The Influence of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles of Site Managers on Job Performance of Crafts in Cape Coast Metropolis

Leadership has been proposed to enhance employee performance and has received substantial attention in recent researches. This study empirically examines the influence of transactional and transformational leadership on crafts performance. The study employed cross sectional quantitative survey design. A questionnaire was sent to 105 crafts gang leaders within the Cape Coast Metropolis of which 71 usable responses were returned; at a response rate of 68 percent. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson product moment correlation coefficient as well as multiple regression techniques for analysing relationships between variables. Results of this study suggest that transactional leadership is more prominent in the construction sector in Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana than transformational leadership. The results also revealed that there is a positive, significant relationship between crafts performance and transactional as well as transformational leadership. However, the strength of the relationship was higher in the case of transactional leadership. From the data analysis, we conclude that transactional leadership style is more suitable for site managers/supervisors of small and medium scale construction companies whereas, transformational leadership is more fitted for site managers/supervisors of large construction companies. Keywords: Transformational leadership; Transactional leadership; Crafts Performance; Construction Industry

Open-heart surgery and coronary artery bypass grafting in Western Africa

We read with concern the paper of Budzee and colleagues in a recent issue of the Pan African Medical Journal. We wish to draw the attention of the authors and the readership of the journal to gross inaccuracies in the report. The first open-heart surgery in Nigeria is reported to have taken place on 1st February 1974 at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Enugu. Publications from the group in Abidjan indicate the performance of the first 300 cases of open-heart surgery by 1983, the figure increasing to 850 by 1987. Senegal reportedly began performing open-heart surgery in 1995 and is currently a reference point for open cardiac procedures for francophone West Africa. The Ghanaian open-heart experience began in 1964 when surface cooling was used to achieve hypothermia for the successful closure of an atrial septal defect. However, it was not until 1989 that Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center (NCTC) was established. The NCTC performs regular open-cardiac procedures covering almost the entire spectrum of cardiothoracic procedures including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The NCTC is equipped with modern cardiovascular/thoracic facilities and has been accredited by the West African College of Surgeons as a center of excellence for the training of cardiothoracic surgeons and has performed creditably in this regard. It is emphasized that open-heart surgery has been practiced in West Africa for decades and continues to be practiced with excellence matching international standards at Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center

Gender Inequality in the Usage of ICT Facilities in Academic Libraries: A Case Study of Presbyterian University College Library (PUCL), Ghana

The purpose of the study was to find out gender inequality in the use of ICT facilities in the library among male and female students in the Presbyterian University College of Ghana-Asante Akyem Campus-Ghana. It was a case study which adopted the survey approach with questionnaires as the data collection instrument to solicit the opinions of both genders. The findings disclosed that ICT facilities are available in the library and a significant number of both genders have access to the facilities. However, there were slight variations in the use of the facilities in some domain.Poor internet services, as well as inadequate power supply, were identified as significant challenges that impeded the use of ICT facilities in the library; therefore, it is recommended that measures should be put in place to avoid persistent power failure in the library. Lastly, management of the university should acquire bigger broadband to improve the internet service in the library. Keywords: Asante Akyem, Gender, Ghana, ICT facilities, Inequality, Presbyterian, Students, University College. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-2-0

Gender Inequality in the Usage of ICT Facilities in Academic Libraries: A Case Study of Presbyterian University College Library (PUCL), Ghana

The purpose of the study was to find out gender inequality in the use of ICT facilities in the library among male and female students in the Presbyterian University College of Ghana-Asante Akyem Campus. It was a case study which adopted the survey approach with questionnaires as the data collection instrument to solicit the opinions of both genders. The findings disclosed that ICT facilities are available in the library and a significant number of both genders have access to the facilities. However, there were slight variations in the use of the facilities in some domain.Poor internet services as well as inadequate power supply were identified as significant challenges that impeded the use of ICT facilities in the library; therefore, it is recommended that measures should be put in place to avoid persistent power failure in the library. Lastly, the management of the university should acquire bigger broadband to improve the internet service in the library. Keywords: Asante Akyem, Gender, Ghana, ICT facilities, Inequality, Presbyterian, Students, University College. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-25-06 Publication date:September 30th 201

