ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
An assessment of the low performance of local construction firms a case study of Wa municipality

The progress of many institutions relies on a well - functioning physical infrastructural development. The involvement of local construction firms in constructing infrastructure projects cannot be over emphasized. However, most of the local construction firms perform abysmally as far as quality delivery was concerned. Many projects undertaken by local construction firms experience delays and other substandard performance. The aim of this study was to assess the causes of poor performance of local construction firms. The study adopted a mixed method design involving the administration of survey questionnaires, interviews and observation to a sample of 71 respondents made of Quantity Surveyors, Site engineers, Structural engineers, Masons Steel benders and Electricians The collected data was analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 21. The results were presented using percentages and mean values in Tables and charts .The findings of the study suggested that lack of adequate technical expertise, inadequate construction equipment and lack adequate skilled laborshortage of materials, improper design, unreliable sub-contractors, complexity of the project, unclear details in drawings, equipment unavailability were the key factors causing low performance of local construction firms in Wa Municipality. The study recommends that sub-contractors should be selected based on their past experience. Contractors should not be selected only based on their lowest bid. Local construction firms should have competent – spot supervisors to ensure persuasive execution of the project in time. The study finally recommends that local construction firms should ensure they have necessary capital to purchase equipment and machinery for easy and prompt delivery of projects.

Source: UEW
An assessment of the maintenance culture of government vehicles in senior high schools in the Akim-Oda Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region of Ghana

The main aim of this study was to explore the challenges in maintaining Government Vehicles in Senior High Schools. Basically, the research examined the maintenance culture of Government Vehicles in Senior High Schools in the Akim –Oda Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region. A survey was conducted with a sample size of forty (40) mainly Headmasters, Assistant Headmasters and school drivers. The research design that was used in the study is a descriptive survey and document analysis. These were positively used to cater for the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Major findings are that maintenance of Government Vehicles in Senior High Schools is faced with numerous challenges ranging from Finance, Maintenance Management and Administration. Also the attitude of some school drivers towards maintenance is verypoor. Maintenance Policies and Plans exist in the schools but their implementation, monitoring and supervision is a problem due to financial constraint. It was identified that the schools do not have a formalised maintenance department to effectively over see maintenance activities. Finally, most of the schools have difficulties in taking their vehicles to companies that supplied them for servicing, coupled with high charges which deter school management from doing so. Instead they fall on road side mechanics that eventually compound their problems. It is therefore recommended that a formalised maintenance department should be setup in the schools to allow for the decentralisation of maintenance issues.

Source: UEW
Assessment of the maintenance practices of the mechanical engineering workshops in the Sissala East district of the upper west region of Ghana

Maintenance is important to the success and continuity of firms, particularly in the changing society as ours. The effectiveness and the survival of organizations are largely enhanced by the ability of management to ensure that there is functional equipment, lands and buildings, infrastructure and fixtures. In the manufacturing setup, there is wear and tear of machines and equipment in the periods of usage that require sufficient maintenance to enhance their useful life. This ensures reliability of the machines and equipment in the production plants as to uninterrupted production runs. However, most manufacturing firms in Ghana have lost their effectiveness and productivity, because of poor maintenance practices. It is in this light that the study attempts to assess the maintenance practices of mechanical engineering workshops in Sissala East District of the Upper West region. Descriptive survey design was used for the study and this was deemed appropriate for the study because it is versatile and practical and it identifies present conditions and points to recent needs of the mechanical engineering companies. The sample technique adopted for the study was purposive sampling technique which implies that only particular group of people were contacted for the study. Questionnaires were the main data collection instruments used to gather the data for study. A total 72 people were sampled for the study. After several analysis from the data gathered, it was established that maintenance practices instituted in the firms are limited to performing regular diagnosis on machines before use, performing periodic inspection of equipment, putting in place all proper tooling activities, personnel and plant protection, conducting regular conditioning monitoring and oil analysis. The study also established that firms encounter numerous challenges in trying to institute regular maintenance practices which include high cost of maintenance parts , lack of adequate funds committed to maintenance and long bureaucratic process involved in processing maintenance order for maintenance projects. The study recommends that manufacturing companies should always allocate maintenance budget to cater for any unforeseen repairs or replacement of equipment.

