ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Currently, the UK has a high self-sufficiency rate in barley production. This paper assessed the effects of projected climate and land use changes on feed barley production and, consequently, on meat supply in the UK from the 2030s to the 2050s. Total barley production under projected land use and climate changes ranged from 4.6 million tons in the 2030s to 9.0 million tons in the 2050s. From these, the projected feed barley supply ranged from approximately 2.3 to 4.6 million tons from the 2030s to the 2050s, respectively. The results indicate that while UK spring barley production will thrive under, and benefit from climate change, total land area allocated to barley production will ultimately determine self-sufficiency. Without expansion in the area of land and/or further significant increases in yields, the UK may face large deficits in domestic feed barley production and, for that matter, meat supply in the future. Hence, agricultural and food security policy needs to consider, principally, the effect of agricultural land use change on key crops, such as barley. Even though the UK can import feed barley or meat to address the deficits observed in this study, the question that needs to be addressed is where all that import will come from. Keywords: land use change; climate change; feed barley; meat consumption; food security

Currently, the UK has a high self-sufficiency rate in barley production. This paper assessed the effects of projected climate and land use changes on feed barley production and, consequently, on meat supply in the UK from the 2030s to the 2050s. Total barley production under projected land use and climate changes ranged from 4.6 million tons in the 2030s to 9.0 million tons in the 2050s. From these, the projected feed barley supply ranged from approximately 2.3 to 4.6 million tons from the 2030s to the 2050s, respectively. The results indicate that while UK spring barley production will thrive under, and benefit from climate change, total land area allocated to barley production will ultimately determine self-sufficiency. Without expansion in the area of land and/or further significant increases in yields, the UK may face large deficits in domestic feed barley production and, for that matter, meat supply in the future. Hence, agricultural and food security policy needs to consider, principally, the effect of agricultural land use change on key crops, such as barley. Even though the UK can import feed barley or meat to address the deficits observed in this study, the question that needs to be addressed is where all that import will come from

Source: UCC
Curriculum conceptions of the scope of content of social studies in the colleges of education in Ghana

Social Studies seen as helping pupils acquire relevant knowledge, positive attitudes, skills and values which in effect will equip them to be competent, concerned, reflective and problem solvers by the Junior High School (JHS) curriculum. Forming a better conception about Social Studies has necessitates the need to research into the scope of content of Social Studies in the Colleges of Education in Ghana since the subject is taught mostly by diploma teachers from the country’s thirty-eight public teacher training colleges. The research methods chosen for this study are; both qualitative and quantitative (mixed method). The study revealed that the scope of content of the College of Education Social Studies course structure does not reflect the tools needed by individual to solve personal and societal problems as compared to the JHS syllabus. Final year teacher-trainees’ current knowledge base about the scope of content of Social Studies as a problem solving was inadequate. It was recommended that at least two credit hours course should be designed and mounted on the current Junior High School (JHS) Social Studies syllabus for students in Colleges of Education as part of their programme of study. This will help mentees to become familiar with the content of the syllabus, making it easy in their selection of valid content, setting of appropriate objectives in their teaching and even the mode of using appropriate assessment tools.

Source: UCC
Curriculum design in practice: Improving the academic reading proficiency of first year university students

This paper describes and reflects on endeavours to develop, design and assess an educational intervention to improve the academic English reading proficiency of first-year university students in Ghana. The study, conducted within the framework of educational design research (EDR), describes the development of an intervention in three different content areas: Literature, Chemistry and Linguistics. The study shows that moving from problem identification to solution is a highly complicated process that is strongly influenced by contextual factors such as staff and student motivation, classroom facilities, and quality of the learning materials. After various cycles of formative evaluation, only the Linguistics course design was fully successful in terms of design, evaluation and experimental set-up and resulted in a significant improvement of students’ academic reading proficiency and a significant increase of their time spent on reading for study purposes. The study shows how language skills development can be integrated successfully in content courses in a non-western university context. By doing so, it extends prior research in the area of content-based language instruction

Source: UCC
Curriculum reform and teachers’ training needs: the case of higher education in Ghana

