ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Conflict Management Strategies and Performance of Administrative Senior Staff at The University of Education, Winneba – Ghana

The purpose of the study was to investigate conflict management strategies and performance of administrative senior staff at the University of Education, Winneba. Specifically, the study sought to assess the effect of negotiation, third party intervention and communication strategies on performance of administrative senior staff. The study adopted the Post- Positivism philosophy. The study sampled 214 employees from the university using Simple Random Sampling Technique. The explanatory design was used. The partial least square structural equation modelling technique was used to analyse the main objectives of this study using SMART PLS version 3.3. The major findings of the study were: negotiation strategy had a significant effect on performance; third party intervention strategy had a significant effect on performance; communication strategy had a significant influence on performance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that conflict management strategies that are employed in the University of Education, Winneba, have a considerably impact on performance of the administrative senior staff. It is recommended that management of the university should ensure that there is regular dialogue and discussions among the administrative senior staff. This will help management understand and appreciate the underlying factors that generate problems for effective solutions.

Source: UCC
Conflict prevention strategies of state and non state actors in the Northern Region of Ghana from 1992 to 2012

The study explored the conflict prevention strategies of state and non-state actors in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study employed qualitative strategy of inquiry. The study population included members and staff of the four institutions selected for the study (National Peace Council (NPC), Regional Security Council (REGSEC), West Africa Network for Peacebuilding in Ghana (WANEP-Ghana), and traditional authorities). Purposive sampling techniques were employed to sample 30 respondents for the study. Both primary and secondary data were used. Unstructured in-depth interview guides were used in interviewing the respondents. The constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that both state and non-state actors played a pivotal role in conflict prevention in the Northern Region. They employed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, use of mediation, appeals, legal action/court system and the deployment of military and police forces. The strategies used in conflict prevention included: effective targeting of various stakeholders, the broad base grassroots approach, evidence-based approach, meetings with the various groups, capacity-building workshops, seminars,visitations at the individual and community level. These strategies collectively or individually were used in preventing conflicts in the Northern Region by state and non-state actors. It was recommended that Government and Non- Governmental Organisations interested in peace and conflict prevention should provide appropriate support to the state and non-state actors to enable them play their role in conflict prevention in the Northern Region effectively.

Source: UCC
Conflict Resolution and Staff Performance in Ghana Education Service: Evidence from Gomoa Senior High Technical School

Conflict is endemic to all social life and seen as inevitable component of living simply because it is in relation to differences in power, role, function and resources. The success or failure of almost every organisation greatly depends on how management or leaders handle misunderstanding between and among conflicting parties in such organisations. Conflict has become a necessary evil to many organisations in recent times. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of conflict resolution on staff performance in Ghana Education Service. The study adopted a descriptive research design to get answers for the research questions formulated. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select and sample the opinions of 74 staff of Ghana Education Service in Gomoa Senior High/Technical School (GSHTS)on the issue. Data collected from the field survey was later processed using SPSS and analyzed. The study pointed out that conflict affects the performance of staff negatively, except few who were indifferent. The study, however, also found that the most common tools used by GES to handle conflict are negotiation, compromise and arbitration. There is a positive relationship between conflict resolution tools and performance except compromising which showed a negative relationship. In view of this, it is recommended that appropriate reward system, effective communication, and good conflict settlement procedure be established.

Source: UCC
Conflict resolution processes and their influence on job performance at golden exotics limited

Ghana has various mechanisms to ensure that good relations exist between employers and employees at places of work. Such mechanisms include the Labour Law, Department of Labour, National Labour Commission (NLC), the Trades Union Congress and other ratified ILO labour conventions. Despite the availability of all these institutions to maintain peace and harmony at workplaces, the problem of labour disputes still exist. The study sought to investigate industrial disputes and conflicts resolution processes and their influence on job performance at workplaces of Golden Exotics Limited (GEL). The sample size used was 343 workers. The statistical tools employed in the analysis of the gathered data include Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and weighted rank mean. The study revealed that the industrial dispute prevention mechanism that workers of GEL are aware of is collective bargaining. It is recommended that in order to resolve conflicts successfully and effectively, stakeholders have to be involved in the resolution process. Also, organizations should observe ethical issues in the process of conflict resolution in order to effectively resolve conflicts. Again, all parties should willingly provide each party with the necessary information and should be privy to anything related to the mechanisms and objects being used in the process in order to achieve the goal of the dispute resolution. Also, organizations should allocate time and resources to resolve conflicts in order to increase their productivity. This should be done willingly by the organizations.

