Women’s Work: Labor Market Outcomes and Female Entrepreneurship in Ghana

This paper is an investigation of female entrepreneurship in Ghana. It seeks to answer the following question: Why are Ghanaian women so heavily concentrated in microenterprise in the informal economy? The literature review explores labor market trends for women on three different scales including an overview of developing countries, Sub-Saharan Africa regional, and Ghana-specific analysis. After exploring issues women face in formal employment, the study delves into business operations of informal, urban-based market participants by analyzing data pertaining to Ghanaian microenterprise. Additionally, the paper details the experiences and views of female entrepreneurs through in-depth interviews and participant observations with thirty female textile traders conducted in Makola Market in Accra, Ghana during the summers of 2012 and 2014. This study will contribute to the growing body of work on female entrepreneurship in the West African region

An Exploratory Study of Black Male College Athletes' Perceptions on Race and Athlete Activism

The authors conducted a quantitative study of six black male athletes at American universities. Using the intellectual paradigm of critical race theory, they analyze the athletes' views on race and the role of athlete activism in their generation

The Organisational Steering Processes of Two UK Education Departments

Within the accounting literature, management control has been studied from an intra-organisational focus. The emphasis has been on formal control processes that compare actual performance with planned performance within a single organisation. This study considers the control processes between Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and Schools and seeks to extend our knowledge about inter-organisational control processes. Through the Local Management of School (The Education Reform Act 1988) and the more recent Fair Funding Initiative (The School Standards and Framework Act 1998) that devolved funds to schools, a boundary has been created between schools and the Local Education Authorities. Because of school autonomy, it is not possible for the LEAs to use the more formal methods of control to direct school performance. Different mechanisms of control processes are used to reflect the new relationships between schools and LEAs. This paper reports on empirical findings from two education authorities. It highlights the use of informal control mechanisms by the education departments as they attempt to steer schools

Effects of Poor Practices on Engine Oil Change by Filling Station Attendants and Local Garages Mechanics

Engine lubrication cannot be overlooked in the automobile industry since it is the life blood of vehicle engines. In Ghana about 80% of oil service is carried out by fuel filling stations attendants and mechanics in local garages. Most of them lack the necessary skills needed to go about their work.  It has therefore become necessary to investigate the effects of poor practices offered by filling station attendants and local garages mechanics during servicing of an engine. This research was undertaken to ascertain the level of knowledge of filling station attendants and local garages mechanics on engine lubrication and also ascertain the various equipment and tools used during oil service.  Assessment was carried out in Accra and its environs. In all, one hundred questionnaires were distributed and ninety three were received. Analysis of the results indicated that even though some of the respondents had had some form of training they still need to be retrained to upgrade their knowledge and the training received should be standardized in the nation. Keywords: engine oil change, filling station attendants, local garages mechanics, automobile industr

The Effects of Cannabidiol and delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentration on Breast Cancer Cells

Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are phytocannabinoids that have a potential impact on cancer treatments. Studies have shown that certain cannabinoids cause cancer cells to die, but only with the right concentration, which has not been well documented. The purpose of this study is to determine the exact concentration of CBD and THC needed to kill MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In this experiment, the initial treatment group will be treated with CBD or THC at concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 micromolar. These concentrations were arbitrarily chosen because there is not an established baseline. Cell metabolic activity will be assessed by adding tetrazolium dye (MTT assay), which is a colorimetric assay. After the MTT assay, a plate reader will be used to estimate the percent of the MCF-7 apoptosis. Because MTT assay does not directly indicate cell death, western blot will be performed. MCF-7 cells will be analyzed for apoptosis through western blot by detecting poly polymerase (PARP) cleavage. The results are expected to show that 1 and 10 micromolar of the THC and CBD will cause cell apoptosis. Cannabinol has therapeutic potential because of anti-proliferative effects and reduction in traditional side effects associated with current treatments; therefore cannabinoid drugs are significant anti-cancer treatments for research and development

Essays on corporate cross-listing decisions : a thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Finance, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

