RESEARCH ARTICLES

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TARIFF REFORMS, FOOD PRICES, AND CONSUMER WELFARE IN GHANA DURING THE 1990S
(2011) Ackah, Charles; Oladeji, S.I. and Abiodun, Adewale Adegboye; Oduro-Mensah, Daniel; Tawiah, E.O.; Dodoo, Naa Dodua; Addai, Isaac; Tetteh, Peace Mamle; Kpoor, Albert; Amoakohene, Margaret Ivy; Biveridge, Fritz
In this paper, we analyse the effect of food price changes on household consumption in Ghana during the 1990s and assess the extent to which changes can be explained by trade and agricultural policy reforms. The measurement of the total household welfare effect, one that jointly considers first order effects as well as consumption responses, is the object of this study. Food consumption behaviour in Ghana is analyzed by estimating a complete food demand system using the linear approximate version of the AIDS model with household survey data for 1991/92 and 1998/99. The estimated price elasticities are then utilized to evaluate the distributional impacts of the relative food price changes in terms of compensating variation. The results indicate that the distributional burden of higher food prices fell mainly on the urban poor.
An Empirical Analysis of Gender Earnings Gap in the Ghanaian Informal Sector Using the 1998/1999 Ghana Living Standards Survey
(2011-07-30) Addai, Isaac
This study used the 1998/1999 Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 4), a new nationally representative survey carried out by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and applied the Oaxaca (1973) decomposition to empirically analyse the phenomenon of gender gap in earnings in the informal sector labour market. The findings suggest the existence of discrimination in gender earnings in the Ghanaian informal sector labour market, and that females in the Ghanaian informal sector labour market are on average and ceteris paribus more skilful by 36%. However, males having sample average female characteristics earn on average and ceteris paribus 87% more in log monthly wages than their female counterparts.
Traceability: Availability and Efficiency among Food Industries in Ghana
(2013-01-03) Ababio Patricia Foriwaa; Adi Dedo Doreen; Commey Vida
Food traceability systems availability and efficiency was investigated using 74 food businesses along the food chain in Ghana. Questionnaire with closed and open ended questions were given to purposefully sampled staff in key positions in the food businesses to answer on qualification of technical personnel, availability of documentation procedure and how these businesses were controlling traceability systems. Most food businesses were using Higher National Diploma graduates in the technical/supervisory positions. Documentation was poor and although there was awareness on traceability across the food businesses, implementation and maintenance was not effective. Only 23.8% manufacturing/processing units, 20% hospitals, 16.7% hotels and 14.8% schools could complete traceability test within 4 hours. It was recommended that more short training programmes on quality and safety be designed for workers in the food industry by appropriate institutions while science students from the Senior High Schools are encouraged to enroll on food science and food manufacturing technology programs to improve on the current situation.
Problems of Non-Residential Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Ghana: A Micro-Level Statistical Evidence
(Scholarlink Research Institute, 2013-08-01) Addai, Isaac
This paper uses the external survey assessment techniques of the Probit model to examine the problem facing non-residential students of the College of Technology Education, University of Education, Winneba. The paper reports that non-residential students of the College encounter problems of neighbourhood disputes, severed landlords and landladies relationships, noise pollution, environmental pollution, lack of resting places, frequent water shortages, frequent disputes over payment of monthly electricity bills and less value for money for their various rented apartments. It is recommended that it is in the interest of the College of Technology Education, University of Education, Winneba to encourage high quality non-residential student housing since there is empirical evidence to show that there is greater level of academic success among students who live in a stable and supportive non-residential environment and the College of Technology Education, either through direct provision or indirectly through private providers, should take all steps to ensure that future non-residential student housing projects are conceived as an integral part of the academic community by taking direct and pragmatic steps to mitigate against the problems non-resident students encounter at their various places of residence.
