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1 – 10 of 195Following the trend in the world over and on the African continent, the Parliament of Ghana passed a new law in 2020, the Narcotics Control Commission Act (Act 1019) that eased…
Abstract
Purpose
Following the trend in the world over and on the African continent, the Parliament of Ghana passed a new law in 2020, the Narcotics Control Commission Act (Act 1019) that eased the legal restrictions on cannabis cultivation and use, subject to obtaining license from the relevant authority/authorities. This paper aims to examine the implications of Ghana’s decision to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for industrial purposes for the production of fibre and for medicinal purposes.
Design/methodology/approach
The author adopted the qualitative analysis critical review methodology in sourcing information from peer-reviewed articles, coupled with the author’s own professional knowledge, background and training, to critically analyse and review the reasons behind Ghana’s decision to legalise cannabis cultivation and the implications such a major policy change/shift.
Findings
It was found that, while the law mentions industrial and medicinal purposes for the legalisation of cannabis, the real reason, at least in the immediate term, is mainly economic. This agrees with those of other African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation but appears to contrast with those of Europe and America.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited to Ghana and the few African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation so far. The main reason for the legalisation (economic benefits) may also change in the future when the economics of scale turn in the favour of the country. Therefore, Ghana’s case may not represent the case of all countries legalising cannabis cultivation.
Practical implications
The research implication of this paper is that it brings to the world the law on cannabis cultivation in Ghana. It provides a professional and scientific position paper on Ghana’s drug law regime regarding cannabis, thus, serving as a useful reference literature to the academic and research community on the topic. More importantly, it discusses the implications of such major policy change from an objective perspective, unravelling the real reason behind the State’s decision to legalise the cultivation of cannabis in Ghana.
Social implications
This paper will bring to the fore the other consequences of Ghana’s cannabis cultivation legalisation policy change, which little attention has been devoted to so far.
Originality/value
This paper, apart from reference to other published texts on the topic, which have been duly acknowledged, represents the sole work of the author. It has not been produced anywhere or by anyone else either in Ghana or elsewhere.
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Christopher Amoah, Emmanuel Bamfo-Agyei and Fredrick Simpeh
Higher education institutions are the citadel of knowledge and are heavily involved in formulating building regulations and building infrastructure designs that must conform to…
Abstract
Purpose
Higher education institutions are the citadel of knowledge and are heavily involved in formulating building regulations and building infrastructure designs that must conform to the building regulations. The study aims to identify university infrastructures compliant with disabled access from the perspective of the built environment students in Ghanaian universities.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaire surveys were administered to 500 built environment students across ten technical universities in Ghana with a total population of 3066; 341 were expected based on the formula used. However, upon several reminders, 176 responded. Data collected were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.
Findings
The findings show that all university facilities are not fully compliant with disabled access. Structures found to be least compliant are the laboratories, canteens, hall of residence, toilet facilities, football fields, places of worship and transport stations. The facilities with high compliance are the administration block, library, hospital building, lecture halls, department offices and ATM areas. The leading causes for this non-compliant are lack of enforcement of the building regulations, low level of disabled students’ enrolment, age of the building, lack of knowledge and poor building designs.
Practical implications
Compliance with disabled access makes universities world class and creates safe learning spaces for individuals with disabilities, enforcing the right to education for all individuals, particularly those with disabilities. Lack of compliance with disabled access will hamper the full utilisation of these facilities, thereby affecting quality education delivery to people with disabilities.
Originality/value
The findings are essential to the Ghanaian built environment, the lives of disabled individuals and universities. The results provide knowledge on areas of improvement for complete access to structures and facilities by disabled individuals.
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Miller Williams Appau, Elvis Attakora-Amaniampong and Iruka Chijindu Anugwo
Providing student housing designed to support students living with a disability is a global challenge. This study assesses buildings' physical health condition systems and drivers…
Abstract
Purpose
Providing student housing designed to support students living with a disability is a global challenge. This study assesses buildings' physical health condition systems and drivers of physical health condition effects on students living with disability (SWD) in purpose-built university housing in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used quantitative design and methods based on the theory of supportive design premises. Using the partial least square structural equation model, a survey of 301 students living with a physical disability, mild visual disability and mild hearing disability was collected in 225 student housings.
Findings
The study found that insect control and cleaning services are a priority in off-campus building design and management and directly positively affected the sense of control and physical health of SWD. The nature of lightning systems, noise and thermal comfort directly negatively affected SWD disability learning and discomfort.