Professional development is the key to curriculum-based reform, yet there is little empirical evidence upon which to base decisions of design or implementation of training and development programmes. This study examined the training and development needs of Ghana’s polytechnic teachers in an existing curriculum reform scenario as they became involved in curriculum design. Forty-four teachers and four heads of mechanical engineering departments and representatives of the leadership of four polytechnics granted comprehensive interviews and responded to questionnaires. Findings revealed that updating subject knowledge through industrial attachments was a major training and development need for teachers. Teachers indicated that they were keen to get more involved in curriculum design and argued for their subject knowledge to be improved to give them the confidence to do so. The results of the study suggest higher education teachers have training and development needs in relation to effective curriculum design and implementation. It is proposed that polytechnic–industry links are strengthened and that teachers should draw on teamwork to plan and undertake industrial attachments.

Source: UCC
Customer care management at national investment bank, Osu branch.

Customer care management is a strategy many financial institutions have adopted to improve and retain its customer base. The banking sector is no exception to this. The present study was carried out in National Investment Bank, Osu branch, with the objective of exploring the effectiveness of customer care management and some of the issues that underpin customer satisfaction whiles paying attention to customer loyalty. Quantitative and Qualitative data analysis were employed in this research. Data gathering tools included questionnaires/interviews. The interview questions were the same as that of the questionnaires with the only difference being that the interview was conducted in various languages based on the participant’s preference. The research revealed that customers’ demand and expectations have become varied and complex in recent times compared to the past. As a result of this National Investment Bank still has to deal with issues concerning customer care. Recommendations were made to management of the bank and staff in ensuring effective customer care management so that prompt measures are taken to ensure proper way of managing customer care in their various branches.

Source: UCC
Customer choice of retail banking in selected rural communities in Agona West Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana

Some researchers have investigated why customers choose different retail banks. These studies have focused on urban communities, with limited evidence from rural communities. This study, therefore, sought to examine customers’ preference for banks in a rural setting. Data for the study was collected, using cluster and proportional sampling methods from three rural communities in the Agona West Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. In all, 315 retail customers of three commercial banks, one development bank and a rural bank were sampled. A Chi square test was used to analyze the data collected. Factors that influence customer choice of retail banks include interest charges, service delivery, customer relationship, number of bank branches, proximity and convenience to customers. The results also revealed a strong relationship between occupation type and choice of bank. Age and sex of customers, however, did not influence customer preference for banks. The paper offers policy recommendations that will enable banks to attract more customers in the rural communities to enhance the financial inclusion agenda. Banks need to educate their customers about what go into interest rates and are also encouraged to create market niches for people in rural areas.

Source: UCC
Customer perception about integrated marketing communication activities at SBC Beverages Limited

In today’s global market characterized by fierce competition, high dynamism, and high volatility, organizations are trying their best to find the most efficient way to get their message to customers. Integrated marketing has thus become the strategic approach used to coordinate the various activities of marketing communication. The study was conducted to analyze customers’ perception about integrated marketing communication activities at SBC Beverages Limited. The descriptive design was employed for the study. The target population for the study included customers of SBC Beverages Ltd. The simple random sampling method was used to select 195 respondents. Questionnaire was the main data collection instrument for the study. It was found that customers were aware of integrated marketing communication activities (advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations). It was also found that customer perception of integrated marketing communication was slightly good. It was further revealed that the there was a positive relationship between integrated marketing and consumer behaviour and decisions. Finally, the model summary showed that Integrated marketing (Public Relations, Advertising, Personal Selling, and Sales Promotion) explains 41.3% per cent of the variance in predicting the dependent variable (Consumer Buying Behaviour and Decisions). It was therefore concluded that integrated marketing communication activities has an influence on consumer behaviour and decisions. The study therefore recommended that the company engage in constant marketing research (say monthly, quarterly, semi-annually) geared towards understanding consumer behaviour, especially their perception in relation to integrated marketing communication.

