Stated Preference Modeling for a Preferred Transportation Mode

This paper contains econometric analysis of commuters’ behaviour with regards to their choice between different transportation modes (car and bus) in traveling to Accra central. Using the data collected from an experimental survey, a binary logit model and its marginal effects was estimated. The magnitude of estimates generally indicates that bus users highly value attributes such as price and habit. However, the level of noise, comfort, and time (morning trips) will result in a disutility of public transport choice. Keywords: Commuters, discrete choice model, mode choice, public transport, stated preferenc

Differences among age, gender and school factors in Ghanaian senior secondary school students' aspirations for entrepreneurial careers

A position paper on after-school job aspirations for Ghanaian students based on their gender, age and other school factors.Research has shown that demographic and contextual factors such as age, gender, among others have influence on secondary school students' aspirations for entrepreneurship careers. Again, it has been noted that entrepreneurial potential should be identified and evaluated at secondary school level so that teachers and counsellors will be more successful in augmenting entrepreneurial propensity at the stage of development in which individual career options are still open. This study therefore determined whether differences in age, gender and school factors influenced Ghanaian senior secondary school students' aspirations for entrepreneurial careers. The descriptive research design was adopted for this study. A total of 2,000 students were selected from Forms 3 and 4 for the study. Five research questions were set to guide the study whilst multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select the sample. A questionnaire titled “Self-Knowledge, Family Influence and Career Knowledge Level on Aspirations for Entrepreneurial Careers ” was used to obtain relevant data which were analysed using descriptive statistics. The conclusion of the study was that there were differences with respect to age, gender, course of study and school type in students' aspirations for entrepreneurial careers, while there was none regarding form/class level. Among the counselling implications are that counsellors must take into consideration personal and contextual variables of students during career counselling, especially in entrepreneurship, and also people in lower age groups must be encouraged to take up entrepreneurship, and thereafter business start-up activity. It was recommended that entrepreneurship education should be incorporated in the secondary school curriculum in Ghana, and entrepreneurial careers in particular, must not be stereotyped

FDI, INFLATION, EXCHANGE RATE AND GROWTH IN GHANA: EVIDENCE FROM CAUSALITY AND COINTEGRATED ANALYSIS

This study used co-integrated analysis and Granger causality test in modelling the Growth Domestics Products (GDP) of Ghana with other three selected macroeconomic such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), inflation and real exchange rate for the period of 1980 to 2013. Data were taken from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators and Bank of Ghana. The objectives of the study are to examine both long-run relationships and direction of causality between the GDP and the macroeconomic variables. The time series properties of the data were, first, analysed using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and KPSS test. The empirical results derived indicate that all the variables were stationary after their first differencing; i.e. variables are integrated of order one. The study further established that there is co-integration between the selected macroeconomic variables and GDP in Ghana indicating long run relationship. The above long term relation indicates that exchange rate and foreign direct investments have a negative effect on GDP whiles Inflation (CPI) showed a positive effect on GDP. The study further investigated the causal relationship using the Granger Causality analysis, which indicates a unidirectional causality between GDP growth rate and exchange rate and bidirectional causality between Inflation rate and Exchange, and also between Inflation rate and GDP, whiles FDI does not granger cause Inflation rate, exchange rate, GDP and visa versa in Ghana for the study period at 5%

IMPLEMENTATION OF GUIDANCE SERVICES IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN HO MUNICIPALITY, GHANA

The most important outcome of a guidance and counselling programme is desirable change in students, such as improved school attendance, better study habits, and better scholastic achievement, fewer scholastic failures, lower dropout rate, better educational planning, and better home-school relations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of guidance services in senior high schools in Ho the Municipality. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 376 students and 21 counsellors from 7 senior high schools in the Ho Municipality was selected using the multistage sampling procedure comprising proportional stratified sampling, purposive sampling and systematic sampling procedures were used. Data was collected using researcher-made questionnaire with reliability coefficient of was 0.83 and 0.80 for students and counsellors questionnaires respectively. Frequency counts and percentages were used to analyze the five research questions stated for the study. The findings revealed that guidance and counselling units were available even though the facilities were inadequate and the rooms were not well furbished. Again, orientation and counselling services were the most common guidance and counselling services while referral and evaluation services were the least common guidance and counselling services provided in the senior high schools in the Ho Municipality. The headmaster/mistress, housemaster/mistress, class teachers and chaplain were all involved in the provision of guidance and counselling services. Furthermore, it was found that the professional counsellors were comparatively better than the non-professionals in terms of adherence to the right practices. It was recommended that a clear national policy for Guidance and Counselling services in Senior High Schools with adequate funding, allocation of time and role definition of counsellors.  Article visualizations

MODELING COMMUTER PREFERENCES FOR A BUS

The research deals with the use of the discrete choice experiment technique and Random Utility Theory (RUT) to analyze bus choice behaviour for commuters in Asafo-market in Kumasi, Ghana. The principal aim of the study was the calibration of a logit model to forecast consideration sets. In order to estimate the model parameters, a specific survey was carried out inside the urban area of Kumasi. The survey focused on passengers and involved mainly employees, self employed workers and students (120 respondents). The data collected from the experimental survey was further calibrated and segmented according to gender. The magnitude of estimates generally indicates that commuters highly value buses with fixed departure time, spacious seats and Air Condition (AC). However, an increase in fare level will result in a disutility of bus choice

COVID-19 as a \u3ci\u3eForce Majeure\u3c/i\u3e in Corporate Transactions

This paper surveys the use of pandemic-related provisions in Material Adverse Effects ( MAE ) provisions in a large data set of publicly disclosed M&A transactions spanning the years 2003-2020. We document a trend towards greater use of such provisions, taking off particularly after the H1N1 crisis in 2009, and spiking again in late 2019 and early 2020. These terms are invariably located in the exclusions/carve-outs to the MAE, and they are overwhelmingly accompanied by disproportionate effects language that tends to dampen the effect of the carve out. There is little discernible statistical relationship between the inclusion of a pandemic-related carve-out and the inclusion of a reverse termination fee ( RTF ) granting optionality to the buyer; but when an RTF is present, its magnitude tends to be smaller in the absence of any pandemic-specific carve-out, suggesting some degree of observational complementarity between these terms