Teachers’ Self-efficacy Beliefs: The Relationship between Gender and Instructional Strategies, Classroom Management and Student Engagement
(Ghana Journal of Development Studies, 2015) Frederick Kwaku Sarfo; Francis Amankwah; Francis Kwame Sam; Daniel Konin
The study investigated the relationship between gender and self-efficacy beliefs in instructional strategies, classroom management and student engagement among senior high school teachers in Kumasi metropolis, as most previous studies tend to focused on the developed countries other than developing countries like Ghana. Specifically, descriptive survey design was used to determine the levels of self-efficacy beliefs among the teachers and the relationship between gender and teachers’ self-efficacies were also ascertained. The sample included 259 male and 178 female teachers who were randomly drawn from both private and public senior high schools. Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that generally teachers have relatively higher self-efficacy beliefs especially at the student engagement aspect. It was found that male and female teachers differed in relation to their instructional strategies with female teachers on average have better instructional strategies efficacy than male teachers. On contrary, both male and female teachers did not differ in terms of classroom management and student engagement efficacies. Based on these findings, it was recommended that teacher training institutions should emphasise the teaching of instructional practices, student engagement and classroom management practices to the teacher trainees so as to improve their efficacies level
Financial Ratios (Accounting Ratios) and Survival of Microfinance Institutions in Ghana
(2015) Effah, Eric Sarkodie; Addai Isaac; Asiedu Daniel
Accounting Ratio is a way of expressing the relationship between one accounting result and another, which is intended to provide a useful comparison. Accounting ratios assist in measuring the efficiency and profitability of a company based on its financial reports. Accounting ratios are important for financial decision making irrespective of the size of the institution. The Bank of Ghana has the constitutional mandate to oversee the activities of all financial institutions in Ghana including the Microfinance institutions. This core mandate of Bank of Ghana is basically guided by the use of accounting ratios. The ratios per their style have the power to determine the risk exposure of financial institutions. Over the past five years the Ghanaian economy has witnessed the collapse of certain microfinance institutions that the public assumed to be highly visible in the financial market. The study therefore provided a logistic regression model with 117 observations to determine whether accounting ratios have the power to predict the fortunes of microfinance institutions in Ghana. An increase in the current ratio reduces the log-odds of a firm's survival by -1.461987. An increase in the acid test ratio improves the log-odds of survival by 6.847345. An increase in the debt equity ratio increases the chances of survival of a firm by 1.055941. Current ratio and acid test ratio were statistically significant at 10 percent whilst debt equity ratio was statistically significant at 5 percent. The study implies that microfinance institutions should be mindful of the current ratio, acid test ratio and the debt to equity ratio.
Determinants of mutual fund investment decision by second cycle teachers in Kumasi metropolis, Ghana
(Inderscience Publishers (IEL), 2015) Awunyo-Vitor, Dadson; Aveh, Felix Kwame; Donkor, Samuel; Addai, Isaac
This study investigated factors influencing teachers’ mutual fund investment decision using second cycle institution teachers in the Kumasi metropolis. Two hundred and fifty-two respondents were sampled for the study. A well-structured questionnaire was used in collecting data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages and the frequency distribution table were used in analysing the data. In addition, the logistic regression model was employed to identify factors influencing respondents’ decision to invest in mutual funds. From the study, it was found that 68.75% of the total number of respondents are aware of mutual fund as an investment option and 50% of them got to know of it through the advertisement of mutual fund products and services. From the logistic regression model; marital status, family size, other source of income and financial education had a positive relationship with mutual fund investment decision. The study therefore
Good Governance and Financial Administration in Local Governance in Ghana
(International Institute for Science, technology and Education (IISTE): E-Journals, 2015) Domfeh, Kwame Ameyaw; Takyi, Nyankom Lydia
This study set itself the task of evaluating good governance practices and their effects on financial administration in Local Government. Specifically, the study examined how good governance contributes to good financial administration in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. The paper adopts a quantitative approach in examining good governance and financial administration in the Ghanaian local governance structure using 103 respondents selected through the purposive sampling technique. The results show a positive association between good governance and financial administration. The results of this study have policy implications for improving upon the performance of the MMDAs in Ghana to ensure good governance practices which eventually translate into effective and efficient financial administration.
Influence of ICT on Graduate Students' Use of Electronic Resources: Leadership Lessons
(International Journal of Educational Leadership (IJEL)., 2016-08-10) Takyi, Nyankom Lydia; Owusu-Ansah, M. Christopher; Rev. Fr. Prof Anthony Afful-Broni, PhD
The study is a survey of the impact of leadership on graduate students' use of electronic resources. The study employed a questionnaire-based survey consisting of 24 questions to determine JCT skills; method of awareness and purpose of use of electronic resources; as well as the impact of leadership on the use of electronic resources among graduate students. The total population was 725 graduates students of which a random sample of 100 (13%) used for the study with a 100 per cent response rate. The retrieved data was inputted into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.00 for the analysis of the results. The variables were subjected to in-depth data analysis and presented through descriptive statistics in the form of tables. The findings have important implications for leadership mainly on the role of academic staff and librarians. The study also demonstrates a high commitment of key academic stakeholders in supporting quality research through the formulation and implementation of favorable policies on the use of quality electronic resources for graduate research.
