Modern Office Technology and the Performance of the Professional Secretary in Contemporary Organisations in Ghana

The Secretary plays a very important role in the efficiency of an organization. The effectiveness of these functions depends largely on the availability, the needed competencies and skills acquired by the secretary in the Modern Office Practice. This study examines the effects of modern office technology on the performance of office secretaries in the Upper West Region of Ghana. To achieve these objectives, both descriptive and non parametric analysis were employed in the study. The non parametric technique used was correlation analysis. The descriptive tools used were tables, means and standard deviations. Simple random sampling was used to collect primary data. Both questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The findings of the study revealed that knowledge on use of office equipment contributed positively to productivity. This is reinforced by the percentages, mean and standard deviations. It was also established that office gadgets availability had no relationship with its knowledge. The percentages, means and standard deviations also reinforce this claim. The study thus recommends that training programmes on the use of modern office equipment for secretaries should be embarked upon. Key words: Modern office, technology, secretary, productivit

An Analysis of the Determinants of business growth in Ghana: A study of Wa Municipal in the Upper West Region

Sources of firm growth and development have received much attention in the field of research. These studies vary in content and perspective. Changes in the size of firms are therefore extremely important events in a firm’s demography. The growth of firms has consequences for employment and consequently economic growth. The objectives of this study are to explore the factors that affect business growth and the determinants of the size of business. The techniques used for data collection included questionnaires and interviews. Purposive sampling was employed to identify the sample. For robustness, both parametric and nonparametric methods were combined for the analysis. Further, simple regression analysis was used to ascertain the factors that affect the size of businesses. Correlation analysis was employed to examine the nature of the relationship between firm size and other variables. Furthermore, Pearson’s chi-square test of independence was also used in the study. The correlation analysis showed that business age had a positive and statistically significant association with business size. The regression analysis revealed that business age and record keeping had significant impacts on business size. For policy, business start-ups should be encouraged supported to survive over time. Keywords: Business size, Business age, Ghana JEL Classification: C21, D22, L25, M2

Demographic Factors and Students’ Academic Achievement in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana: A study of Wa Polytechnic

Academic performance manifested in the class obtained is the indicator or the performance measure of academic achievement. However, the variation in achievement scores among students is indicative that there exist some factors that influence this situation. This study sought to investigate the influence of some demographic factors on students’ academic performance in tertiary institutions in Ghana. The study used primary data collected from graduating students of Wa Polytechnic. Both descriptive and explanatory techniques were used for the study. Simple regression analysis was employed to determine among others the combined effect of age and sex on academic performance. Statistical tests of significance were performed to determine the models reliability at predicting future outcomes. Tables and graphs were used to present these findings. Key findings of the study revealed that both age and sex were positively related to the class obtained. However, the coefficient of sex was statistically significant whereas that of age was not significant. Also, an increase (decrease) in age of male will decrease (increase) academic performance by that margin more than their female counterparts. The novel contribution of this study is to examine the role of the combined effect of age and sex on academic performance. Therefore, it is fit for counselors and policy makers to consider these background attributes in assessing and projecting the outcomes of students’ academic performance. Keywords: Age, sex, demographic characteristics, polytechnic