Effect of FINSSP ON Stock Price Volatility In Ghana; Firm Level Analysis

This study investigates the effect of trading volume on the conditional volatility persistence of 13 individual stocks listed on the GSE using Lamoureux and Lastrapes (1990) model. All the stocks show a high degree of volatility persistence. FINSSP succeeded in making volatility of various stocks on GSE decay faster. It also turn out that FINSSP is significant in increasing the leverage effect of stocks on GSE. It was observed that volume traded has significant effect on conditional variance that volume traded may be a good proxy for stock-level analysis, but not for market-level analysis. The effect of expected trading volume on conditional variance in most stocks turnout to be stronger than unexpected trading volume. Keywords: GSE, Expected and Unexpected Trading Volume, Volatility, FINSSP and GARCH

Consumption, Savings and Perception of Poverty among Informal Entrepreneurs in Accra

This study argues that the urban poverty indicators that suggest that poverty in Accra is the lowest may be biased against certain communities in Accra because the surveys for these indicators are not community-based. Thus, this study was motivated by the need to undertake surveys at the local level. This study set out to explore the pattern of expenditure of informal entrepreneurs, establish the poverty status of informal entrepreneurs, identify the savings practices of informal entrepreneurs and assess the perception of poverty among informal entrepreneurs. A survey of informal entrepreneurs was conducted at three communities in Accra. A set of questionnaires was administered to a sample of informal entrepreneurs in James Town, Chorkor and Nima. The reason for choosing these communities is that they are characterised by Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) as high ‘poverty pockets’. The questionnaire consisted of separate inventories on accommodation, education, food, health, utilities, business performance, savings and perception on poverty. In addition, three Focus Group Discussions were held in the communities. The study found that the poverty level in the three communities is nearly three times higher than the poverty level in Accra. Whilst urban areas recorded a poverty level of 10.8% under Ghana Living Standards Survey 5 (GLSS5), the current study recorded 31.5% in the communities surveyed. In addition, it was found that over half of the sample suffers poverty in one way or the other as about 23.5% live between the lower and upper poverty lines. It was also found that the enterprises set up by most informal entrepreneurs are micro enterprises. Keywords: Poverty, Small Enterprises, savings. Consumption, Accra.

Social enterprise as a model for change: mapping a global cross-disciplinary framework

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, social enterprise has experienced a renaissance. In public policy circles, entrepreneurship and innovation are perceived as economic development tools, and in many parts of the world, as catalysts for change that can have a real impact by increasing employment in communities as well as environmental challenges. At a local level, entrepreneurship and innovation enable communities to stay vibrant due to social enterprise organisations offering much-needed goods and services. Social enterprise has been acknowledged as a solution to social inequality and environmental issues in society as it develops new areas of empowerment in local communities. Central to the success of social enterprise is education, training, and the engagement of the higher education sector. Traditionally, entrepreneurship and innovation have fundamentally been entrenched within the business subject area, but have now emerged within other disciplines such as criminology, health and social care, geography, sociology, and politics. The aim of this paper is to map out a new, global, cross-disciplinary framework from a teaching and learning perspective. The authors of this paper call for global empowerment of entrepreneurship education in the higher education sector, using examples from different countries across the world, specifically Ghana, India, and the UK. This paper sets out the vital importance of entrepreneurship in teaching and learning, by showcasing what can be achieved. In this paper, the authors develop and propose a new pedagogical social enterprise model that incorporates and emphasises the ethos of ‘think globally, act locally’ in a sustainability context

The Nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies: a social enterprise perspective

The purpose of the study was to examine the mediation roles of student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies within a social enterprise context. The study used a cross-sectional survey design, with a sampled population of 185 business students from three universities (Accra Technical University, Cape Coast Technical University and the University of Ghana) in Ghana. A PLS-SEM approach was used to examine the relationships among the independent–dependent constructs in the study. Entrepreneurial education had positive and significant relationships to student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, but it showed an insignificant relationship to entrepreneurial self-competencies. Student satisfaction was also found to relate positively and significantly to entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial self-competencies. Furthermore, both student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy were found to fully mediate the nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies. The study highlights the crucial roles of student satisfaction and self-efficacy in the implementation of entrepreneurial education in higher education institutions. In a discipline that is characterised by paucity, this study provides a unique and original assessment of the important roles of student satisfaction and student self-confidence in building entrepreneurial competencies among students

Informing Policy:Leveraging Insights from the United Kingdom Lottery System for the Sustainable Funding of Social Enterprises in Ghana

This study investigates the feasibility of establishing a grant system to provide financial support to social enterprises in Ghana, drawing inspiration from the British National Lottery system. The study is grounded in the Theory of Demand for Gambles and the Expected Utility theory to understand the decision-making processes of lottery participants. The authors organised focus group discussions in the UK and Ghana and analysed relevant policies and guidelines. The research proposes the introduction of a Social Enterprises Support Lottery in Ghana. This lottery system is modelled after the British National Lottery, with modifications in the number of pools and prize tiers to enhance its attractiveness and revenue potential. The administration of funding processes involves a comprehensive allocation strategy, designating a significant portion of lottery proceeds to support social enterprises. To ensure the sustainability of the proposed model, the authors suggest a multifaceted approach, including collaboration with government agencies, rigorous regulatory frameworks, expert panels for funding allocation, and transparent operational mechanisms. The study envisions the proposed lottery system contributing to the achievement of various SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) in Ghana, such as poverty reduction, decent work and economic growth, and improved health and well-being, as well as environmental preservation

Inclusivity and sustainability within Ghana: enhancing awareness and utilisation of social enterprise and entrepreneurship for all

Report commissioned by the British Council. In Ghana, youth unemployment is high, and there is a lack of awareness and understanding of social enterprise despite it being a possible resolution to the employment of young Ghanaians. Social enterprises have great potential to reduce youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa. The social enterprise approach can achieve this partly because it relies less on public sector and donor funding, unlike other conventional business approaches