Source: UCC
Customer perception of service delivery by the Electricity Company of Ghana in the Cape Coast District

The study examined customer perception of service delivery by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Cape Coast District in the Central Region of Ghana. The descriptive design was adopted for the study and convenience sampling technique was used to sample 120 respondents for the study. Self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data including means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages. Bivariate correlation analysis was conducted to identify the relationships between customer satisfaction and the service quality rendered by ECG. The results revealed that the customers had low level of satisfaction about quality of service delivery, thus, they were not satisfied with the service delivery of ECG in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The results revealed high positive correlation between service quality and customer satisfaction. Majority of the respondents had low perception about role of ECG employees in enhancing service delivery. It is recommended that ECG as a service provider should inculcate customer service orientation in their employee recruitment and selection process. Management should also champion the crusade of supporting, equipping and investing in employee training and staff grooming towards effective and efficient customer services. System of continuous quality improvement must be put in place and implemented in aspect of reducing costs, time, and undesired influences from external forces.

Source: UCC
Customer relationship management and customer deposit mobilization at Lower Pra Rural Bank in Ghana

Effective and well implemented customer relationship management practices have assumed significant attention among scholars and practitionersin recent times. However, despite extensive literature on CRM, studies onhow CRM practices influence customer deposit culture is very limited in the banking industry, particularly in Ghana. Lower Pra Rural bank, over the years has introduced various deposit products such as Ebusua MfreYie, Kese Wokan and Gyedzi to improve deposit mobilisation which may have translated into increase in total deposit from GH¢56 million in 2015 to GH¢64 million in 2016 representing an increase of 14.3 percent. While management has also invested in CRM strategies, there is the need to empirically establish the degree of influence of CRM initiatives on deposit performance of the bank. This study formulates research objectives to examine the extent of influence of CRM practices on deposit mobilization of the Bank. This quantitative survey research sampled 273 customers of the bank using simple random sampling technique. Descriptive and regression analysis was done to arrive at the findings. First, the study found that customers of the bank perceive CRM practices as effective. The study further found that CRM practices improve deposit mobilization level of the banks. Effective employee-customer communication and proper complaint handling are the CRM practices that significantly improve deposit levels of the bank. The study therefore, concludes and recommends that management of the banks review their CRM practices to ensure that employee are able to deliver best quality banking at first instance.

Source: UCC
Customer relationship management and customer satisfaction at mtn Ghana limited

The study sought to examine customer relationship management and customer satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN) Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to uncover how Mobile Telephone Networks Ghana maintained quality relationship with customers using its Customer Relationship Management system and also how customer relationship management can influence customer satisfaction among Mobile Telephone Networks subscribers without overlooking other determining factors of satisfaction. Data for the study came from a systematic random sampled 377 Mobile Telephone Networks mobile subscribers. The descriptive statistics results showed that customer satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Networks appeared to be very low among respondents. The results of the multiple regression suggested that significant positive relationships existed between customer satisfaction and perceived product/service quality, relationship quality, and customer loyalty, but not for other variables such as customer expectation, customer complaint, and perceived value. The study concluded with some recommendations for Mobile Telephone Networks Ghana. Among the recommendations suggested are: managers of Mobile Telephone Networks Ghana should consider the perceptions of product/service quality, the level of relationship quality and loyalty when managing relationships with customers. Also, management of Mobile Telephone Networks Ghana should work assiduously to bridge the gap between their perceptions of relationship quality and that of customers.

Source: UCC
Customer relationship management as a strategic tool for customer loyalty in Ghana’s banking industry

The purpose of the study was to examine how banks in Ghana use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as a strategic tool to achieve customer loyalty. Specifically, the study establishes the extent of practice of CRM in the banking industry, the relationship between CRM practices and customer loyalty, and the effect of CRM practices on customer loyalty. Furthermore, the study proffers possible solutions and recommendations in the implementation of CRM in the banking industry. A descriptive survey design was employed for the study. Using the census techniques, the study captured 200 relationship staff from 15 major banks in Central and Western Regions who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected using questionnaires. The data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings from the study were that the various major banks in Ghana appear to be relying heavily on the use of CRM to achieve competitive advantage by increasing customer loyalty. Furthermore, CRM practices jointly have a significant relationship with customer loyalty. It was recommended to marketers aiming at building and maintaining long term beneficial relationships with their customers hoping to win their loyalty that they should give special attention particularly to competence, commitment and communication. It was further recommended to bank managers that to increase customer loyalty, they should encourage the building of strong rational bonds in the form of social bonds between their employees and customers. They should also take steps to involve customers in their social functions and treat them as real friends, not just customers.

