ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Coping strategies of young mothers at risk of HIV/AIDS in the kassena-nankana district of northern Ghana

his qualitative study draws on interpretative principles with emphasis on understanding young mothers' vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and explores coping strategies used to mitigate risk of infection in a poor rural setting of Ghana. Young mothers in their mid-twenties to early thirties and their male partners were purposively selected with the assistance of key informants for repeated semi-structured interviews. Respondents included those in monogamous and polygynous marriages with two or more living children, and those with and without formal education. Young mothers in this study setting are confronted with complex realities as childbearing obligations make protective sex less optional. However, more assertive women insist their husbands use condoms when they perceive themselves at risk. We conclude that the advent of HIV may advance the cause of women's reproductive health empowerment by providing women with very strong reasons to minimize HIV risk within marriage.

Source: UG
Coping with global uncertainty: Perceptions of COVID-19 psychological distress, relationship quality, and dyadic coping for romantic partners across 27 countries

Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the “new normal”—social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator between experiences of COVID-19 psychological distress and relationship quality. To examine these associations, self-report data from 14,020 people across 27 countries were collected during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March–July, 2020). It was hypothesized that higher symptoms of psychological distress would be reported post-COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 restrictions (Hypothesis 1), reports of post-COVID-19 psychological distress would be negatively associated with relationship quality (Hypothesis 2), and perceived partner DC would moderate these associations (Hypothesis 3). While hypotheses were generally supported, results also showed interesting between-country variability. Limitations and future directions are presented.

Source: UG
Coping with urban sprawl: A critical discussion of the urban containment strategy in a developing country city, Accra

Accra, Ghana’s largest metropolis, exhibits unique features in terms of low densities in central locations due to large number of under-used plots, except inner-city informal residential areas. Over the last three decades, the metropolis has grown to encompass it surround district, now referred to as the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area. The massive sprawl has largely occurred in the west and east of the city, where growth rates of over 30% per annum have been recorded. This paper examines factors underlying the massive expansion of Accra, and the urban containment strategy to curtail the sprawl. It concludes that though many factors account for the sprawl, the key is the weak public control over land and the resultant poor spatial planning. As such, any urban containment strategy is unlikely to succeed within the context of the existing land management system where land is held privately under customary institutions while planning remains a public functions for local governments.

Source: UG
Copyright and literary piracy in Ghana

This paper discusses the issue of copyright, especially as it pertains in Ghana. It also examines the extent of literary piracy and its impact on authors and the book industry in Ghana. Remedies proposed to curb this activity include resourcing of the Copyright Office; creation of copyright awareness; and strict prosecution of offenders. Introduction According to Harrods Librarians' Glossary (1984), copyright is a procedure whereby the originator of a piece of intellectual property (books, articles, piece of music etc.) receives due recompense for the inventiveness or the imagination expended. The law of copyright has had a rather slow evolution dating back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the introduction of the art of printing from movable type. Increase in the number of printers resulted in the assumption of the prerogative of granting printing privileges, usually by the monarch. A congress which deserves special mention is the Universal Copyright Convention held in 1952. Forty countries from both developed and developing areas were represented. Prior to this, in 1886, a convention was held in Berne which aimed at protecting the rights of authors. The main international agreement on copyright is the Berne Convention of 1886, administered by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), to which most countries in Africa have fashioned their own copyright laws. The WIPO is an international organization tasked with promoting the intellectual property of works. It is a UN specialized agency based in Geneva and has a country membership of 179. The Berne Convention stipulates that copyright usually lasts for the life of the author, plus an additional 50 years. After that the work is then in the public domain. To most people, the author is a person who writes or produces a book. In all fields of human endeavour, initiative and originality are primary values associated with authorship. In the specific context of the book industry, and particularly in the authorship of literary works, an author is also expected to have a creative turn of mind, a distinctive vision of society and a restless passion to communicate. In order for an author to contribute to knowledge and the advancement of his fellow men, he should reveal a distinctive quality of mind, reveal creative originality in his total being and a willingness to share something of value with posterity. One may therefore confidently assert that, without authorship of some kind, books cannot be produced.