Source: UCC
Conflicts and conflict management mechanisms in selected districts in the Northern Region, Ghana

The Northern Region is witnessing protracted and relapsed conflicts and attempts at restoring enduring peace, largely, through Western models, particularly, the formal court system, have not been successful. This study analyses conflicts and conflict management mechanisms in the Northern Region of Ghana towards a comprehensive and sustainable management of the conflicts. The study is purely qualitative, employing the multiple case study design. Sixty-two participants were, purposively, selected for the study. Interview guide, focus group discussion guide and observation checklist were the instruments used for data collection. Data were analysed using thematic and cross-site analysis. The study found that each faction constructs a kind of mythical history mingling elements of truth about the olden days. Different versions of the history, while not held by all members of the community, tend to provide a continuing rationale for rejecting pragmatic compromises. Besides, the procedural structure and adversarial nature of the court system produced unsatisfactory outcomes, which do not create opportunities for peacebuilding initiatives. Indigenous mechanisms were, also, reliant on unwritten and flexible precedents, which lead to an abuse of the mechanisms by the traditional leaders. The study concludes, among others, that indigenous processes are currently inconsistent and, sometimes, discriminatory. Nonetheless, the mechanisms have proven to be meaningful, accessible, and affordable. Therefore, Peace Councils should develop a comprehensive programme to incorporate aspects of both the indigenous and Western-centred judicial structures for the purposes of legitimacy.

Source: UCC
Conformation-resolved UV spectra of Pb(II) complexes: A gas phase study of the sandwich structures [Pb(toluene)2]2+ and [Pb(benzene)2]2+

Toxic heavy metals, such as Pb2+, have become important targets for the development of efficient receptors that are capable of recognizing their presence as environmental and biological pollutants, and an important part of that receptor–metal characterization process is the provision of spectral evidence that identifies the presence of a metal ion. From results reported here on a combined experimental and theoretical study it is shown that, when complexed with aromatic ligands, Pb2+ is capable of yielding structured UV spectra, which: (i) exhibit discrete electronic transitions that include significant contributions from the metal ion; (ii) are very sensitive to the electronic properties of coordinating ligands; and (iii) are sensitive to subtle changes in coordination geometry. Two aromatic sandwich complexes, [Pb(benzene)2]2+ and [Pb(toluene)2]2+ have been prepared in the gas phase and their UV action spectra recorded from ions held and cooled in an ion trap. Whilst [Pb(benzene)2]2+ exhibits a spectrum with very little detail, that recorded for [Pb(toluene)2]2+ reveals a rich structure in the wavelength range 220–280 nm. Theory in the form of density functional theory (DFT) shows that both types of complex take the form of hemidirected structures, and that [Pb(toluene)2]2+ can adopt three distinct conformers depending upon the relative positions of the two methyl groups. Further calculations, using adiabatic time-dependent DFT to assign electronic transitions, provide evidence of individual [Pb(toluene)2]2+ conformers having been resolved in the experimental spectrum. Of particular significance for the development of methods for identifying Pb2+ as an environmental or biological pollutant, is the observation that there are distinct ligand-to-metal charge transfer transitions in the UV that are sensitive to both the geometry and the electronic characteristics of molecules that accommodate the metal ion

Source: UCC
Conforming to partnership values: a qualitative case study of public private mix for TB control in Ghana

Public-private mix (PPM) can supplement public sector initiatives, including public health. As National Tuberculosis Control Programmes around the world embrace PPM, conforming to the four key principles of partnership values of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and equity as espoused by the World Health Organization can provide a useful framework to guide successful implementation. Design: This is a qualitative case study of PPM in tuberculosis (TB) control, which utilized a purposive sample of 30 key stakeholders involved in TB control in Ghana. Respondents comprised an equal number of respondents from both the public and private sectors. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with respondents. Data emanating from the IDIs were analyzed deductively. Results: Although the respondents’ perceptions about beneficence were unanimous, their views about non-maleficence, autonomy, and equity appeared incongruous with the underlying meanings of the PPM values. Underlying the unfavourable perceptions were disruptions in funding, project implementers’ failure to follow up on promised incentives, and private providers lost interest. This was perceived to have negatively affected the smooth implementation of PPM in the country. Conclusions: Going forward, it is imperative that future partnerships are built around utilitarian principles and also adhere to the dictates of agreements, whether they are ‘soft’ or standard contracts

