ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The influence of termites, other fauna and some climatic factors on the decomposition of an indigenous and an exotic wood species in a moist semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana

The role of termites, other fauna and environmental factors as a measure of decomposition rates of Cola gigantea and Populus tremuloides Michx (Aspen) were determined on twelve (12) plots in the Bobiri forest reserve, a near primary forest near Kumasi in the Ashanti region. Each plot measured 100 m x 6 m. Two wood samples, C. gigantea (indigenous wood species) and Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) an exotic wood species were used for the study. Exclusion experiments with mesh bags of two different mesh sizes: 0.03 mm and 5 mm were used to exclude and include macro fauna and termites respectively. The single-exponential model was used to determine decomposition rates. The study identified termites within three genera; Macrotermes, Microtermes and Ancistrotermes all belonging to the sub-family Macrotermitinae which feed on wood and litter. Other fauna identified were earthworms, arthropods, spiders, wood louse, centipedes, millipedes and ants. Aspen wood in the large as well as small mesh bags decomposed about 3.4 and 3 times faster than C. gigantea wood in the large as well as small mesh bags respectively. Hence the ‘the home field advantage’ theory is not always true. In addition, the decomposition rate of Aspen and C. gigantea wood in the large mesh bags were about 4.6 and 4 times faster than the decomposition rate of Aspen and C. gigantea wood in the small mesh bags respectively. The decomposition rate of the C. gigantea and Aspen wood in the large as well as small diameter mesh bags decreased with increasing maximum temperature, with the optimum range being 31 to 33°C but it increased with increasing cumulative rainfall. Precipitation rates greatly affect decomposition than temperature. Macro and meso fauna, particularly termites, contributed significantly to nutrient cycling and CO2 emission.

Source: KNUST
The influence of the naked neck (Na) and frizzle (F) genes on performance and blood parameters of F2 and F3 generations of crosses of local and commercial chickens

Two experiments were conducted in this study. In Experiment 1, a total of 1,565 eggs distributed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) comprising 4 genotypes (treatments) and 15 hatches (blocks) were used. The eggs were produced from 33 F2 crossbred nanaff (normal feathered), Na (Naked neck), frizzle (F) and frizzle-naked neck chickens to determine their fertility and hatchability levels. The eggs were stored from one to seven days in a room at an average temperature of 26.060C. The Na, F and Na_F_ birds produced eggs of significantly (p<0.05) higher fertility levels compared to the nanaff genotypes. Hatchability (eggs set and fertile eggs) were significantly higher for the F_ birds than birds carrying the Na gene. One hundred and ninety-nine (199) F3 crossbred chickens obtained from six hatches generated by the F2 generation were used in Experiment 2 for the evaluation of growth, egg production, haematological and biochemical parameters. The genotypic groups were nanaff (normal feathered), NaNaff (homozygous naked neck), Nanaff (heterozygous naked neck), nanaFF (homozygous frizzle), nanaFf (heterozygous frizzle), NaNaFF (double homozygous frizzled-naked neck) and NanaFf (double heterozygous frizzled-naked neck). Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The Nanaff recorded a significantly (p<0.05) heavier day-old body weight compared to all other genotypes except the NaNaff ones. Generally, (p<0.05), body weight was lower in nanaFF, nanaFf and NaNaFF birds compared to other genotypes. The nanaff birds reached sexual maturity significantly earlier than all other genotypes. Hen day production and egg weight were also significantly (p<0.05) higher in nanaff birds compared to Na_, F_, and Na_F_ birds. All birds carrying the naked neck and frizzle gens had significantly (p<0.05) higher packed cell volume concentration than the nanaff birds. The Nanaff birds had a significantly higher Hb concentration compared to the nanaff, nanaFf and NaNaFF ones.

Source: KNUST
Influence of tithonia diversifolia,leafbiomass,n.p.kfertilizer,and poultry manure on the growth and yield of pepper (capsicum fructescens)