Source: UG
Copyright and the story of two books

The paper discusses the problems of libraries arising from the educational sector reforms in the late 1980s with its attendant scarcity and high price of books in the face of high student enrolment is tertiary institutions. The paper goes on to discuss how copyright restriction add an additional difficulty to access to information and illustrates this with two rare books with very inadequate copies used by 918 students at the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon during the 2007/2008 academic year. Whist the paper agrees that the copyright law exists to crate incentives for authors, the paper is of the view that because of high price and scarcity of books many students are compelled to engage in photocopying rather than a deliberate attempt to cheat copyright owners. The paper also pointed out that in the present technological era people see reward not only in monetary terms.

Source: UG
Core Conceptual Features of Successful Blended Learning in Higher Education: Policy Implications

COVID-19 has “taught” universities worldwide that using digital technologies to support Pure online or blended learning is a survival strategy. This lesson, plus the inclusion of technology in continental, national, and university policies and strategic plans implicate significant technology integration, especially blended learning, in higher education in the post-pandemic era. However, there is a lack of sound theoretical frameworks to adequately explain success indicators and success factors in blended learning. Existing frameworks provided particulars about the impacts of blended learning within certain contexts; none provided a comprehensive analysis of the significant factors thattranscend specific application contexts. Moreover, the frameworks did not offer clear conceptions of knowledge, teaching, learning, and technology and its role in learning. To better inform successful blended learning adoption, this study problematizes success indicators and success factors based on a configurative review of existing frameworks and emerging theoretical perspectives in higher education. A holistic conceptual framework that transcends context specificity is proposed to better inform policy making, instructional design, and teaching and learning. Conceptions of adaptive policy: policy as learning design and policy as practice are found relevant for blended learning policy making and analysis in higher education.

Source: UG
Core encoding sequences of Hepatitis C virus in Ghanaian blood donors are predominantly mosaics of different genotype 2 strains and cannot distinguish subtypes

Background: Distribution of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes varies significantly worldwide. Genomic diversity between genotypes has implications for treatment, vaccine development and optimal design of HCV diagnostic assays. Molecular characterization of HCV in different geographical areas is therefore very essential for management and public health control of HCV infection. This study investigated the molecular epidemiology and characteristics of HCV genotypes in healthy individuals in Accra, Ghana. Methods: An experimental study was carried out on blood samples obtained from voluntary blood donors. Two hundred samples were initially screened for HCV antibodies and infection was confirmed by RNA detection through RT-PCR of the 5′-untranslated region (5’UTR). The core gene sequences were analysed for HCV genotype determination by genotype-specific PCR; and then by cloning and direct sequencing followed by phylogenetic analysis. The sequences were further analysed in detail by similarity plotting. Results: Molecular diagnosis confirmed the presence of HCV RNA in 2 out of 200 (1%) blood donors. Initial genotyping by genotype-specific PCR identified all two infections as subtypes 2a and 2b of genotype 2. Extensive evolutionary and genetic analyses indicated two epidemiological profiles. First, phylogenetic tree topologies clearly showed that, collectively, the core sequences of the Ghanaian HCV isolates belong to a single, distinct genetic group within HCV genotype 2 cluster, with high genetic similarity and rapid sequence variation in a single individual. Second, the sequences are mosaics comprising 2e and other genotype 2 subtype fragments. The analyses underscore a unique and complex HCV genotype 2 core sequence profile of the Ghanaian isolates.Conclusions: Analysis of HCV core encoding sequences from Ghanaian blood donors in Accra confirmed predominance of genotype 2 HCV among healthy individuals. However, the isolates could not be classified into subtypes, possibly due to their complex sequence pattern that might suggest high mutability of the prevailing genotype. The core region of Ghanaian HCV therefore may not be suitable for distinguishing subtypes. These findings extend those from previous studies and thus underscore the need to search for subtype-informative region of Ghanaian HCV to elucidate the genetic diversity and factors determining outcome of HCV infections in Ghana.

