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Institutional Repository of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

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Retiring from the family business in Kumasi: an exploratory sequential study
(KNUST, 2018-11) Oteng, Samuel Ampadu
ABSTRACT In Ghana, family businesses estimates about 92% of all types businesses and represent 80% of businesses in the informal economy. This is indicative that the country’s economy relies heavily on this sector. However, very little is known about what informs decision-making regarding retirement of aging family business owners in the informal economy of Ghana. This does not ensure the introduction of effective social interventions to address challenges that might be faced by them when they cease to be economically active. Using an exploratory sequential design, 35 family business owners above 50 years were interviewed in Kumasi, the largest hub of retail and wholesale businesses in Ghana. The emerging themes from the in-depth interviews were validated with the responses of a survey of 383 family business owners. Findings of the study suggest that retirement preparation is not a function of age but linked to health, business and family factors. However, a factor analysis concluded on health as the principal component determinant of family business owners’ retirement preparation. Further, based on a chi-square results (𝓍2 = 0.843; p = 0.025), the study concluded there was no gender difference between respondents’ attitudes towards retirement preparation. Also, the Spearman’s Rho (rs) correlation analysis (gamma; - 0.54) showed a negative and weak relationship between increase in age and increase in thoughts about retirement; suggesting that family business owners who were younger had higher chances of preparing for retirement than those who had attained or were older than the state pension age. Further, findings revealed that family business owners anticipate retiring gradually whilst exploring other employment opportunities, housing and relocation plans; implying that retirement is constructed as a transitional process rather than an instantaneous curtailment of work. Therefore, it is recommended that interventions such as health and financial investment plans will have to be considered as this social group will not entirely cease participating in economic activities until they are too frail to work. Further, programme intervention should focus on appropriate preparation across variety of domains such as health, social and psychological so that family business owners will look forward to retiring positively.
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Value relevance of accounting information in emerging stock markets: evidence from the Ghana stock exchange
(KNUST, 2016) Badu, Bismark
ABSTRACT The female has been given various representations in literature over the years. These varying portrayals have been either positive or negative, or both. Two images of the female dominate literary works; females are either represented as ‗pure‘ or ‗evil‘ (fallen woman) and recently, as both pure and evil. Thus this dissertation seeks to analyse Nawal el Saadawi and Hisham Matar‘s depiction of the virgin-whore dichotomy in their selected texts. The research focuses on discussing straightjacketing in the Maghreb Arab world and highlights the roles religion, culture and patriarchy play in maintaining the status quo between the male and the female. It also looks at what the female suffers in adhering to cultural and religious norms for femaleness and its effects on her psyche. It also discusses the lot of the female who rebels against these accepted norms. The study discusses how the virgin and whore images limit the female and result in her discontentment. Both images reduce her to a body that fulfils the roles prescribed for her under the respective class. However, the main focus of this thesis is not to solely identify female stereotypes in the chosen texts. Although the virgin-whore dichotomy in Arab literature plays an important part in this study, this study goes beyond just identifying stereotypes. It analyses the differences between male and female authors‘ portrayal of this classification. Their stand will determine the negativity or positivity with which they portray women under both classifications. This study will show that the virgin image is an idealised one that leaves women discontented while both virgin and whore images make victims of women. It will show that these images limit women and reduce them to objects and do not give them room to express themselves freely. For the purpose of this thesis, the selected texts will be analysed by applying feminist thoughts which relate to gender roles, stereotyping, culture and religion. These will help us understand the formation of gender roles and expose the role patriarchy plays in instituting sexual inequality. How the selected authors use literary devices such as realism, narrative technique, characterisation, flashback, conflict, dialogue and setting to depict the virgin-whore dichotomy in prose will also be studied. In order to holistically discuss the virgin-whore dichotomy, this research treats segregation, honour, veiling, female genital mutilation, education, marriage, motherhood, prostitution and physical and sexual abuse and their effects on the female. It then suggests ways of enhancing the socialisation process to eliminate discrimination among the sexes and promote an understanding of the sexes so that both males and females can equally participate in the domestic and public spheres. This will help avoid the tendency of defining the female based on what is male and cause her to be viewed as an individual.
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The impact of school climate on the academic performance of pupils: a case study of Asokore Mampong Municipal-(2015-2017)
(KNUST, 2018-05) Asamoah, Isaac
ABSTRACT This research seeks to explore the school climate factors which have an impact on academic performance of pupils in Asokore Mampong Municipal. Academic performances of pupils have become a major concern among stakeholder of education in Ghana. It is therefore necessary to examine the school climate factors leading to poor performance of public basic schools in Ghana. The study was conducted in schools within the Asokore Mampong municipality in the Ashanti Region. This was done to explore the possible school climate factors which impact on pupil’s performance. The study was conducted on 120 participants made up of headteachers, teachers, pupils, parents and education officers. In all 18 schools were selected from the 6 circuit within the Asokore Mampong municipality which includes both primary and junior high school. The factors which were examined and analysed were school related factors such as the school environment, delegation of duties, teacher-pupils relationship, academics, administration of schools, security and maintenance of schools. The findings revealed that there were challenges with some of the component of the school related factors such as (security and maintenance, Academic Orientation, school environment).The study recommends that schools environment should be kept clean and conducive for learning at all times. Ghana Education service should organize workshop to build the capacity of teachers, there should strong school community partnership. The inspectorate board of Ghana education service should do a constant monitoring to identify schools which have problems with their climate system and advice where necessary. A positive school climate is needed in all schools to achieve a higher academic performance. The “heart and soul” of every school is its climate system.