Mathematical modeling of Zika virus
(Elsevier, 2016-08-23) Bonyah, Ebenezer; Okosun, Kazeem Oare
Zika virus (ZIKV) mathematical model is formulated. Optimal control strategies are introduced into the model. The basic properties of the model without control strategies are determined including the reproduction number. Pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to characterize the necessary conditions for optimal control of ZIKV. The preventive and treatment strategy without spraying the mosquitoes showed a great reduction in infected humans, however no significant reduction in the infected mosquitoes population. The use of preventive and insecticide techniques to minimize the spread of the virus showed a greater significance in the reduction of both infected humans and mosquitoes. The application of preventive, treatment and insecticide showed the best way of reducing the spread of ZIKV. The best strategy to minimize the spread of ZIKV is to use prevention, treatment and insecticide as control strategy at the same time.
Double-layer optical fiber coating analysis in MHD flow of an elastico-viscous fluid using wet-on-wet coating process
(Elsevier, 2016-12-05) Khan, Zeeshan; Islam, Saeed; Shah, Rehan Ali; Khan, Muhammad Altaf; Bonyah, Ebenezer; Jan, Bilal; Khan, Aurangzeb
Modern optical fibers require a double-layer coating on the glass fiber in order to provide protection from signal attenuation and mechanical damage. The most important plastic resins used in wires and optical f ibers are plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low and high density polyethylene (LDPE/HDPE), nylon and Polysulfone. One of the most important things which affect the final product after processing is the design of the coating die. In the present study, double-layer optical fiber coating is performed using melt poly mer satisfying Oldroyd 8-constant fluid model in a pressure type die with the effect of magneto hydrodynamic (MHD). Wet-on-wet coating process is applied for double-layer optical fiber coating. The coating process in the coating die is modeled as a simple two-layer Couette flow of two immiscible f luids in an annulus with an assigned pressure gradient. Based on the assumptions of fully developed laminar and MHD flow, the Oldroyd 8-constant model of non-Newtonian fluid of two immiscible resin layers is modeled. The governing nonlinear equations are solved analytically by the new technique of Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM). The convergence of the series solution is established. The results are also verified by the Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM). The effect of important parameters such as magnetic parameter Mi, the dilatant constant a, the Pseodoplastic constant b, the radii ratio d, the pressure gradient X, the speed of fiber optics V, and the viscosity ratio j on the velocity profiles, thickness of coated fiber optics, volume flow rate, and shear stress on the fiber optics are inves tigated. At the end the result of the present work is also compared with the experimental results already available in the literature by taking non-Newtonian parameters tends to zero. 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
Performance Management in Academic Libraries: A Balanced Scorecard Approach for Digital Services
(Journal of Balkan Libraries Union, 2017-05-03) Owusu-Ansah, Mfum Christopher; Takyi, Nyankom Lydia
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the Balanced Scorecard could be used as a performance management tool in academic library digital services at a large multi-campus University in Ghana, the University of Education, and Winneba. Despite the fact that it was initially designed for private sector commercial organisations, the Balanced Scorecard has been found useful by non-profits such as libraries. The study demonstrates the contribution of digital library services to the strategic goals of universities by aligning strategic digital library initiatives to the four Balanced Scorecard perspectives which are: customer; finance; internal processes; and learning and organisation. The study is expected to contribute to efforts at finding strategic measures to sustain digital library services in academic libraries.
The perception of Management Students Twards Management Education pregramme In The Faculty of Business Studies Educational, College of Technology Education, Ghana.
