Search results

1 – 4 of 4
Article
Publication date: 6 November 2023

Esther Asiedu, Ebenezer Malcalm, Afia Nyarko Boakye and Cornelius Kwarkoh Kwarkoh Amoah

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various university strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a simple random sample to select undergraduate level 400 students from the Universities under study (the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies Ghana, Lancaster University Ghana and Webster University Ghana). Only final-year students with an informed judgement on the reflective practice and various institutional practices to acquire graduate employability skills were participated. The independent variables of the study are institutional strategies (curriculum design, extra curriculum, work-integrated learning, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement, internship job placement), the moderator is the reflective practice and the dependent variable of the study is graduate employability.

Findings

The study found that the moderation role of reflective practice had a significant effect on institutional strategies (extracurriculum, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement and internship job placement) and graduate employability.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to only undergraduate business students from four universities ignoring other disciplines and postgraduate students.

Practical implications

The practical implication is that reflective practice must be an integral tool for various universities if they want students to use their strategies to sharpen their employability skills.

Social implications

The social implications of the study emphasise the reflective practice of graduate students in universities. This implies that firms and other institutions must consider reflective practice for the maximum output of their employees.

Originality/value

The concept of employability is a bit complex as it concerns many stakeholders of the educational process; the students, academic staff, employers, policymakers and higher education; the private sector; and the government. Although examining students' employability development skills is of great importance, students' reflective practice tends to be overlooked in most studies. Therefore, the focus of this study examines how the reflective practice of graduate students promotes employability through the various university strategies, which had not been considered.

Article
Publication date: 30 May 2023

Emmanuel Senior Tenakwah, Michael Odei Erdiaw-Kwasie, Esther Asiedu and Riham Al Aina

This paper investigates the impact of performance management (PM) practices on firms' financial performance and the mediating role of co-worker and supervisor support.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the impact of performance management (PM) practices on firms' financial performance and the mediating role of co-worker and supervisor support.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a two-wave survey. The authors tested the hypotheses using data from 439 employees.

Findings

The authors find that PM practices positively influence a firm financial performance. The results also show a positive indirect relationship between PM practices and firm financial performance through co-worker support. The mediated effect is about 0.2 times as large as the direct effect of PM practices on firm financial performance. The results also show that supervisor support partially mediates the relationship between PM practices and firm financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

The authors extend our knowledge of PM practices–firm financial performance relationships. The study advances the existing knowledge on this relationship beyond the traditional input-output models by exploring the mediating role of employee involvement in the relationship between PM practices and firm financial performance. Specifically, the authors' findings reveal that co-worker and supervisory support can act as a mediator in this relationship, shedding new light on the importance of employee/supervisor involvement in PM practices.

Practical implications

The findings highlight the need for managers to take a crucial look at the importance of co-worker and supervisor support. This suggests that organisations can focus on providing adequate training to managers and supervisors to enhance their ability to provide social support to their employees. Organisations can also encourage a positive and supportive workplace culture to foster an environment that promotes employee engagement, motivation and performance.

Originality/value

The results of this study enrich the literature on PM practices–firm financial performance by conceptualising supervisor and co-worker support as mechanisms through which this relationship occurs. By so doing, the authors clarify how PM practices affect firm financial performance.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2019

Edward Nartey Tetteh and Esther Julia Korkor Attiogbe

The purpose of this paper is to explore how working university students in Ghana are able to combine work and study, and the effect of this on their academic performance.

1965

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how working university students in Ghana are able to combine work and study, and the effect of this on their academic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory survey method is used to collect data from 360 working students randomly selected from four universities in Accra, Ghana. The study employs the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r2) to test two hypotheses and both are affirmed by the results.

Findings

It is found that combining schooling with work results in less time for studies which negatively affects academic performance. Again, difficulty in finding time for studies due to work requirements ranks the highest, and finally, students receive slightly better support from their academic institutions than from their employers.

Research limitations/implications

The study focussed only on perspectives from working students in Ghana. The dimension of employers and officials of academic institutions was not investigated.

Practical implications

The findings imply that to achieve sustainable development in the tertiary education sector and even in industry, all stakeholders – universities, policymakers, employers, students, etc. – must find practical ways to assist these students to combine work and study.

Originality/value

The study bridges the empirical gap of this critical phenomenon in the Ghanaian context. It will inform government and corporate policy on higher-level skill development among the workforce, and also tertiary institutions on how to address the needs of the critical mass of working students.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2023

Augustine Senanu Komla Kukah, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Edward Badu and David John Edwards

This study aims to identify the critical success factors of public private partnership (PPP) power projects in Ghana and further evaluates the most significant critical success…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the critical success factors of public private partnership (PPP) power projects in Ghana and further evaluates the most significant critical success factors (CSFs) influencing both the public and private sector participation in PPP power projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Ranking-type Delphi survey in two rounds was conducted to establish a comprehensive list of critical success factors of PPP power projects. Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, experts were targeted for the Delphi survey. Mean score ranking, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Kendall’s concordance were used for analysis.

Findings

From the list of 37 critical success factors, 9 CSFs were deemed to be extremely significant. The five topmost CSFs were as follows: shared authority, trust and communication between public and private sectors; necessity of power project; debt guarantee to enable private partner to raise funds from the local or international financial markets; appropriate risk allocation and risk sharing; and thorough and realistic assessment of cost, projections and benefits.

Originality/value

The CSFs identified and prioritized in this study have the propensity to trigger policy development towards the PPP power sector in Ghana and developing countries that shares similar context. This is because the study has wide implications for financing, politics, procurement, regulations, legal and capacity building.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

1 – 4 of 4