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The impact of human resource management on the performance of an organisation: a case study of cocoa marketing company (CMC)
(KNUST, 2018-12) Ayim, Desmond
ABSTRACT Improved employee performance has been largely linked to an effective human resource management practices. An imperative task that organizations face therefore is to design, adopt, and operate an effective human resource (HR) practices so as to promote superior employee performance. This study generally examined the impact of human resource management on the performance of employees of Coca Marketing Company (CMC), Ghana. Specifically, the study explored the HR practices of CMC and its impact both on employee, and organizational performance. The descriptive research design was employed to conduct the study. The sample of the study comprised 60 staff both management and non-management staff of CMC. Selection of respondents was done using purposive sampling. The results of the study demonstrate that in general, CMC adopt the human resource practices of recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation management, performance management, monitoring and evaluation, employee security, employee participation, information sharing and knowledge management. However, results show that there is limited adoption of the principles of recruitment and selection, performance management, training and development, and information sharing and knowledge management. In general, results show that human resource management practices impact on employee and organization performance. In particular, the results show that the human resource practices impacting on employee performance and organizational performance in CMC are compensation management, monitoring and evaluation, employee security, and employee participation. To enhance human resource management practices, the study recommends that CMC improves its recruitment and selection process, improves communication in the organization, improves performance management, and continuously train its employees.
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The effect of corporate social responsibility on the financial performance of banks: a case study of Ecobank Ghana Limited
(KNUST, 2017) Boafo, Stephanie Maame Fowaa
ABSTRACT The protracted debate on Corporate Social Responsibility has left in its wake a number of divergent views. Besides an organization's generic orientation of being profitable, it is obliged to be socially responsible to all its stakeholders. In spite of CSR being highly publicized, there is little consensus about its essence to an organization and if an organization stands to benefit from being a socially responsible organization. Similarly, the literature on the link between CSR and Financial Performance is equally fraught with conflicting results which makes it all the more difficult to have some sort of consistency on the subject. It is against this background that the study was undertaken to further delve into the subject and ascertain whether a relationship exists between the two by focusing on the banking industry and for that matter Ecobank Ghana Limited. The study used a blend of qualitative and quantitative methods and made use of extensive data over a period of ten years to explore the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance. The financial performance of the bank was analyzed by considering three different measures of financial performance namely profit after tax, return on equity and return on assets in order to thoroughly assess its financial performance. The dataset was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 to assess the effect as well as test the hypotheses of the study to determine the existence of a relationship and the extent of the relationship between the dependent variable (financial performance) and the independent variable (corporate social responsibility expenditure) with size and financial leverage as control variables. The results of the analysis indicate that CSR has a positive effect on financial performance with regards to profit after tax, supporting the view that social responsibility can be associated with a series of benefits like enhanced organizational image, customer loyalty and ultimately financial performance. The study concludes on the basis that there is a significant relationship between CSR and profit after tax as a measure of financial performance.
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The effect of the students loan scheme on access to higher education in Ghana: a case of Kwame Nkrumah University of science and technology, Kumasi. A Case Study of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(KNUST, 2015-11) Alhassan, Sadiq
ABSTRACT Many factors have been accounted for the rising cost of tertiary education financing in Ghana. These factors have affected the accessibility of tertiary education. A solution to the financial austerity in tertiary education is cost sharing which is seen to improve accessibility mostly to the minority who cannot pay for the high fees charged for tertiary education. The major cost sharing policy in Ghana is carried out by the Students' Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) which replaced the previous one operated by SSNIT. The study sought to ascertain whether the SLTF has helped improve access to tertiary education in Ghana using Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as a case study. Using a systematic random sampling method, 285 students already on the SLTF were sampled and questionnaires were administered to them. Using descriptive statistics to analyze the data, the study revealed that the SLTF has improved access to tertiary education in Ghana. The study further revealed the SLTF is managed well to meet its purpose of enhancing accessibility. The study also found that the amount paid as loan per academic year to students is not enough to meet all the needs of the students. Despite methodological and generality limitations, the findings of the study provided important findings relevant to improving the SLTF in Ghana. As such the study recommended that the loan amount be increased and loans paid on time to help students on the scheme.
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An evaluation of relationship marketing strategies for customer retention in the hospitality industry in Ghana- a case study of Rexmar hotel, Kumasi.
(KNUST, 2015-08) Alhassan, Oteng
ABSTRACT Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practices are a business strategy designed to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer loyalty. It brings together all data about a client in hotels via software to give a holistic view of a customer. With intense competition among hotels in Ghana, this study sought to find out if CRM was practised in the selected hotels. It was to solve the problem of inadequate service delivery quality in hotels which were not helping customers’ expectations to be met. The study was conducted to identify critical factors necessary for customer retention in relationship marketing in the hotel businesses in Ghana and to develop effective relationship marketing strategies to manage customer retention for sustainability within hotel business with Rexmar Hotel as the case. Questionnaire was the method adopted for the investigation of the study. With a sample of 40 respondents was considered, these were made of customers to enable the researcher examine the hotel by the examination of the relationship marketing variables of the hospitality industry. Completed questionnaires were grouped into frequency tables and expressed in percentages, while interpretation is dependent on the samples of the variables with the use of SPSS. It is recommended that even though the hotels have heard of CRM, there should be some intense awareness program on the benefits of CRM. its understand from the study that most hotels in Kumasi, Ghana do not practice customer retention in relationship marketing with their customers. This lack of awareness of customer retention in relationship building, enhancement and maintenance has affected relationship marketing strategies of hotels. Critical factors necessary for customer retention such as service quality, customer satisfaction measurement and analysis, customer complaints handling and loyalty programme initiative were identified.