(International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management United Kingdom, 2017-06-06) Takyi, Lydia
The study examined the perception of Management Students towards Management Educational Programme (MEP) in the Faculty of Business Studies Education, College of Technology Education, University of Education, Winneba. The study adopted the quantitative research approach through the multi-stage sampling technique to sample 300 management students from the College of Technology Education. Data was analyzed through the use descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression and rank order analysis. The result showed overall positive perception of students towards the educational management programme as each indicator was significant (PUM: p < 0.05). On individual cases, the average values showed that “MEP” has enhanced my leadership qualities” was the most positively perceived statement for respondents. The result indicated a strong positive correlation between Perceived Usefulness of Management Programme and learning outcome/performance (.853, p< 0.001; .850, p < 0.05). Further, the study found that Perceived Usefulness of Management Education Programme strongly predicted students’ performance or learning outcome. The study found that motivation plays a vital role in teaching and learning. Technology utilization and inadequate instructional materials are fundamental challenges that impacted on teaching and learning. The study concluded that the programme has the potential of providing the needed skills, values, attitudes and behaviors needed to meet the national goals as well as developing innovative and knowledgeable students with basic managerial and administrative skills for the world of work.
A theoretical model for Zika virus transmission
(PLoS ONE, 2017-10-04) Bonyah, Ebenezer; Khan, Muhammad Altaf; Okosun, K.O; Islam, Saeed
In this paper, we present and analyze an SEIR Zika epidemic model. Firstly, we investigate the model with constant controls. The steady states of the model is found to be locally and globally asymptotically stable. Thereafter, we incorporate time dependent controls into the model in order to investigate the optimal effects of bednets, treatments of infective and spray of insecticides on the disease spread. Furthermore, we used Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle to determine the necessary conditions for effective control of the disease. Also, the numerical results were presented
Public Infrastructure Maintenance Practices in Ghana
(Review of Public Administration and Management · January 2017, 2017-12-22) Nkrumah, Nana Kwame Edmund; Stephen, Tindi; Takyi, Lydia; Anaba, Aganda Oswin
This study assessed the maintenance practices and quality improvements of public infrastructure by adopting the National Theatre of Ghana as a case study. This research specifically examined maintenance practices of the National Theatre, a national asset and the biggest auditorium used by the country to host major national events. A single case study design was employed for the study. Both questionnaires and interviews were used to obtain data from sampled staff and management of the National Theatre. The study revealed that the maintenance practices at the theatre are mostly routine involving cleaning, fumigation and servicing. There are also quarterly and annual maintenance schedules, but all these are predictive and preventive maintenance works. The maintenance works at the theatre have also ensured that the National Theatre is serene and habitable in the short term. The maintenance practices also help to maintain the aesthetics and attraction of the theatre in the medium term, and in the long term, maintenance practices can forestall the sudden breakdown of major equipment hence prevented the sudden collapse of the entire facility. However, the study found a gap between maintenance practices and quality maintenance practices at the National Theatre. The theatre has not integrated quality management practices, hence some of the important long-term benefits of maintenance practices have been missed and there is a backlog of maintenance that need to be worked out. Staff of the National theatre are not oblivious to the backlog of maintenance that the facility faced with but suggested that this is a result of inadequate budgetary allocation for maintenance. The study concludes that increasing budgetary appropriation for maintenance, there is a need to improve public cooperation and support for the National Theatre in order to improve the quality of the edifice
New aspects of poor nutrition in the life cycle within the fractional calculus
(Springer, 2018) Baleanu, Dumitru; Jajarmi, Amin; Bonyah, Ebenezer; Mojtaba Hajipou
The nutrition of pregnant women is crucial for giving birth to a healthy baby and even for the health status of a nursing mother. In this paper, the poor nutrition in the life cycle of humans is explored in the fractional sense. The proposed model is examined via the Caputo fractional operator and a new one with Mittag–Leffler (ML) nonsingular kernel. The stability analysis as well as the existence and uniqueness of the solution are investigated, and an efficient numerical scheme is also designed for the approximate solution. Comparative numerical analysis of these two operators reveals that the model based on the new fractional derivative with ML kernel has a different asymptotic behavior to the classic Caputo. Thus, the new aspects of fractional calculus provide more flexible models which help us to adjust the dynamical behaviors of the real-world phenomena better.