The Role of Internal Audit in Risk Identification and Management: The Case of a Publicly Funded University in Ghana

Risk management is an integral part of the organizational process effected by an entity's management and personnel. It is designed to identify and address risks and to provide reasonable assurance in pursuit of the entity's mission. Risk management is to an organization’s strategic management as it raises the probability of success, and reduces both the probability of failure and the uncertainty of achieving the organization’s overall objectives. This study is set to ascertain the role of Internal Audit in risk identification, analysis and management in a Public University in Ghana. This single case study is situated at University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa. The research goes beyond the evidence in the public domain and includes questionnaire and interview of key personnel for data collection. The research revealed that, Internal Audit function plays an important role in making risk management at UMaT effective by carrying out activities such as pre-audit, revenue checking, updating procedures, provision of recommendations, and ensuring policies and procedures are complied. These go a long way to contribute to the achievement of the University objectives. Financial risk is found to be the major risk that threatens the operations of the University. The questionnaire administration indicated more than 77% of respondents agreed that the Internal Audit helps to reduce risk, conducts regular evaluation and review of risk, has qualified staff and management considers recommendations made by the unit as valuable. Respondents were, however, critical regarding professional training of staff, low percentages of respondents (30% and below) agreed to assertions in areas such as professional training of staff, adequate logistics and staff strength. It is recommended that there should be a documented risk management policy and when possible size of the Internal Audit staff should be increased to enable wider coverage of audit activity within the University be carried within the shortest possible time to ensure timeliness and relevance. In addition, staff should be encouraged to attend professional training periodically. Keywords: Risk Management; Organization; Internal Audit DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/11-12-11 Publication date:June 30th 202

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Ghanaian Mining Industry

Gold mining communities in Ghana have experienced destruction of vegetation, water pollution, and soil contamination by activities of mining due to rapid growth and dependency on mining of natural resources within the catchment areas of the mining activities. These circumstances with repercussions of corruption and inefficient management of corporate social responsibility places organizational goals above the community and the nation. These setbacks necessitate the successful practice of corporate social responsibility to benefit stakeholders within mining communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between corporate social responsibility, environmental policies, and community complaints, and the fiduciary responsibility to stakeholders. The research questions addressed whether a relationship existed between corporate social responsibility, environmental impact, community complaints, and the fiduciary responsibility to shareholders within gold mining companies in Ghana. Social exchange theory was the theoretical base of this quantitative correlational study, which included point-biserial and Spearman correlations to examine archival data from 10 active gold mining companies in Ghana. Results indicated a significant inverse relationship between community complaints and fiduciary responsibility, meaning that companies with positive report of community complaints tend to have lower fiduciary responsibility. Findings may inform policymakers, regulatory agencies, and mining organizations regarding the fiduciary effects of corporate social responsibility in the Ghanaian mining industry, and thereby influence positive business practices, living standards, and quality of life of Ghanaian citizens

The Positive Dimension of Informal Relations on Organizations’ Performance: The Case of KNUST Banks