Source: UCC
Congregational Well-Being And Institutional Support: Investigating The Welfare Focus Of The Assemblies Of God Church, Teshie Nungua

The activities of churches in relation to the welfare of their congregants have been a concern in recent times. Churches are seen as having a divine duty of ensuring their congregants and the people in the communities they operate in are well-catered for, especially in times of dire need. This proposition is even more pronounced when the financial wherewithal of churches and their leaders are put in perspective. To many people, churches must be seen at the forefront in addressing the needs of society, starting from their congregations. This study thus set out to investigate the role of the church in the welfare of its members. The objectives of the study were to identify the welfare needs of congregants, ascertain the role churches play in improving the welfare of the congregation and examine the challenges the church faces in efforts to improve the welfare of congregants. The study was set in the Assemblies of God in Accra, Ghana, with a sample size of 76 church members as participants. The study used a quantitative approach, through a survey design and gathered data using questionnaires. Analysis of data revealed that the congregants do not see their basic needs as a welfare concern of the church. However, they indicated that emotional support, disaster relief, educational support and economic progress were some concerns for which the church was expected to help. Also, the study revealed that the church was playing a role by providing scholarships, SME assistance through credit facilities as well as needy and elderly care. Further, some challenges were identified as hindrances in the church’s quest to provide welfare support to congregants. These challenges included financial constraints, negative cultural ideologies, faulty biblical doctrine and misuse of church funds. The study recommended that Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection should provide policies to integrate government and church-led welfare programmes. Also, it was recommended that churches should engage in prudent financial management practices to ensure accountability of church funds. For future studies, it is suggested that larger sample sizes of congregants should be used to make the generalization of findings more plausible.

Source: UCC
The Conjecture of Group Structure: The Relationship Between The Alpha Invariant and Nilpotency in Finite Groups

In this research work, we acknowledge and explore the relation between the alpha value and non-nilpotent groups, leading to the proof of a conjecture put forward in research by Cayley (2021). We demonstrate that if 𝐺 is non-nilpotent and 𝛼(𝐺) = 􀬷 􀬸 then 𝐺 ≅ 𝐷􀬶􀬸 × 𝐶􀬶􀳙 , with a nontrivial centre, where 𝑛 ∈ {0, 1}. Furthermore, we conclude that the conjecture holds for 𝐺 ≅ 𝐷􀬶􀬸 × 𝐶􀬶􀳙 as well. We again prove, using both computational and theoretical techniques, that a subgroup which is nontrivial in 𝐺 exists with both normal and characteristic properties. We finally prove a theorem related to the count involving subgroups, cyclic in nature, of finite groups 𝐺 where |𝐶(𝐺)| = |𝐺| − 6. Thus, we demonstrate that if 𝐺 is one of the groups 𝐷􀬶􀬸, 𝐶􀬵􀬶, 𝐶􀬽, 𝐶􀬵􀬴, 𝐷􀬵􀬼, or 𝐷􀬶􀬴, then |𝐶(𝐺)| = |𝐺| − 6.

Source: UCC
Connectedness of cryptocurrencies and gold returns: Evidence from frequency-dependent quantile regressions

This paper explores the symmetric and asymmetric dependency structure of decomposed return series of Gold and eight cryptocurrencies to establish the hedging and diversification potentials of these asset classes. Daily data spanning 30 April 2013 to 18 April 2019 are employed within the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Quantile-in-Quantile regression techniques. Our empirical results provide evidence that cryptocurrencies and Gold can both hedge and diversify for each other at different conditional distributions of their returns. We also find that cryptocurrencies are not purely speculative but can be driven by medium- and long-term fundamentals. In addition, both Gold and cryptocurrencies can be hedge and diversifiers for other traditional asset classes such as crude oil, fiat currencies, and other commodities.