Source: UG
Cornelia de Lange syndrome in diverse populations

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a dominant multisystemic malformation syndrome due to mutations in five genes—NIPBL, SMC1A, HDAC8, SMC3, and RAD21. The characteristic facial dysmorphisms include microcephaly, arched eyebrows, synophrys, short nose with depressed bridge and anteverted nares, long philtrum, thin lips, micrognathia, and hypertrichosis. Most affected individuals have intellectual disability, growth deficiency, and upper limb anomalies. This study looked at individuals from diverse populations with both clinical and molecularly confirmed diagnoses of CdLS by facial analysis technology. Clinical data and images from 246 individuals with CdLS were obtained from 15 countries. This cohort included 49% female patients and ages ranged from infancy to 37 years. Individuals were grouped into ancestry categories of African descent, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Caucasian. Across these populations, 14 features showed a statistically significant difference. The most common facial features found in all ancestry groups included synophrys, short nose with anteverted nares, and a long philtrum with thin vermillion of the upper lip. Using facial analysis technology we compared 246 individuals with CdLS to 246 gender/age matched controls and found that sensitivity was equal or greater than 95% for all groups. Specificity was equal or greater than 91%. In conclusion, we present consistent clinical findings from global populations with CdLS while demonstrating how facial analysis technology can be a tool to support accurate diagnoses in the clinical setting. This work, along with prior studies in this arena, will assist in earlier detection, recognition, and treatment of CdLS worldwide.

Source: UG
Corporal punishment in the schools of Ghana: Does inclusive education suffer?

This paper reports on a study that compared the practice of corporal punishment in ten basic schools in the Greater Accra District in Ghana. Five of the ten schools were designated as inclusive project schools (IPS) and the other five as non-inclusive project schools (NIS). The primary purpose was to find out if the inclusive project schools were more effective in eradicating corporal punishment from their schools than were the non-project schools. One hundred teachers responded to a six-item questionnaire. A further 22 participants comprising ten teachers from the survey group, ten pupils and two directors of education were interviewed. Observation of the classroom practices, where these teachers work, substantiated the questionnaire and interview findings. The overall results indicated that corporal punishment still persists in both school sites at relatively the same scale. Three themes were found to underpin the administration of corporal punishment to students in these schools. (1) Punishment as an effective learning imperative (2) Punishment as a moral imperative (3) Punishment as religious imperative. The implications of these findings pertaining to inclusive education are discussed.

Source: UG
Corporate allies or adversaries: An exploration of the relationship between public relations and marketing among Ghanaian practitioners

ABSTRACT The research examines the perspectives of Ghanaian public relations and marketing professionals on the relationship between respective professions. Several academic studies were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s to address the apparent friction or turf war between public relations and marketing. The discussion centered on whether public relations should be treated as a separate function or if it should serve as a supplement to marketing. Data was collected from 171 marketing and public relations professionals using the quantitative method. Overall, the findings suggest that despite their cooperation, there is still tension or disagreement between the two professions. The result means that the two functions are likely to have challenges cooperating with each other to achieve organisational objectives, especially, in situations where one is given a higher status than the other in the organisation. Theoretically, more studies need to be conducted from an African viewpoint, including how content marketing is shaping the relationship between the two. The study suggests that more research be done on the subject, particularly from a management standpoint. We believe that the level of cooperation and attitude toward the two professions will be shaped by management’s comprehension of them.

Source: UG
Corporate entrepreneurship and employees’ competencies: Do employees’ perceived feasibility and desirability matter?

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) on competencies of employees of Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, considering the respective mediating and moderating roles of employees’ perceived feasibility and desirability. A cross-sectional and descriptive survey design that makes use of quantitative approach was used. A sample of 449 employees of SMEs in the Metropolis was used. computer method of simple random sampling technique was used to select the firms and the employees. questionnaire was used to collect the data. Pearson product moment correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, medicationand moderation analyses were used to analyse the data. It was revealed that when employees perceive organisational and environmental factors in positive terms, they are likely to believe that they possess the necessary skills and abilities required to be successful in undertaking a task, which will in turn boost the level at which they want to become an intrapreneur. It was recommended to owners managers of SMEs to ensure that they champion innovative ideas and recognize employees who articulate good ideas and provide the necessary resources to all employees to help boost their corporate entrepreneurial actions. This study was successful in developing an empirical model for understanding the influence corporate entrepreneurship has on employees’ competencies and the mediating and moderating roles of perceived feasibility and desirability, respectively, on the relationship between CE and employees’ competencies

