards showed a slight improvement in English language and mathematics. There was a significant improvement in the performance of pupils who received intangible rewards in English language and mathematics. Besides, both tangible and intangible rewards had significant effects on the pupils’ performance in mathematics. The use of intangible rewards in schools should outweigh that of tangible rewards.

Source: UCC
Effect of Tax Compliance on the Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Western North Region, Ghana

The study aimed at examining the effect of taxation on the growth of Ghana's small and medium-sized enterprises. Because the data analysis was quantitative, the study used an explanatory research design. At the time of the study, there were 2345registeredSMEsin Ghana's Sefw Juaboso District. The study targeted all managers or owners of the 310 SMEs in the Sefwi Juaboso District of Ghana. The study used 310 small and medium-sized firms in Ghana's Sefwi Juaboso District as its sample size. The sample size consisted of managers or owners from the 310 SME enterprises sampled for the study and questioned by self-administration of the questionnaire. First, the study found a strong positive association between tax rates and complexities and the expansion of small and medium-sized firms in the Sefwi Juaboso District. The study found that tax policy has a significant impact on the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in the Sefwi Juaboso district. Finally, the study found that tax compliance expenses had a statistically significant positive impact on the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in the Sefwi Juaboso District. To encourage the growth of small and medium-sized businesses, tax breaks ihouldibe offered to these enterprises.

Source: UCC
Effect of teaching automotive engineering with computers on the academic performance of students

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of computer assisted instruction as a supplementary strategy on the academic achievement of technical students offering Automotive Engineering programme. It was a quasi experimental study and the purpose was to see the relative effectiveness of independent variable, (teaching strategy) on the academic performance of students in Automotive Engineering. Technical students pursuing Automotive Engineering Programme constituted the population for the study. Form 2 Automotive Engineering students from the Cape Coast Technical and the Kumasi Technical Institutes were selected as sample for the study. Students from the Cape Coast Technical Institute constituted the control group while their counterparts in the Kumasi Technical Institute formed the experimental group. Final data for analysis was collected from 40 students, 20 from each group. Significance of the difference between the mean scores of both groups on the variable of pre-test and post-test were tested at 0.05 level by applying t-test. The analysis of the pre-test showed that the t-value was -0.157 (Sig. 2-tailed = 0897) signifying that there was no significant difference between the two groups. However analysis of post-test data revealed that the t-value was 5.125 (Sig. 2-tailed = 0.000) showing that there was a significant difference between the two groups in favour of the experimental group. The study recommended that computer resources should be made available to schools and institutions that run practical oriented programmes so that students can learn and practice through simulations and other interactive software.

Source: UCC
Effect of temperature on population dynamics of meloidogyne spp. and fusarium spp. Infesting sweet pepper in Niger

Meloidogyne spp. and Fusarium spp. cause wilt disease in sweet pepper and result in decline of its production. Other limiting factors of sweet pepper production are inappropriate agronomic practices and lack of effective climate adaptation strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate on one hand, how farmers perceive climate change and their access to agricultural extension services and, on the other hand the distribution and identification of causal agents of wilt disease and also to find out the effect of temperature on the coinfection of pathogens on sweet pepper. The results revealed that the perception of farmers on rainfall patterns do not match with past meteorological records. Respondents indicated that there is an increase in temperature which is in agreement with climatic data evidence. Crop diversification was found as the major adaptation strategy to climate variability. The lack of sufficient access to information is the constraints that hindered farmers to adapt effectively. The incidence of the Meloidogyne spp. was 100% in both districts while the occurrence of Fusarium spp. was 80.32% and 62.23% in Diffa and Aguie respectively. Based on morphological and molecular characterization, three pathogens were identified in sweet pepper; Meloidogyne enterolobii, Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium solani. The sequential and concomitant inoculation of the fungus and/ or the nematode did not cause the sudden death of sweet pepper plants as observed in the field. It only resulted in significant increase in yellowing in leaves and high nematode and fungal reproduction in inoculated plants in comparison to the uninoculated plants. Temperature greatly influenced the reproduction capacity of M. enterolobii and F. solani.

Source: UCC
Effect of Temperature, Cadmium and Pyrene on Rhodomonas Sp. (Karsten, 1898) Adapted to the Coastal Waters of Ghana

Global projections suggest that human-induced factors such as climate change and pollution are altering the productivity of marine ecosystems with potential adverse consequences for nutrition and livelihood in many coastal communities. However, the combined effects of these stress factors remain largely unknown, particularly for tropical organisms. Using a microcosm experiment, this study investigated the response of the microalgae Rhodomonas sp., a major primary producer in many marine systems, to warming (2 – 6 °C above the average sea surface temperature of Gulf of Guinea), as well as pollution by cadmium (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μgL-1) and pyrene (0.2, 2, 20, 200 μgL-1). Response of the species was assessed using its growth rate, dry weight, protein, lipid, carbohydrate contents and catalase activity. The results suggest that the combination of cadmium and pyrene pollution did not impact lipid content of the algae. In contrast, average dry weight (0.125 ± 0.003 μgcell-1) of the cells increased (≈ 21 %) when pyrene and cadmium pollution exceeded 2 μgL-1 and 1 μgL-1 respectively. The increase in dry weight was related to increasing protein content of the cell. This was observed even when cells were exposed to warming, indicating that Rhodomonas sp. are able to buffer impact of environmental stress by producing heat shock proteins of relatively higher molecular weights. On the other hand, carbohydrate content of the cells decreased (≈ 86 %) when cadmium pollution exceeded 10 μgL-1 irrespective of pyrene pollution. Catalase activity, which indicates mechanism used by cells to neutralise impact of the stress conditions decreased (≈ 32 %) when pyrene and cadmium exceeded 0.2 μgL-1 and 0.1 μgL-1 respectively. These observations highlight the impact of multiple human-induced factors on marine organisms.

Source: UCC