Population growth and high demand of food has led to increases in the cultivated areas at the expense of restorative bush fallow. In the process, the resource base is depleted as many tropical soils are fragile, quickly losing organic matter and nutrients when intensively cultivated. Therefore there is an urgent need to replace this destructive cycle with economically and ecologically farming practices. It is justified that inorganic fertilizer has been responsible for sustained increases for food production. Organic inputs are needed to maintain the physical condition of soil (Hsieh and Hsieh, 1996). As soil fertility depletion is the single most important constraint to food security in Ghana there is the need to adopt practices that can help sustain crop production while maintaining sol fertility. The objective of the study was to find out the influence of Tithonia diversifolia, NPK fertilizer and poultry manure on the growth and yield of pepper. The treatments consisted of control, Tithonia diversifolia, NPK fertilizer and poultry manure. These were applied in sole applications as well as in varying combination of different treatment as shown in the table below. viii TREATMENT PLANT HEIGHT NUMBER OF BRANGHES NUMBER OF FRUITS/ PLANT WEIGHT OF FRUITS Tithonia only 35.2b 5d 8d 5.6d MPK Fertilizer only 33.9b 5d 8d 5.7d Poultry manure only 54.4a 7c 14c 7.9b Lithonia +Poultry manure 55.8a 8b 23ab 8.6ab Lithonia + NPK 50.2a 6d 21b 8.0bc NPK + Poultry manure 52.9a 9a 25a 8.7ab Control 20.8c 3e 5e 3.7e The treatment was replicated three times in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The results showed that all fertilization treatments significantly, enhanced pepper growth parameters and yield compared to control. ix It also showed that, poultry manure and its combinations were most significant (P< 0.05) for growth and yield. It was concluded that, the combination of Tithonia and poultry manure (8.6 ab) can be an alternative to NPK fertilizer + poultry manure (8.7 ab). However, there was high fertilizing potential of the combination of poultry manure and NPK fertilizer which ranked best method for high soil productivity and pepper yield.

Source: KNUST
The influence of traditional African art on African architecture.

Traditional African Art does not simply beautify the environment, but rather transmits laws, moral codes and history; communicates between people and the spirit world; and also signifies wealth and status. It includes all of life – birth, initiation, work, marriage, childbirth, death and afterlife. African Architecture, like other aspects of the culture of Africa, is exceptionally diverse. Many ethno-linguistic groups throughout the history of Africa have had their own architectural traditions. The architecture of Africa has been subject to numerous external impacts from the earliest periods for which evidence is available. The traditional arts of Africans have an influence on African Architecture. The art is expressed through architectural elements like doors, walls, columns, fenestration, roofs, finishes, furniture and furnishings, etc. The forms, spaces, materials and architectural features of buildings in Africa can portray the culture, history and art of Africans. The transition in the cultures and arts of Africans over the years has also reflected in their architecture. The construction technology and finishes used for buildings can be related to the works of arts and crafts of Africans. Architecture and art are interrelated in some ways and they are both affected by the rapid advancement of the world’s technology and development. I will be hoping to find the relationship that exists between Traditional African Art and African Architecture through the evaluation of some African buildings which exhibit rich African art and culture.

Source: KNUST
The influence of traditional leaders on project success, a case study on some selected projects in the Ga East Municipality in the Greater Accra Region

Leadership under the local government have had approaches for delivering projects, with traditional leadership acting as a key institution in building developmental projects. Traditional leadership as it stands, is the foundation of governance to most people as it is more accessible and better understood. Project success as the results for organization’s change in achieving efficiency. Traditional leadership are generally classified as ethnic or cultural, whose authority has to do with power and therefore is unavoidably political. Traditional leadership contribution to project success is in respect to human and material resources (land acquisition) organized to undertake a project within a specific cost and time constraint, so as to achieve beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives. The local government Act (2016), Section 144 (1) has enabled Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s) as part of the decentralization process to be the only authority to raise revenue either locally or transferred from the central government in pursuing development needs of citizenry at the local level. Most MMDAs in Ghana are not up-and-doing in equal resource distribution to communities due to traditional leadership trait determining the total performance of project implementation therefore, the study in emphasizing on the influence of traditional leadership in project success. The study adopted the quantitative approach and descriptive research design to investigate the problem. A convenience sampling technique was used to select a total sample size of thirty six (36) questions (responses) attained from the employees of the Assembly, Honorable Members (Assembly Members) and chiefs of the Ga East Municipality. The results of the study unveiled that respondents are aware and have knowledge about the Assembly ensuring project delivery to the communities. The findings noted that traditional leadership have great influence on project success in constituting crucial resources into projects. This result in low quality and standard of projects leading to diminishing credibility and projects being abandoned. This to a large extent shows that the Assembly needs to empower itself in collaborating with traditional leaders in ensuring and promoting developmental projects in meeting the need of the people

Source: KNUST
The Influx of Commercial Banks as a Challenge to the Performance of Rural Banks In Ghana: (A Case Study Of Juaben Rural Bank)