Source: UCC
Customer Relationship Management, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty at Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel, Takoradi

The important role of customer relationship management (CRM) has been increasingly recognised in the hotel industry across the globe and most specifically the hotel in the developing countries. Hotels encounter several constraints in the day-to-day operations that impede their success of development, including ways of satisfying customers and customer loyalty and retention. Surprisingly, existing studies addressing CRM in hotels is limited. This study contributes to the on-going debate on the subject by examining CRM, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction at Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel, Takoradi. The analysis was conducted with 150 respondents, who were customers and employees of Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel in the Sekondi–Takoradi Metropolis in Western Region of Ghana using questionnaires. The results showed that Atlantic Hotel uses personal information to provide customized services, Atlantic Hotel carefully assesses and evaluate customer needs could lead to high customer satisfaction and retention. However, because owners and managers of the hotel lack the requisite knowledge and skills in CRM, they inadvertently fail to meet customer satisfaction. It is highly recommended Hotel managers show commitment to customer needs, attending to customer complaints promptly, have a needs assessment policy and a service performance tool to be graded by customers to help provide better services to customers there by ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Source: UCC
Customer Satisfaction in the Outdoor Advertising Industry: A Case of Alliance Media Ghana Limited

Outdoor Advertising companies, in searching for new approaches to satisfy customers, are increasingly using service as a differentiator and as a means of integrating themselves into the customers’ supply chain systems. This study explored the concept of employing service quality in an outdoor industry to create customer longevity using the SERVQUAL model. Simple random sampling was used to select forty customers of Alliance Media Ghana Limited (AMG). A multiple regression analysis was employed to find out which of the service quality variables had significant impact on customer satisfaction. The results revealed that service quality indicators such as responsiveness and empathy significantly impact on customer satisfaction. Based on these findings, it is recommended that management should develop strategies to enhance its service quality delivery.

Source: UCC
customer services delivery by Ghana water company limited, Cape Coast

The provision of potable water is very vital to individuals and businesses. Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana used to experience perennial water shortage with its attendant problems. Therefore Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) instituted some measures including dredging of the Brimsu dam and construction of a new water treatment plant at Sekyere Hemang to improve water supply situation in the Region. In spite of these interventions by GWCL, available records indicate that customer complaints increased from 401 in 2009 to 593 in 2010. The study therefore sought to find out customer services delivery by GWCL. The research basically was a descriptive study. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 280 (stratified random technique) customers of GWCL. Some key staff relevant to the study were interviewed. The findings of the study were that apart from the supply of potable water which was core service, GWCL renders other services such as meter maintenance, technical advice on water issues and public education. The findings also indicated that complaints about quality of service such as irregular flow of water, coloured water, odour in water, pipe bursts and leakages dominated the customer complaints. These complaints increased in 2010 mainly because of the introduction and popularization of the toll free number. The study concluded that although GWCL had improved water supply and introduced toll free lines, quality of service was still low. GWCL should therefore take steps to improve quality of service. GWCL should get toll free line for all telecommunication networks, get standby generators, ensure continuous flow of water, change old pipelines, step up supervision and train field staff regularly.

Source: UCC
Customer switching behaviour in the microfinance industry: evidence from Tamale Metropolitan Area

This study sought to examine customer switching behaviour among microfinance customers. The study adopted the causal research design and used nine variables from the customer switching model to determine the customer switching behaviour in the microfinance industry. The study used 250 respondents who were conveniently sampled for data collection. The data collected from respondents were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study showed that customer switching behaviour among customers of microfinance institutions is moderately high. The study found that price, core service failure, service recovery failure, service encounter failure, attraction by competitors, and switching cost were statistically significant with customer switching behaviour. However, reputation of microfinance institution and involuntary switching were found not be statistically significant to customer switching behaviour. Service inconvenience, core service encounter failure, and switching cost were most significant variables. This implies that microfinance companies must consider how these three important service challenges can be reduced in their quest to reduce churn.

Source: UCC