Impact of corporate orientation of information technology adoption in the United States forest products industry

This study aims to contribute to addressing the gap that exists in determining the role an organization’s internal operations play in information technology (IT) adoption in organizations. In particular, this research stems from investigating the relationship between company success at adopting information technology systems (the Internet) in the United States forest products industry (specifically, the lumber sector) and the extent to which organizational orientation within the industry supports the development. Following an extensive literature review, a conceptual model that represents the synthesis of information technology adoption-marketing orientation influences is developed. (This study does not infer that a company can acquire only one orientation at any one time). The United States forest products industry has traditionally been perceived as being production-oriented by many researchers. Marketing orientation, however, is a relatively new phenomenon that is gradually seeping into the way the industry does business as a result of competition, technology advancement, and the changing needs of consumers. Consequently, a number of propositions are tested and managerial and research recommendations are put forward. Overall, this research finds that email and the World Wide Web are the two most popular internet-based applications used by companies in the lumber industry. A positive relationship exists between factors of Internet adoption (extent of Internet application, user participation, perceived ease of use by user, perceived usefulness by user, and adoption diffusion by company) and “perceived company effectiveness of Internet adoption” under high and low marketing orientation, with a higher rate of increase in high marketing orientation than low marketing orientation

Exploring the Factors That Influence Students’ Choice of Higher Education in Ghana

Marketing of higher education has become a strategic competitive tool in Ghana due to the emergence of private universities. The paper was designed to identify the important factors that influence students’ choice of university and also to measure the satisfaction levels of students with respect to the services offered by Ghanaian universities. Data was collected through interviews and surveys from randomly selected 400 respondents from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Christian Service University College. The data was then coded into the SPSS.16 program and was used for analysis.  The study found that, courses offered, high calibre lecturers, well stock library and internet, flexible lecture timetable and recognition of qualification by employers were the top important factors that influence students’ choice of university. It was also discovered that students were satisfied with the student-staff relationship, university environment, flexible timetable etc. However, the students shown dissatisfaction with weak university policies, number of courses offered in each semester, and unresponsiveness of the university. The study recommended that universities should introduce courses that are highly marketable, continue to recruit high calibre lecturers, improve library facilities, issue university degrees to only deserving students and design flexible timetable. Universities must also design policies to regulate students’ behaviour and must be responsive to students’ problems. Keywords: Students’ Choice, Higher Education, Ghana, Educational Marketing, Marketing mix, Student Choice Models, Student Satisfactio

Wood Properties and Their Variations Within the Tree Stem of Lesser-Used Species of Tropical Hardwood from Ghana

Due to increasing demand for traditional market species of timber, which are dwindling in quantities and quality within the Ghanaian forest, there is the need to introduce lesser-used species (LUS) to serve as substitutes. The success of LUS in the marketplace requires technical information that relates to utilization about the species. This paper examines physical and mechanical properties of wood and their variations within the tree stem of Petersianthus macrocarpus, a potential LUS from Ghana. There was an overall increase of wood's physical and mechanical properties from the breast height to the top of the tree. Specific gravity correlates positively with all the wood's properties, making it a good indicator for selection of the wood for use. The wood of Petersianthus macrocarpus is dense (specific gravity of 0.69) with moderately high shrinkage values (radial shrinkage of 4.0% and tangential shrinkage of 6.9%)

Program brief: HIV vulnerability and prevention needs of young female sex workers in Kumasi, Ghana

This study was implemented by Boston University in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 2010. The content and views expressed here are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of USAID or the U.S. Government.Adult HIV prevalence in Ghana in 2013 has been estimated at 1.31%.1 Among female sex workers (FSW), prevalence is, however, much higher at 12.9%, compared to 2.2% in the general female population. HIV prevalence among FSW in the Ashanti region is 13%, the second highest FSW prevalence after the Greater Accra Region (16.3%).2 Sex work plays a significant role in HIV transmission, with 2.4% of sex workers, 13.2% of male clients, and 22.2% of clients’ partners contributing to new HIV infections.2 While recent national and regional prevalence and behavior data on FSWs are available, little qualitative research has been published on sex workers in Kumasi, and specifically on younger sex workers. This qualitative study was conducted by Boston University’s Center for Global Health and Development and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ghana. The study objectives were to: (1) investigate knowledge about and perceptions of HIV among young FSW in Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti region and second largest city in Ghana; (2) explore their HIV risk behaviors; and (3) identify their HIV prevention needs. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were done with 48 FSW Ten key informant interviews were held with health care providers at local clinics.Support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 201