The Juaben Rural Bank was established to provide an efficient and effective service for both shareholders and customers. The main trust of the research therefore was to assess the influx of commercial banks as a challenge to the performance of Juaben Rural Bank at the Roman Hill branch in Kumasi. The study demonstrated that the influx of the commercial banks has affected the performance of the rural bank. The number of customers to the bank is increasing but at a decreasing rate, likewise its revenue. Although customers care service and effectiveness and efficiency by the bank is on the increase. The products of the bank are still the old system of engaging in business. Very few new products have been introduced compared to the commercial banks which have introduced a lot of new products in the banking service which is very competitive. The caliber of customers of the bank still remain at the low level of salary workers and petty traders at the neglect of medium to large scale companies. This is the exact opposite of the commercial banks. In the area of competition, the combine effect of innovative products and improvement in service delivery and internet facilities among the commercial banks have resulted in the dwindling savings and loans to and by the Juaben Rural Bank. The Juaben Rural Bank responses to these threats have been slow. The bank is yet to fully exploit its wide infrastructure network and advancement in innovative products and internet technology to enhance its efficiency and competitiveness. Unfortunately, the bank relies heavily on salary workers and petty traders at the expense of medium and large scale enterprises in income generation. Given the over - reliance on traditional products, the Bank needs to diversity and strengthen other sources of revenue and adopt more efficient and sustainable strategies to improve the quality of service as well as put in place control measures to check revenue leakage if any.

Source: KNUST
The influence of urbanization on christian marriage

During the industrial revolution when agricultural Jobs had become less common, workers moved towards manufacturing hubs in cities to obtain Jobs in factories. The exodus of People from rural areas to urban centers altered the orientation of marriages and the values the institution of marriage espoused. Urbanization and its consequences touch on the various facets of our lives, and even though there are positive effects, Marriage as a social institution, and the famil ies involved undoubtedly have not been spared of its negative repercussions. For instance, it was identified in the research that to a large extent, the increase in the number of People living in these cities has contributed to the adoption of certain types of marriages among which are ―trial‖ and ―gay/lesbian‖ marriages. These marriages are seen to be gaining grounds and establishing deep roots in the society thereby militating Christian ma rriages and taking the beauty out of them. Although these types of marriages may not be common in our part of the world, they are worth discussing them because of the global nature of urbanization and the institution of marriage. Again, the results of the research indicate that the exposure of People to certain factors of social change in the city has changed their taste and preferences and therefore impacted on their Fertility rates, Families and living arrangements, Domestic relations, and also deepened their Consciousness on the ―foreign‖ types of marriages. Based on the findings gathered from the study, the researcher concluded that Urbanization involves major shifts in the ways People work and live, and offers unprecedented opportunities for the improved standards of living, higher life expectancy and higher literacy levels, as well as v better environmental sustainability and a more efficient use of increasingly scarce natural resources. For women, urbanization is associated with greater access to employment opportunities, lower fertility levels and increase independence. However, the urban family is immersed in a complex social environment that encompasses the entire breath of human experience. Marriage as a social institution is caught up in the web/ entanglements of urbanization and therefore has not been spared of the pressures that seem to be exerted on families which have tasted and continue to taste urban life. A balanced treatment of the impacts of urbanization is therefore useful, though empirical evidence suggests that positive aspects generally outweigh negative ones. African traditional marriage is a process oriented to the extended family. Today the influence of the extended family has dwindled and as a result there‘s been a shift of attention to the nuclear family. These factors among others as identified in the study have been deemed to have influence the status of marriage.

Source: KNUST
The influence of working environment on labour Turnover: A case study of some selected private Universities in the Kumasi Metropolis

The Working Environment of every organisation is very important. Apart from leading to job dissatisfaction, low morale and low productivity, it can also lead to workplace deaths and injuries physically, emotionally and psychologically. The study therefore seeks to assess the influence of working environment on labour turnover. The research was conducted in three selected private universities. One Hundred and Forty Eight (148) respondents made up of Thirteen (13) management members and one hundred and thirty five (135) employees from the three selected private universities were selected while questionnaire and structured interview questions were used as instruments to gather data. Based on the nature of data collected, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in processing and analyzing primary data gathered through questionnaires which enabled the researcher to do descriptive statistics including frequency tables and graphs. The findings revealed that among the three constituents of the work environment discussed in the study, there is a significant correlation between the physical environment and labour turnover and organisational culture and labour turnover. There is however an insignificant and weak correlation between organisational climate and labour turnover. The study also revealed that employees from the three selected private universities believe the physical environment and organisational culture of their various institutions can influence their intention to quit. Management also confirmed that their physical environment and organisational culture to some extent account for their current Labour turnover rate. It is therefore prudent for management to make the necessary effort to ensure that their physical environment and organisational culture is conducive and accommodating enough to maintain a desirable turnover rate.