Source: UG
Corporate governance and disclosure practices of Ghanaian listed companies

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to further increase the understanding of disclosure practices and the interrelationship between corporate governance (CG) and corporate disclosure (CD) of firms on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). Design/methodology/approach – The study follows the trinary procedure of Aksu and Kosedag and uses Standard & Poor's T&D items in the construction disclosure index. Audit committee (AC) characteristics are the governance attributes. The study used a random effect panel regression analysis to establish the relationship between CD and CG of 20 listed companies covering a period from 2003‐2007. Findings – The results indicate that although there has been improvement of disclosure practices over the years, the level of disclosure in Ghana is moderate/fair. The study also documents a significant positive relationship between the presence of accounting/finance expert(s) on the ACs and CD practices. Originality/value – In spite of numerous researches on companies on the GSE, this paper is the first in the country that considers the impact of CG characteristics on disclosure practices.

Source: UG
Corporate Governance and Dividend Payout Policy: Evidence from Selected African Countries

Purpose – This study aims to examine the effect of corporate governance on firms' dividend payout policy in sub-Saharan Africa. The study also aims to examine how dividend payout influences corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample made up 27 Ghanaian firms, 177 Nigerian firms, 51 Kenyan firms, and 270 South African firms covering the period 1997-2006, the paper employs a simultaneous panel regression model in its estimation. Findings – The results show that board composition and board size exhibit significantly positive relationship with dividend payout in Kenya and Ghana, respectively. Institutional ownership positively influences dividend payout among South African and Kenyan firms. In the case of Nigeria, all the corporate governance measures show significantly negative effects on dividend payout. The findings clearly suggest that, with respect to South Africa, Kenya and Ghana, good corporate governance structures lead to high-dividend payout, probably due to easy access to and low cost of external finance. However, in Nigeria, improving the governance structures may be associated with high-earnings retention or low-dividend payment in order to reduce cost of external finance. We found in the case of Ghana that, dividend payout positively affects board composition, suggesting that Ghanaian firms with high-payout tend to adopt good corporate governance structures in order to ensure protection of shareholder interest. The findings of this study certainly have important policy implications. Originality/value – This present study contributes to the corporate governance literature by looking at the importance of corporate governance in influencing firms' dividend behaviour in selected African countries.

Source: UG
Corporate governance and financing choices of firms: A panel data analysis

We examine how corporate governance indicators such as board size, board composition and CEO duality impact on financing decisions of firms. Panel data covering the five year period 1999-2003 from forty-seven (47) listed firms on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) was used. Analysis was done within the Random-effects GLS regression framework. Findings of the study indicate that firms with larger board sizes employ more debt irrespective of the maturity period and also the independence of a board negatively and significantly correlates with short-term debts. Again, when a CEO doubles as board chairperson, less debt is employed. Thus, the study reaffirms the notion that the governance structure of a firm affects its financing choices. © 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2006 Economic Society of South Africa.

Source: UG
Corporate governance and firm performance: Evidence from Ghanaian listed companies

Well governed firms have been noted to have higher firm performance. The main characteristic of corporate governance identified include board size, board composition, and whether the CEO is also the board chairman. This study examines the role corporate governance structures play in firm performance amongst listed firms on the Ghana Stock Exchange. Results reveal a likely optimal board size range where mean ROA levels associated with board size 8 to 11 are higher than overall mean ROA for the sample. Significantly, firm performance is found to be better in firms with the twotier board structure. Results show further that having more outside board members is positively related to firm performance. It is clear that corporate governance structures influence firm performance in Ghana, indeed within the governance structures the two-tier board structure in Ghana is seen to be more effective in view of the higher firm level mean values obtained compared to the one-tier system.

Source: UG