Research report: "It’s all about making a life": young female sex workers vulnerability to HIV and prevention needs in Kumasi, Ghana

This study was implemented by Boston University in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 2010. The content and views expressed here are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of USAID or the U.S. Government.This report presents findings from a qualitative study examining the vulnerability to HIV of young female sex workers (FSW) in Kumasi, Ghana and their prevention needs. The study was conducted by Boston University’s Center for Global and Health and Development (CGHD) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of the Project SEARCH Program funded by PEPFAR and the United States Agency for International Development Ghana. The objectives of this study were to: 1) Investigate knowledge about and perceptions of HIV in young FSW in the Kumasi Metropolitan area, 2) Explore their risk behaviors, and 3) Identify their most urgent prevention needs. A secondary objective was to provide foundational knowledge to inform the design of future studies of girls and young women engaging in sex work in Ghana.Support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 201

The nature of Historical Facts: History teachers’ conception of it

The study focused on how History teachers conceived historical facts. With this, data illumination was done qualitatively. In all, a sample of 4 History teachers was used in the study. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the data. There were varying views on the developmental nature of historical facts. With this, the responses were related to two schools of thought, namely, the unique pattern of historical facts which undermines the developmental nature of History and the other aspect which talks about the element of development in History. On integration, it is astonishing that some teachers were ignorant of the integrated character of History while others acknowledged that the nature of History is such that it integrates with other social science subjects, notably, Geography, Economics, and Sociology. Regarding the element of subjectivity, responses were situated in the Positivist and Relativist philosophies. Those who identified themselves with the Positivists acknowledged Historical objectivity and yielded to no such thing as History being unobjective. The Relativists, on the other hand, intimated that History is subjective, no less no more. Finally, teachers in the study noted that there are no underlining theories or laws in History. Indeed, they all shared a view of the traditional Historians who do not accept and submit to theories and laws in historical explanations. Keywords: Historical facts, History teachers, Nature

A model for the evaluation of ABET programmes

This research project focuses on a model designed for the evaluation of ABET instructional programmes. In the light of rapid changes in the socio-economic and political contexts in Africa and particularly in South Africa, this study examines adult basic education and training, which has become acknowledged as an indispensable tool for the transformation and development of societies. Since 1994 education has become a constitutional right for all citizens of South Africa. In an attempt to offer basic education and training to all adults many institutions and departments have established ABET programmes offering adults the skills they may need in order to contribute to the development of their communities. The lack of guidelines for instructing, assessing and evaluating ABET programmes prompted the choice of research topic. The study begins with a review of relevant literature pertaining to the field of adult education and also provides a general discussion on didactics as it .is relevant to adult education. The study proposes a model for evaluating ABET instructional programmes. Focus group discussions are employed as a research tool to validate the proposed model and its accompanying guidelines. The study reveals that, for ABET instructional programmes to be outcomes based, relevant, conducive to critical thinking and creativity and productive of meaningful assessment, a model for evaluating the programmes' performance in these areas is essential. Based on this presupposition, the study proceeds to develop a model for the evaluation of ABET programmes. It draws on literature pertaining to educational evaluation in general and extrapolates the findings to construct a model appropriate for evaluating ABET programmes. In the field component of the study, endeavour is made to validate the model according to the perceptions of a sample of ABET practitioners. In-depth focus interviews are conducted to validify the various components of the model. In conclusion, the study recommends further research into the didactics of adult education and training (ABET) in order to improve adult education practices.Curriculum and Instructional StudiesD. Ed. (Didactics

Research report: "Using what you have to get what you want": Vulnerability to HIV and prevention needs of female post‐secondary students engaged in transactional sex in Kumasi, Ghana