The electrical MHD and Hall current impact on micropolar nanofluid f low between rotating parallel plates
(Elsevier, 2018-02-02) Shah, Zahir; Islam, Saeed; Gul, Taza; Bonyah, Ebenezer; Khan, Muhammad Altaf
The current research aims to examine the combined effect of magnetic and electric field on micropolar nanofluid between two parallel plates in a rotating system. The nanofluid flow between two parallel plates is taken under the influence of Hall current. The flow of micropolar nanofluid has been assumed in steady state. The rudimentary governing equations have been changed to a set of differential nonlinear and coupled equations using suitable similarity variables. An optimal approach has been used to acquire the solution of the modelled problems. The convergence of the method has been shown numerically. The impact of the Skin friction on velocity profile, Nusslet number on temperature profile and Sherwood number on concentration profile have been studied. The influences of the Hall currents, rotation, Brownian motion and thermophoresis analysis of micropolar nanofluid have been mainly focused in this work. Moreover, for comprehension the physical presentation of the embedded parameters that is, cou pling parameter N1 , viscosity parameter Re, spin gradient viscosity parameter N2, rotating parameter Kr, Micropolar fluid constant N3, magnetic parameter M, Prandtl number Pr, Thermophoretic parameter Nt, Brownian motion parameter Nb, and Schmidt number Sc have been plotted and deliberated graphically. 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Darcy-Forchheimer flow of MHD nanofluid thin film flow with Joule dissipation and Navier’s partial slip
(Purpose-Led Publishing, 2018-11-14) Jawad, Muhammad; Shah, Zahir; Islam, Saeed; Bonyah, Ebenezer; Khan, Aurang Zeb
In this paper investigation is carried out on two dimensional liquid film with heat generation/ absorption and variable heat transmission of nanofluid MHD flow on an unsteady stretching sheet. Flow of nanofluid phenomenon is model from the basic governing time-dependent equations. By the use of suitable similarity transformation, these basic equations are transformed to differential equations system. The nanofluid is supposed to slip along the boundary of the sheet. To find the solution of the transformed modeled equations Homotopy Analysis technique is used. A numerical survey is presented for the convergence of the implemented technique. Effects of variations of different influential parameters like Nunumber and Cfx for fluid flow of liquid film with mass and heat transfer is observed. The effect of unsteadiness parameter S over thin film is explored analytically for different values. It is investigated that for large values of Mthatthenano fluid films velocity distribution decreases, where increase in the value of K1, are duction in the porous medium permeability. Thickness of thermal boundary layer decreases with increasing values of S, while increase of radiation parameter, the Nusselt number also increases. Furthermore, the embedded parameters used for comprehension of the physical presentation, like inertial parameter F1, magnetic parameter M, permeability parameter K1, Eckert number Ec, Prandtl number Pr, and parameters ε1, ε2 and γ has been presented by graphs and discussed in detail.
INTEGRATING DIGITAL LIBRARIES INTO DISTANCE EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF MODELS, ROLES, AND STRATEGIES
(2019) OWUSU-ANSAH, Christopher M.; RODRIGUES, Antonio da Silva; van der WALT, Thomas B.
This study examines ongoing efforts by academic libraries to integrate digital resources into distance education courses. The study adopts a conceptual approach and it is thematically focused on the concepts of distance education and digital libraries; academic library models in distance education; the role of digital libraries in distance education; and strategies for integrating digital libraries into distance education. Through a systematic literature review and thematic analysis of extant literature, the paper concludes that academic libraries must pragmatically integrate digital libraries into the distance education curriculum by highlighting the role of digital libraries in the academic community and her processes. In this way, digital libraries may not be perceived as just content providers, but as significant agents of transformative learning.
Cultural orientations and product innovation in the Ghanaian banking sector
(Routledge, 2019-01-22) Atarisigna Jenkins Asaah; Yunfei Shao; Ansong Kwame Wadei; Nkrumah Frimpong Adasa Kofi
The Ghanaian banking sector plays a major role in the socio- economic development of the country. However, the banks are faced with many challenges which include growing customers’ demands, inadequate innovation practices and poor financial performance. With the advent of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), there are calls for the banks to be more innovative. The paper explores the influence of organizational cultural orientations on product innovation. It also examines the moderating effect of extrinsic motivators on such relationships. Hypotheses were formulated and tested using data collected from the banking sector in Ghana. The findings are that innovate- oriented and compete-oriented cultures have a direct positive influence on product innovation. Both Informational Extrinsic Motivators (IEMs) and Controlling Extrinsic Motivators (CEMs) moderate the relationship between innovate-oriented, compete- oriented cultures and product innovation such that they diminish the positive relationship that exists between such variables. The paper offers theoretical contribution and managerial implications which are discussed.

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