Source: UEW
An assessment of the management of credit risk in financial institutions in Ghana a case study of Ecobank Ghana limited

The general objective of the study was to assess the credit risk management practices in financial institutions. Along this general objective, there were some specific purposes to help achieve the overall goal of the study. They include; examining the credit management practices of Ecobank Ghana Limited; to find out whether Ecobank Ghana Limited complies with central bank regulations on credit management and to identify the problems encountered in recovery of loans granted by Ecobank Ghana Limited. Based on this both purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select from the different categories of personnel. The same questionnaires were administered to the management; senior staff and staff from the credit department (operations department) were interviewed and transcribed as part of responses which were used in the analysis. Other authors work relevant to the study were also considered and used. The main findings of the study indicated that the bank sometimes faces some difficulties in loan recovery, especially, clients whose repayments cannot be deducted at source. However, some measures have been installed to mitigate such difficulties. They outlined some of the problems as; the bank insures every loan that is granted to clients, the bank constantly visits and befriends its clients, and taking of collateral security to secure the loan should any default occur. The implementation of these debt recovery strategies has lead to the improvement of loan recovery over the years. The study concludes that the bank should always plan its credit programme in such a way that its interest rates will not be fluctuating any time the central bank reviews its monetary policy, even though the policy rate is beyond the control of the bank and again the credit procedures should be innovative to accommodate varied loan applications since each loan may have different requirements. It is, therefore, recommended that Management needs to ensure that the bank works within the applicable framework set by the Bank of Ghana on deposit ratios to help solve liquidity challenges, credit officers of the bank should be given more training to enable them to properly evaluate the creditworthiness of clients before loans are disbursed to them and the management of the bank should come up with a credit management policy that is geared towards the granting of current loans while cutting down drastically the approval of loans that have the potential of becoming doubtful or bad in the long run.

Source: UEW
An assessment of the perceived falling standards in practical skills of trainees a case study of mechanical engineering craft- practice in technical and vocational education in the Techiman municipality

The study assessed the perceived falling standards in practical skills of trainees, using mechanical engineering craft practice in Technical and Vocational Education within Techiman Municipality as a case study. The research design adopted for this study was the descriptive research design. Survey questionnaires were distributed to apprentice/students and master craftsmen in the Vocational and Technical schools. The population for the study was nine hundred and ninety eight (998) students currently undergoing Technical and vocational training in the respective schools in the Techiman Municipality. Random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and nine respondents for the study (97 apprentices and 12 master craftsmen). The questionnaire was delivered by hand to each respondent and collected after completion by respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows (version 16.0) was the analytical tool used to analyze the data.From the research finding 80.4% of the respondents spent less than one year at the training institutions as compare to the pass years before one can get into the MET 1, which contributed greatly to the falling standard.The study findings shows that activity based method, demonstration method and observation were used to deliver competency based skills acquisition. Most of the apprentices had their technical competency training from master craftsmen. The designing of training programmes in technical training is good. Moreover, the practical competency training is good. Furthermore, the vocational training institutes lack adequate educational resources to facilitate vocational education. This means that availability of tools and equipment for TVET training is poor. This eventually contributed to the falling standards in practical skills of trainees. The study recommended that the Ghana Education Service through the District education office should provide Teaching and Learning Materials in a form of tools and equipment to enhance the practical skills of trainees.

Source: UEW
Assessment of the performance of local and foreign road construction firms in Ghana

The apparent imperfect competition that exists between local and foreign construction firms, coupled with the perception that governments give most of the big projects to the foreign firms has brought about the need to undertake a comparative study. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference between the performance of local and foreign road construction firms in Ghana. The study involved a cross-sectional survey that used a structured questionnaire administered to 69 respondents of road construction professionals. The results ranked foreign firms significantly higher than their local counterparts in terms of effective cost management, time management and quality management practices at 95% confidence level. Therefore, the study found the foreign road construction firms more efficient in terms of performance (cost, time and quality) than their local counterparts in Ghana. Copyright � 2009 The Chinese research Institute of Construction Management.