Source: KNUST
Informal financial institutions and the development of rural economies of Ghana (a case study of Techiman District)

The effect of the repressive financial policies by the government before the 1980s created distortions in financial market, propelling the rate of increase of the informal financial institutions in the rural areas. The importance of mobilising rural household savings has also been neglected in financial policymaking and in rural development strategies. The rural economies are therefore left at the mercy of the informal lenders and savings collectors. Financial reforms policies were introduced as part of measures to mobilise rural savings and credit delivery as well as integrate the financial market. Accordingly, the extension of branch banks of the commercial banks and the establishment of rural banks in rural areas were affected. The informal institutions continue to attract a sizeable number of the rural population despite the reforms policies. The study sets itself the objective to identify these informal institutions in Techiman with the view to examining their potential and constraints with respect to savings mobilisation, credit delivery, growth and their contribution to the development of the district. Data were collected from both secondary and primary sources. The purposive sampling technique was used to identify respondents because of inadequate records on informal activities in the area that could have served as sample frame. The findings of the study showed that, the informal lenders and savings collectors increased in both assets and clientele. The study findings also identified linkage between the savings collectors and the banks whiles the money lenders had a very weak linkage. The analysis of the study also revealed the immense contribution of the informal financial institutions towards the development of the district and how insensitive the rural people are to interest rate in the district. The study concluded that medium-term measures must be put in place to promote the activities of informal financial institutions whiles searching for a long term strategy to address the financial disintegration as well as mobilising financial resources and credit delivery for the development of rural economies of Ghana. The author is also of the view that policies should explicitly include informal financial institutions and their roles clearly defined in financial policies.

Source: KNUST
Informal Relations and its effects on Industrial Organizations (A study of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company And Ghana Breweries Limited)

The defining characteristics of every organization are the structures, objectives and its people of which the “people” are the most important. Whenever a set of people gets together and starts interacting on a long term basis, they start to form an informal group. The formal organizations are therefore not really formal when human beings interact with each other over a long period of time; they develop a social structure that is only partly based on the formal organizational structure. Through informal relations, members of an organization can develop their own norms and goals that may counter or complement the objectives of the formal structure. The objective of this study was to identify the possible effects of informal relations on organizations and The Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Ghana Breweries Limited both in the Kumasi Metropolis were selected for the study. Social survey was the design used for this study. Two departments, the production department and the administrative departments were selected through stratified sampling technique. These constituted the population units for the study. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select the sample. In addition, purposive sampling technique which is a non-probability sampling technique was used to select various supervisors at the two departments. The population universe was 520 workers. Out of this, 200 workers were selected as sample size. The data used for this study included both primary and secondary. Questionnaire with both open-ended and close-ended questions was used to collect the primary data. In terms of analyzing the data collected, both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis were used. In conclusion, it must be emphasized that informal relation is a natural, social and psychological need of workers and therefore it is the responsibility of astute managers to study the informal group in order to discover ways in which the interests of informal groups can blend with the interest of the formal organization for higher productivity.

Source: KNUST
Information sharing and procurement performance: the moderating role of information technology adoption

Information Sharing is a vital component in enhancing supply chain management which promotes better coordination and integration between stakeholders in business networks. Insufficient information sharing among stakeholders within organizations’ networks can compromise relationships built and the quality of information shared to accomplish set goals. The study sought to examine the moderating role of information technology adoption in the relationship between information sharing and procurement performance. Study adopts a survey design to examine the extent to which information sharing in organizations drives procurement performance under the influence of information technology. The population of the study comprise of public agencies operating under the governance of Ghana with the Northern Regions. A total of 87 respondents were selected using the purposive sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect data from the firms. To ensure that there was validity and reliability of findings, existing measures were adapted to tap into the study’s constructs. The study employed the descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the quantitative data with the aid of the SPSS. The result presented showed that information sharing positively and significantly affects procurement performance. Additional results show that information technology adoption positively moderate the relationship between information sharing procurement performance. It is recommended that practitioners invest in the adoption of such technology to facilitates the efficient exchange of information and improve procurement performance.

Source: KNUST