Source: UCC
Connecting dna origami structures into a designed and functionalized network

The versatility of the DNA origami approach of organizing nanoparticles at the nanometer scale, together with thiol chemistry have been used. These approaches were used to design DNA origami structures and to functionalize them with gold nanoparticles after designing attachment sites on the DNA origami structures. In all two structures were designed – a cross-like structure and a nanotube but only the nanotube structure was used to form the gold nanoparticle helices. Finally, use was made of the specific affinity interaction between biotin and streptavidin to connect the DNA origami templated AuNP helices to the cross-like structure. Agarose gel electrophoresis, UV vis spectroscopy and TEM were used to characterize the structure

Source: UCC
Connecting DNA origami structures using the biotin streptavidin specific binding

This work made use of the strong interaction between biotin and streptavidin to connect designed DNA origami structures. The caDNAno software was used to design a 6 layer 3D origami cross-like structure. Selected DNA strands at the engineered attachment sites on the DNA origami structure were biotinylated. After folding of the origami structures, the biotinylated strands stick out of the attachment sites. Purified samples of origami structures were then mixed with streptavidin and the mixture purified. After characterization, we see that attachment only occurs at the biotinylated sites. Agarose gel electrophoresis, UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM were used to characterize the structure

Source: UCC
Connecting with home, keeping touch: Physical and virtual mobility across stretched families in sub-Saharan Africa.

There is a long history of migration among low-income families in sub-Saharan Africa, in which (usually young, often male) members leave home to seek their fortune in what are perceived to be more favourable locations. While the physical and virtual mobility practices of such stretched families are often complex and contingent, maintaining contact with distantly located close kin is frequently of crucial importance for the maintenance of emotional (and possibly material) well-being, both for those who have left home and for those who remain. This article explores the ways in which these connections are being reshaped by increasing access to mobile phones in three sub-Saharan countries – Ghana, Malawi and South Africa – drawing on interdisciplinary, mixed-methods research from twenty-four sites, ranging from poor urban neighbourhoods to remote rural hamlets. Stories collected from both ends of stretched families present a world in which the connectivities now offered by the mobile phone bring a different kind of closeness and knowing, as instant sociality introduces a potential substitute for letters, cassettes and face-to-face visits, while the rapid resource mobilization opportunities identified by those still at home impose increasing pressures on migrant kin. En Afrique subsaharienne, les familles à bas revenu ont une longue histoire de migration, avec des membres (généralement jeunes, souvent des hommes) qui s'en vont chercher fortune dans des lieux qu'ils perçoivent comme plus favorables. Les pratiques de mobilité physique et virtuelle de ces familles étirées sont souvent complexes et circonstancielles, mais le maintien du contact avec les parents éloignés est souvent d'une importance cruciale pour préserver le bien-être affectif (voire matériel) de ceux qui partent et de ceux qui restent. Cet article explore la manière dont ces liens sont modifiés par l'accès croissant au téléphone portable dans trois pays subsahariens (Ghana, Malawi et Afrique du Sud) en s'appuyant sur des recherches interdisciplinaires et multi-méthodes portant sur vingt-quatre sites allant de quartiers urbains pauvres à des hameaux ruraux reculés. Les récits recueillis à l'une et l'autre extrémité de ces familles étirées présentent un monde dans lequel les connectivités aujourd'hui rendues possibles par le téléphone portable donnent naissance à un type différent de proximité et de savoir, car la socialité instantanée peut se substituer aux lettres, aux cassettes et aux visites physiques, tandis que les opportunités de mobilisation rapide de ressources identifiées par ceux qui restent renforcent les pressions qui s'exercent sur les parents migrants.

Source: UCC
Consensus recommendations for essential vascular care in low- and middle-income countries

Objective: Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are ill equipped to care for the large and growing burden of vascular conditions. We aimed to develop essential vascular care recommendations that would be feasible for implementation at nearly every setting worldwide, regardless of national income. Methods: The normative Delphi method was used to achieve consensus on essential vascular care resources among 27 experts in multiple areas of vascular care and public health as well as with experience in LMIC health care. Five anonymous, iterative rounds of survey with controlled feedback and a statistical response were used to reach consensus on essential vascular care resources. Results: The matrices provide recommendations for 92 vascular care resources at each of the four levels of care in most LMICs, comprising primary health centers and first-level, referral, and tertiary hospitals. The recommendations include essential and desirable resources and encompass the following categories: screening, counseling, and evaluation; diagnostics; medical care; surgical care; equipment and supplies; and medications. Conclusions: The resources recommended have the potential to improve the ability of LMIC health care systems to respond to the large and growing burden of vascular conditions. Many of these resources can be provided with thoughtful planning and organization, without significant increases in cost. However, the resources must be incorporated into a framework that includes surveillance of vascular conditions, monitoring and evaluation of vascular capacity and care, a well functioning prehospital and interhospital transport system, and vascular training for existing and future health care providers. (J Vasc Surg 2016;64:1770-9.)

Source: UCC