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1 – 7 of 7Robert E. Hinson, Ellis Osabutey, John Paul Kosiba and Frederick O. Asiedu
The purpose of this study is to analyse how professional football clubs have attained success with internationalisation and branding strategies in foreign markets.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse how professional football clubs have attained success with internationalisation and branding strategies in foreign markets.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an inductive approach, 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted to analyse the perceptions of Ghanaian fans of four English Premier League teams.
Findings
The findings of this study highlight that the strength of professional football brand equity is jointly determined by the level of brand awareness, brand loyalty and perceived quality. However, increasing competition in international markets require professional football clubs to clearly define their marketing strategies to improve how fans perceive them.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the few studies to use country-of-origin paradigm and signalling theory to explain football brand equity building, thereby extending the earlier work of Chanavat and Bodet (2009). Its empirical focus on Africa is also unique and provides evidence to suggest that global marketers have the opportunity to capitalise on market expansion opportunities in developing economies.
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Pantea Foroudi, Charles Dennis, Dimitris Stylidis and T.C. Melewar
Patrick Amfo Anim, Frederick Okyere Asiedu, Matilda Adams, George Acheampong and Ernestina Boakye
This paper aims to explore the relationships between political marketing via social media and young voters’ political participation in Ghana. Additionally, this study examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the relationships between political marketing via social media and young voters’ political participation in Ghana. Additionally, this study examines the mediating role political efficacy plays in enhancing the relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
With a positivist mindset, and adopting the survey strategy, data gathered from the questionnaire administered from the sampled 320 young voters (18-29 years) in Greater Accra were quantitatively analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to assess and confirm the proposed scales validity and the relationships of the research model.
Findings
The study revealed that a political party or candidate’s ability to achieve political participation from Ghanaian young voters’ is dependent on how effective they build customer relationship or gaining visibility through social media. In addition, the study showed that political efficacy mediates the relationship between customer relationship building or gaining visibility through social media and political participation among Ghana young voters. Thus, young voters in Ghana must see themselves to have a say in the affairs of political parties through the political messages they gather from social media platforms to enhance their political participation activities.
Practical implications
The results of this paper will enable political marketers and politicians not only in Ghana but across the globe, to better understand how social media as a communication tool could be used to positively influence users’ political participation.
Originality/value
Considering the uniqueness of this study in a Ghanaian context, this paper is the first of its kind to use the social capital theory in examining the mediating role political efficacy plays in enhancing the relationship between political marketing on social media and young voters’ political participation.
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Richard Ohene Asiedu and Collins Ameyaw
This study aimed at developing and empirically testing a system dynamics causal loop (SDCL) model for investigating factors related to the risk of cost overruns, associated with…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed at developing and empirically testing a system dynamics causal loop (SDCL) model for investigating factors related to the risk of cost overruns, associated with the performance of construction projects in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data derived from the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI), a conceptual system dynamics model was hypothesised and empirically tested.
Findings
Supported by empirical evidence, the study established that the low technical capacity of consultants is the underlying cause of cost overruns in government projects. There is a strong proof of the relationship between the results of the SDCL model and poor contract planning and supervision, change orders, competence of the project team and the lack of effective coordination amongst the contractual parties.
Practical implications
The final SDCL model has revealed key risk components that would require standard mitigation measures in order to achieve “acceptable success” in construction projects.
Originality/value
The study presents an interactive approach for construction practitioners in developing countries to prioritise the causes of cost overruns in order to initiate quick responses.
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David Mensah Sackey, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Richard Ohene Asiedu and Adam Braimah Jehuri
Ghana has recently reviewed its renewable energy Act 835 with an objective of providing 10% of its energy from renewables by 2020 (Ackah and Asomani, 2015). Meanwhile, solar…
Abstract
Purpose
Ghana has recently reviewed its renewable energy Act 835 with an objective of providing 10% of its energy from renewables by 2020 (Ackah and Asomani, 2015). Meanwhile, solar Photovoltaic (PV) accounts for less than 2% of the energy mix (Energy Commission, 2018). In combating environmental issues such as climate change and meeting these policy targets, there is the urgent need to increase investment into the renewable sector. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically examine the impeding constraints to photovoltaic investment in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The Literature evaluation was carried out of critical constraints surrounding PV investments. Questionnaire was developed and administered online using Google form. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the features of each constraint. In addition, inferential analysis using relative importance index was used to rank these indicators. Again, one sample t-test was used to test the significance of the indicator. Multiple indicators were used to measure the latent constructs. Finally, independent test of mean equity was used to test relationship between the working experiences of despondence who have worked with solar PV below five years and those who worked from five years to ten years.