Source: UEW
Assessment of the quality of reinforcing bars in the Ghanaian market a case study of the Western Region

Building materials are the main component of the construction industry hence its quality and characteristic are essential. It is expected that building professionals select materials with adequate properties that are fit for purpose and meet acceptable local and international specifications. A study in a Nigeria ranked substandard building materials as the second leading causes of building collapse in Lagos. Hence this study seeks to assess the quality of the mechanical properties of local and foreign reinforcement bars (12mm 16mm and 20mm diameter) in the opening market of Sekondi-Takoradi. Samples were sourced from three major retail companies namely K. Ofori, B5 Company and Sethi Takoradi Limited. Samples were cut to a length of 500mm and tested for their tensile properties at the mechanical laboratory of Ghana Standard Authority in Accra. The result indicated that, the average yield strength for mild steel rods was 318N/mm² which was greater than the minimum provision. All 16mm and 20mm diameter high tensile steel bars exceeded the minimum yield strength; however 12mm did not meet the required yield strength. Both mild steel and high tensile steel samples recorded ultimate tensile steel values greater than the BS 4449 & GS 788-2 minimum provision. Similarly both mild steel and high tensile steel samples recorded an average elongation of 29% and 25% respectively. Mild steel samples recorded ductility of 1.24 while high tensile steel recorded a ductility of 1.44. 12mm and 20mm diameter samples were approximate to the standard nominal size provided by the BS 4449 & GS 788-2 specification. Meanwhile all the high tensile steel samples were below the nominal diameter provision of area of steel. The research conclude that mild steel rods may not be the causes of building collapse, while high tensile steel bars results suggest inconsistent qualities standard. All high tensile steel samples did not meet the required nominal area of steel and may partly be responsible for the collapse of buildings.

Source: UEW
Assessment of the quality of students’ services in Ga East municipal basic schools.

Using the SERVQUAL Theoretical model, this study examined the quality of education services provided by selected government schools in the Ga East Municipal Assembly. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed. A multistage sampling technique was used to sample the views of 200 students and 100 teachers. A questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. It was found that except for the tangibility dimension of quality, which was determined to be of low quality per the study benchmark, the other four dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance recorded a high quality. Learners’ satisfaction with that service's quality was reportedly low. The study revealed no statistically significant gender differences in students’ satisfaction levels. Furthermore, an analysis of the predictive strength of each service quality dimension on learners’ satisfaction revealed that, except for assurance and tangibility, which did have a statistically significant effect on satisfaction, reliability, responsiveness, and empathy, they did not have a statistically significant impact on learners’ satisfaction. In terms of teacher support for service quality delivery, it was found that supervisory roles were provided, but the supportive roles for teachers remained inadequate. Schools in the municipality were recommended to concentrate on enhancing their tangibility (e.g., physical buildings). The Municipal Education Directorate should also support teachers in improving service quality delivery.

Source: UEW
An assessment of the role of auditors in fraud detection and prevention (a case study of mutual fund in the Kumasi metropolis)

The study sought to assess the role of auditors in fraud detection and prevention focussing on Mutual Fund in the Kumasi Metropolis (MFs-K). The study, specifically, sought to achieve the following objectives, to identify the factors that cause fraud in the Mutual Funds, to determine the role of external and internal auditors in fraud detection and prevention in the Mutual Funds and to examine how auditors can detect and prevent fraud. Data was collected from respondents with a well-structure questionnaire based on the objectives of the study. The data collected from the field was organised, analysed, summarised and presented with the help of the statistical package for service solution (SPSS). Findings from the study revealed that advance fee fraud, fund diversion, computer fraud, poor management and inexperience personnel are the factors that cause fraud. In relation to the role of internal and external auditors, the results indicated that there are deeply expectation gap among audit stakeholders. Again, the results show that audit stakeholders are unaware of auditing functions. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended among others that; strong control system should be put in place to minimise fraud such as computer fraud, fund diversion and late market trading, users should also be educated on the role and the actual duties of auditors, through better communication by auditors. Additionally the Mutual fund must expand the scope of the audit to meet market expectations.