The decision to cross-list and the associated outcomes on corporate structure, strategies, and decisions is well-advanced. The reported outcomes range from access to foreign capital, broader analyst coverage, better information environment, improved liquidity, better corporate governance, and enhanced revenue. Such outcomes are said to motivate the cross-listing decision and are significantly associated with corporate and market characteristics. However, studies on how dynamics in corporate and market characteristics interact to drive cross-listing decisions are limited. Again, studies on the subsequent impact of cross-listing on other corporate decisions and strategies are lacking. This thesis expands the existing literature by providing three essays on how dynamics in firm and market characteristics influence cross-listing decisions. It also shows how the associated outcomes of cross-listing impact ensuing corporate decisions and strategies. The first study focuses on the dividend smoothing strategies of foreign firms. It examines how commitment to full disclosure through cross-listing in the US influence dividend smoothing behavior. While questions on the determinants and channels of dividend smoothing are not new, how cross-listing impacts these determinants and channels have not yet been studied. The study is based on the premise that cross-listing in the US signals commitment to full disclosure. Also, it is typically associated with improved transparency and increased investor and analyst coverage: reducing information asymmetry and agency conflicts. Again, it is widely argued that the levels of information asymmetry and agency cost significantly influence dividend smoothing practices, while investment and debt are among the primary channels for dividend smoothing practices. We, therefore, examine how commitment to full disclosure and improved transparency due to cross-listing impacts the dividend smoothing strategies of foreign firms. We adopt two well-established approaches: Lintner’s partial adjustment model, and a variance decomposition approach to study the dividend policies of firms after cross-listing. The results show increased dividend smoothing after cross-listing with significant sectoral variations in dividend smoothing strategies. We also document that firms from developing economies exhibit a lower increase in dividend smoothing after cross-listing compared to firms from developed economies. Adopting a variance decomposition approach, we find evidence of essential differences in the use of debt and investment channels before and after cross-listing to smooth net income shocks. Overall, our findings suggest that managers of cross-listed firms are motivated to ensure minimal fluctuations to dividends due to the information content of dividend payment. The results also indicate that firms use financing decisions to keep dividends smooth. The second study focuses on how market characteristics interact with firm characteristics to influence cross-listing decisions and the choice of the host market. The study examines how the specialization in the output of the local and host markets impacts cross-listing decisions and the selection of the host market in the presence of other firm-level characteristics. This study builds on the existing macroeconomic literature that maintains that economies are specialized in their output, suggesting potential high competition for funding, among other forms of competition. Given this basis, we propose two arguments. One, specialization in national output could encourage firms to seek funds from other foreign markets through cross-listing. Two, specialization in national output could make the local market attractive to international firms. We implement a gravity model on a sample of 1779 firms from OECD countries for 20 years and find that specialization in output in the local and host markets significantly influences the decision to cross-list and the choice of the host market. Using firm and industry-level data, we report that firms from countries that are specialized in specific industries undertake more cross-listing compared to firms from markets that are not. Interestingly, we document that firms from specialized markets cross-list to markets that are less specialized in the same industry. While the findings suggest that firms seek diversification of funding opportunities in the cross-listing decision and the choice of the host market, they also indicate the weakening of the gravity restrictions in line with recent studies. The role of market characteristics in influencing corporate decisions and strategies is conventional. However, recent studies document a growing influence of policy uncertainty on corporate decisions. The third essay builds on this premise and examines how economic policy uncertainty (EPU) in the local and global markets impacts corporate cross-listing decisions. It employs firm- and country-level motivated by the availability of the EPU data. The examination commences with the implementation of an initial Granger Causality test. The study then adopts two contemporary approaches; a Quantile on Quantile Regression approach, and a Wavelet Coherence approach to allow a comprehensive understanding of the relationship. The results show that local and global EPU influence the cross-listing decisions of firms, with a more substantial influence on firms from smaller domestic markets. The empirical evidence suggests that firms from smaller local markets pursue more cross-listing in the face of high local EPU and reduce or avoid cross-listing during periods of high global EPU. The Quantile on Quantile Regression approach and the Wavelet Coherence approach document important dynamics between EPU and cross-listing decisions at different frequencies and periods, with a stronger relationship reported at higher frequencies of EPU. In addition to contributing to the existing literature, our findings suggest that policy transparency could have important implications for current and future corporate decisions

Effects of Poor Engine Repairs and Maintenance by Mechanics Operating in Local Garages

The automobile industry is growing so fast in Ghana and with its new sophisticated models on the Ghanaian market; it has become necessary to find out whether those who repair and maintain these vehicles in the local garages have the technical know-how to take up the challenges. A research was therefore conducted to determine the level of their technical know-how and also to ascertain the various methods used in carrying out basic repair and maintenance works of automobile engines. An assessment was carried out by means of questionnaire and interviews. One hundred questionnaires were distributed and eighty seven were received. Analysis of the results revealed that there is an urgent need for the respondents to undergo retraining in order to raise the level of their technical know-how. Even though some of their practices were right, most of them could lead to frequent break down of the engines. Keywords: poor engine repairs and maintenance, mechanics, local garages, automobile industry

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock

My Project is a more of a stopwatch. During this process, I’m supposed to keep pressing the button and then the numbers will be displayed on the seven-segment display