Findings
The research has highlights high installation and maintenance costs, lack of access to long-term capital finance, access to affordable consumer finance and lack of support to research and development as the major investment obstacles to solar PV investment in Ghana.
Research limitations/implications
It is recommended that the Government of Ghana should provide incentives such as tax waivers, which will encourage entrepreneurs, invest into PV. In addition, it is recommended that solar PV companies must collaborate with financial institutions to provide low interest and flexible consumer financing schemed that can enable home users to purchase the technology. Future research should complement this work by focusing on the impact of domestic currency volatility on PV investment. The scope of this study is constrained to the PV industry in Ghana.
Practical implications
This study will serve as a guide to the private sector business owners to help make critical PV investment decisions. It has also brought to the forefront the reason why solar PV account for a small fraction of Ghana’s energy mix.
Originality/value
This paper seeks to espouse the prevailing constraints to PV investment in Ghana and seeks to contribute to already existing literature that will make profound changes in state policy around PV investment. By understanding these difficulties, driving pointers can be recognized to encourage effective future venture inside the sustainable power source area. In this way, the research leads to a better understanding of the impeding factors that hinders PV investment in Ghana. Again, the paper has achieved new discovery with regards to variations between years of experience with PV use. The variation being less than five years with over five years of PV use. By understanding these difficulties, driving pointers can be recognized to invigorate effective future ventures.
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Victor Yawo Atiase, Samia Mahmood, Yong Wang and David Botchie
By drawing upon institutional theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of four critical resources (credit, electricity, contract enforcement and political…
Abstract
Purpose
By drawing upon institutional theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of four critical resources (credit, electricity, contract enforcement and political governance) in explaining the quality of entrepreneurship and the depth of the supporting entrepreneurship ecosystem in Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach based on ordinary least squares regression analysis was used. Three data sources were employed. First, the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) of 35 African countries was used to measure the quality of entrepreneurship and the depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa which represents the dependent variable. Second, the World Bank’s data on access to credit, electricity and contract enforcement in Africa were also employed as explanatory variables. Third, the Ibrahim Index of African Governance was used as an explanatory variable. Finally, country-specific data on four control variables (GDP, foreign direct investment, population and education) were gathered and analysed.
Findings
To support entrepreneurship development, Africa needs broad financial inclusion and state institutions that are more effective at enforcing contracts. Access to credit was non-significant and therefore did not contribute to the dependent variable (entrepreneurship quality and depth of entrepreneurial support in Africa). Access to electricity and political governance were statistically significant and correlated positively with the dependent variables. Finally, contract enforcement was partially significant and contributed to the dependent variable.
Research limitations/implications
A lack of GEI data for all 54 African countries limited this study to only 35 African countries: 31 in sub-Saharan Africa and 4 in North Africa. Therefore, the generalisability of this study’s findings to the whole of Africa might be limited. Second, this study depended on indexes for this study. Therefore, any inconsistencies in the index aggregation if any could not be authenticated. This study has practical implications for the development of entrepreneurship in Africa. Public and private institutions for credit delivery, contract enforcement and the provision of utility services such as electricity are crucial for entrepreneurship development.
Originality/value
The institutional void is a challenge for Africa. This study highlights the weak, corrupt nature of African institutions that supposedly support MSME growth. Effective entrepreneurship development in Africa depends on the presence of a supportive institutional infrastructure. This study engages institutional theory to explain the role of institutional factors such as state institutions, financial institutions, utility providers and markets in entrepreneurship development in Africa.
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Lingyun Huang, Jiankun Liu and Zhigang Huang
The operational framework of external financing in the correlation between the gender of entrepreneurs and firm performance remains to be resolved. This study aims to investigate…
Abstract
Purpose
The operational framework of external financing in the correlation between the gender of entrepreneurs and firm performance remains to be resolved. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of external financing on gender-based disparities in private firm performance and to explore its heterogeneity within the Chinese context.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on national data from the 10th to 13th Chinese Private Enterprise Survey, this study used a bootstrap-based mediation effect model to analyze the role of external financing as a mediator in the relationship between entrepreneur gender and firm performance.
Findings
This study found that external financing is a constructive mediator between entrepreneur gender and firm performance. Heterogeneity analysis revealed that external financing plays a complementary mediation role in the impact of entrepreneur gender on performance in West China. In the tertiary industry, external financing acts as the sole mediator for the impact of gender on firm performance. Notably, this mediating effect is present in non-startups but not in startups.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that external financing can improve the firm performance of female entrepreneurs. Governments and policymakers should strengthen financial support for female entrepreneurs in West China, tertiary industry and non-startup enterprises.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature on gender and corporate governance by shedding light on the mediating role of external financing in the relationship between the gender of business owners and firm performance.
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