This study examined the impact of informal relations on banks (Eco bank, Stanchart, United Bank for Africa, Barclays, Ghana Commercial Bank, and Cal Bank) at KNUST campus. Social survey was the design used for this study. The population of study was all workers of all banks on KNUST Campus. The sample size for the study was fifty-four (54) consisting of six (6) managers and forty-eight (48) working staff from the various banks. The simple random sampling technique was employed to select the sample. Additionally, purposive sampling technique, which is a non-probability sampling method, was used to select the various managers who participated in the study. The data used for this study included both primary and secondary. Closed ended questions were used to collect the primary data. In analysing the data collected from the field, both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis were employed. From the study, it was evident that employees who interacted informally and participated in informal groups increased their capacity to be creative and express new ideas, which positively reflected in their performance. Again, it became known that informal relations complemented the formal structure by safeguarding the organization from self-destruction that would result from literal obedience to the formal policies, rules, regulations, and procedures. It was recommended that managers should critically look at informal relations and explore means that encourage employees to relate informally in relation to the objectives of the organization. In addition, managers should make efforts to check rumours since untrue information perpetuated by dissatisfied employees can affect the morale of other employees. It must be emphasized that informal relations is a natural, social and psychological need of employees and therefore managers need to study the informal group to discover ways in which the interests of informal groups can combine with the interest of the formal organization for higher productivity Keywords: Positive, Productive, Organization, Informal Relations, Performance, Networ

The impact of stringent insider trading laws and institutional quality on cost of capital

This paper examines the effects of interaction between stringent insider trading laws, institutional quality and equity portfolio allocation on the cost of capital. Using a dataset drawn from 44 countries over the period from 2001 to 2015, we find that stringent insider trading laws interact with institutional quality and foreign equity portfolio allocation to reduce the country-level cost of capital. Further analysis from a quasi-natural experiment based on the 2008–2009 global financial crisis suggests that the findings are robust to endogeneity. Our results imply that the enactment of stringent insider trading laws and their interplay with the quality of institutions are not only important to portfolio investment allocation decisions but reduce the country-level cost of capital

Segmentation of quantity surveying professional services for focus strategy and diversification

Purpose – Notwithstanding that numerous studies have focused on strategy in quantity surveying (QS) professional service firms, there is a paucity of investigation on the segmentation of QS professional services. The purpose of this study is to investigate the segmentation of QS services for diversification and a focus strategy formation. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts the positivist stance and quantitative approach in which a simple random sampling technique was used to select participants. In total, 110 survey questionnaires were administered to registered professional QS, out of which 79 completed questionnaires were returned for analysis. Findings – The paper identifies three main QS service segments characterised by low, moderate and high competition. In addition, this study found that the concentration of traditional QS services in the building construction sector is due to the unwillingness of QS professional service firms to diversify into the nonconstruction sectors such as oil and gas. The diversification of QS services in the low competitive segment requires the adoption of agile approaches. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to numeric analyses and so would be complemented by qualitative research in the future. Practical implications – This paper is useful to QS professional service firms interested in diversifying their services into the non-construction sectors to enhance the pricing of their services. Originality/value – Segmentation of QS services is fundamental to the formulation of focus strategy for non-construction sectors such as oil and gas and mining to enhance the pricing of QS professional services

Students’ awareness and use of Information Communication Technology in the Walton Whaley Library of the Valley View University in Ghana

Information Communication Technology has increasingly become very important in our daily lives and also in our Ghanaian educational system. Realising the positive effect of ICT in the educational system and most importantly in the navigation of library resources, this study sought to investigate the awareness and use of ICT in the Walton Whaley Library (WWL) of the Valley View University (VVU) in Ghana. The study employed the quantitative approach and used questionnaire to collect data from a total a sample of two hundred and twenty-six (226) students using the simple random sampling technique. The study revealed that majority of the students were aware and accessed the various ICT facilities in the library under investigation. The study also discovered that photocopiers, internet and computer services were highly patronised. However, CD-ROMs and scanning services of the library were least patronised. The study recommended that although, the respondents were aware of the ICT facilities available in the library, management should intensify the awareness creation for all students through library orientations, user education as well as seminars and workshops. Lastly, students who want to pursue higher education must endeavor to acquire ICT skills. Keywords: Students; Awareness; Use; Information Communication Technology; Walton Whaley; Library; Valley View University; Ghana. DOI: 10.7176/IKM/9-3-05 Publication date:March 31st 201