Source: UEW
An assessment of the role of hotel front desk on customer satisfaction a case study of two selected hotels in Tamale Metropolis

The study assesses the role of hotel front desk on customer satisfaction in two selected hotels in the Tamale Metropolis. Valid data were collected from 200 respondents, consisting of ten (10) Managers, 20 front office employees and 170 customers. Using embedded or concurrent nested Mixed-Method Research (MMR) approach, data were analyzed using a number of statistical techniques including mean, standard deviations and kurtosis. The study is anchored within the context of the SERVQUAL Model. The results of the study indicate that the responsiveness dimension of the Hotel Front Desk operations exerts the greatest influence on customers’ satisfaction, followed by empathy, assurance, reliability and then tangibles. The practical implication of the study begins with the hotel managers and policymakers acknowledging that the implementation of the SERVQUAL model in hotels should be done with a guided thought; in a sense that the implementation and monitoring of each of the dimension should be implemented depending on the needs of the hotels. When this advice is heeded hotels will not end up wasting resources in implementing less-needed dimensions in their hotels. The study showed that respondents perceived safety and security as the service quality dimension. Performing services right from the first time (M= 3.98; SD= 0.569). The study also showed that front desk staff are always willing to help guests (M= 4.98) that was staff and managers identify as what satisfy the customers at Modern City and Mariam hotel in Tamale Metropolis. The study recommends, among others, that hotel managers should pay attention to each sector of the hotel by monitoring the operational needs of each of these sectors. Hotel managers should also subject themselves to the observance of quality control protocols as this will automatically keep them on track in terms of their operational pursuits.

Source: UEW
An assessment of the role of hotel front desk on customer satisfaction_a case study of two selected hotels in Tamale Metropolis

The study assesses the role of hotel front desk on customer satisfaction in two selected hotels in the Tamale Metropolis. Valid data were collected from 200 respondents, consisting of ten (10) Managers, 20 front office employees and 170 customers. Using embedded or concurrent nested Mixed-Method Research (MMR) approach, data were analyzed using a number of statistical techniques including mean, standard deviations and kurtosis. The study is anchored within the context of the SERVQUAL Model. The results of the study indicate that the responsiveness dimension of the Hotel Front Desk operations exerts the greatest influence on customers’ satisfaction, followed by empathy, assurance, reliability and then tangibles. The practical implication of the study begins with the hotel managers and policymakers acknowledging that the implementation of the SERVQUAL model in hotels should be done with a guided thought; in a sense that the implementation and monitoring of each of the dimension should be implemented depending on the needs of the hotels. When this advice is heeded hotels will not end up wasting resources in implementing less-needed dimensions in their hotels. The study showed that respondents perceived safety and security as the service quality dimension. Performing services right from the first time (M= 3.98; SD= 0.569). The study also showed that front desk staff are always willing to help guests (M= 4.98) that was staff and managers identify as what satisfy the customers at Modern City and Mariam hotel in Tamale Metropolis. The study recommends, among others, that hotel managers should pay attention to each sector of the hotel by monitoring the operational needs of each of these sectors. Hotel managers should also subject themselves to the observance of quality control protocols as this will automatically keep them on track in terms of their operational pursuits.

Source: UEW
An Assessment of the role of strategic human resource management In organizational performance in the healthcare industry

This study sought to assess the role of strategic human resource management practices in organizational performance in the healthcare industry. The specific objectives that guided the study were; to examine the effect of capacity building on organizational performance; to determine the effect of performance management on organizational performance; to assess the effect of motivation on organizational performance; and to analyze the effect of involvement in decision making on organizational performance. The study employed purposive sampling technique in selecting the respondents. Data from responses collected from the study were captured, cleaned and validated to ensure the integrity of the data set. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to arrive at the findings. The study found that strategic human resource management practices (training and development, performance management, employee motivation and involvement and participation) significantly positively influence organizational performance in the healthcare industry.

Source: UEW