This study was implemented by Boston University in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 2010. The content and views expressed here are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of USAID or the U.S. Government.This report presents findings from a qualitative study examining vulnerability to HIV of female post‐secondary students engaged in transactional sex in Kumasi, Ghana and their prevention needs. The study was conducted by Boston University’s Center for Global and Health and Development (CGHD) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of Project SEARCH funded by the United States Agency for International Development Ghana. Participants were recruited from five post‐secondary institutions in the greater Kumasi area. Our objective is to provide academic institutions, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), the National AIDS Control Program, donors, and other stakeholders with rich data to inform research and programmatic efforts in Kumasi specifically, as well as academic institutions in general. We set out to document what forms of transactional sex female students are engaging in, who their partners are, and what motivates them to participate. We asked students about the individual and structural vulnerabilities for HIV reported by female post‐secondary students involved in transactional sex and what their prevention needs are. We also interviewed a small sample of faculty, residence hall matrons, and hotel staff to get their perspective on the behavior of female students practicing transactional sex that might put them at risk for HIV. The findings of this study can be used as well to inform the design of future studies of young women engaging in transactional sex in Ghana. With such limited understanding of HIV transmission among young female post‐secondary students engaged in transactional sex, research is needed to determine how this group contributes to the overall HIV epidemic. The Ghana AIDS Commission has recognized the need for further research among communities engaged in less well‐defined risky sex practices in the National Strategic Plan for Most‐at – Risk Populations (MARP) 2011‐2015.4 This study attempts to fill in gaps in the research regarding transactional sex, taking into account the complexities and nuances of the practice, in addition to examining the needs of female students for targeted HIV prevention programs.Support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 201

Assessing the burden and risk factors of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep related infant deaths in Africa: a case study of Zambia

BACKGROUND: In wealthier countries, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is consistently mentioned as a leading preventable cause of infant mortality. However, in Africa, little is known about SIDS. The general view in the Global Health community is that SIDS is not a significant cause of infant mortality in low resource settings. But is this assumption correct? It seems illogical that SIDS would only be confined to high-income settings. An alternative hypothesis is that we are in a situation where SIDS in Africa has historically not been a priority area for research. Consequently, we may have fallen into the common trap where the absence of evidence is misconstrued as evidence of absence. The focus of this thesis is to challenge these assumptions. METHODS: We do this in stages. First, we present results of a systematic review of published studies about SIDS in Africa. Second, we analyze a recently collected unique data set consisting of verbal autopsy data from the next of kin of several hundred deceased infants to attempt to quantify the burden of apparent SIDS deaths. Third, we assess the burden of canonical risk factors for SIDS using prospectively collected survey data. And fourth, we analyze individual attitudes, knowledge, and experience with SIDS collected via focus groups and in-depth interviews to better understand awareness of SIDS and its risk factors, and the potential that these could be modified. RESULTS: The systematic review confirmed that SIDS is poorly studied in Africa. Most of the research on SIDS in Africa comes from South Africa. The incidence of SIDS was high, with reported incidence rates of between 3.01 to 3.70 per 1000 live births in South Africa compared to 0.3 per 1000 live births in the U.S. Bedsharing and prone/lateral sleeping were universally prevalent in countries where these were assessed. In Zambia, 7.4% of decedent infants who died at home died suddenly and unexpectedly, with 5.4% presumably dying of SIDS. In surveys, nearly all infants (89.5%) shared a bed with an adult during sleep, and nearly two-thirds slept (73%) in the lateral position. Infants rarely slept in the recommended supine/back position. In focus group discussions, mothers indicated that they felt the supine sleep position posed an aspiration risk to the infant. Most cited health care workers and experienced women in the community as sources of information on sleep practices. CONCLUSION: Contrary to the prevailing view of SIDS in low to middle-income countries, in Africa and Zambia specifically, SIDS may be a significant cause of infant mortality, but it is going unrecognized or unreported. Public health interventions in Africa and Zambia are overlooking SIDS as an important cause of infant mortality. Interventions to prevent SIDS, such as laying the infant to sleep on the back, are low cost and will be worthwhile in reducing the high infant mortality rates in these settings