Practical implications
Reviewing and enforcing student housing design drawings at the preliminary development stage by university management is critical. More broadly, physical health systems that control cleaning, noise and thermal comfort are essential for SWD health in student housing.
Originality/value
Studies on all-inclusive building designs have consistently focused on lecture theaters and libraries with limited attention on the physical health condition systems in student housing that support the quality healthcare of university campuses. Research on physical health condition systems in student housing is significant for all-inclusiveness and student housing management.
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Abdallah Abdul-Rahaman, Kwame Adom and Ibn Kailan Abdul-Hamid
Entrepreneurial education is gaining traction in Ghana. The purpose of this chapter was to assess the influences of social enterprises in promoting entrepreneurial education…
Abstract
Entrepreneurial education is gaining traction in Ghana. The purpose of this chapter was to assess the influences of social enterprises in promoting entrepreneurial education, using Ghanaian social enterprises as a case study. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. A multiple case study analysis examined the influences of social enterprises in Ghana. Four in-depth qualitative case studies offer insight into social enterprise practices. Sustainability, innovation, control and employment issues stand out as key effects of Ghanaian social enterprise practices. The social practice theory framework is used to draw the linkages of the structure and agency relationships. Sustainability emerges as the most dominant impact of social enterprise practice followed by innovation, control and employment. These four descriptive terms summarise the universal effects of Ghanaian social enterprises' practices. The study identifies and assesses the role of social enterprises in social entrepreneurial education in addressing social ills and environmental challenges facing Ghana. The emphasis placed on each of the identified four constructs describes the plausible roles of Ghana's social enterprises in achieving productive entrepreneurship through entrepreneurship education. The result shows the pursuit of multiple practices is a common feature of social enterprises. The limitations of the study stem from methodological approach as it is qualitative approach bias and a single country case. Likewise, the subjectivities of the samples direct the results of the study. The study draws the attention of stakeholders and policymakers to the goodwill of social entrepreneurship education in Ghana. Many studies have been conducted on entrepreneurial education in the contextual setting of this study. This present study focused on the practices of social enterprises in Ghana that influences entrepreneurial education.
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Alaric Awingura Alagbela and Jonas Bayuo
School effectiveness has attracted some currency in educational research globally since the 1960s though such studies mostly point to the efforts of principal leadership as the…
Abstract
Purpose
School effectiveness has attracted some currency in educational research globally since the 1960s though such studies mostly point to the efforts of principal leadership as the basis for promoting effective schools. However, in the case of Ghana, there is a lack of research conducted in the area, and due to that, this study sought to explore internal public perspectives of what constitutes school effectiveness in the Colleges of Education in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed the convergent parallel mixed-method design otherwise called concurrent mixed-method design. The population for the study comprised second and third-year students, tutors and leadership of the colleges. In total, 308 respondents constituted the sample size. The breakdown is 257 students in all, 41 tutors and 10 leaders of the colleges. Two instruments, namely, an in-depth interview guide and a questionnaire were used to elicit responses to address the object of this study.
Findings
The study revealed that the characteristics of effective schools include the high academic performance of students and a good show of disciplined behavior by both students and staff in the colleges among others.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge, during the search for studies conducted on school effectiveness, there is no scientific study done in Ghana highlighting the attributes of effective educational institutions. Most of the studies conducted in the area of educational studies only focused on principal leadership, educational access, participation and equity at the level of pre-tertiary institutions.
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Rafiq Ahmad and Muhammad Rafiq
The digital contents (d-contents) are vulnerable to various threats either natural or manmade. Digital preservation is the plethora of a wide array of strategies necessary for the…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital contents (d-contents) are vulnerable to various threats either natural or manmade. Digital preservation is the plethora of a wide array of strategies necessary for the long-term preservation of digital objects. This study was carried out to assess the digital preservation practices for information resources in university libraries of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey based on a structured questionnaire was carried out to conduct the study. The questionnaire containing two sets of strategies (general and technical) was distributed amongst the whole population and received 90% response rate.
Findings
Overall, progressive implementation of general digital preservation practices was noted in these libraries like checking the digital collections for viruses, keeping the digital media in fire/water/theft proof locations, restricting unauthorized access, maintaining ideal humidity and temperature, and checking the digital media for functionality. Amongst the technical practices, only replication was in practice at a progressive rate, followed by metadata recording and media refreshing that was sometimes practiced in these libraries. The other technical practices were rarely or never practiced in these libraries. Significant variances in general and technical digital preservation practices were noted based on their physical locations (regional distribution).
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes a comprehensive set of digital preservation practices divided into general and technical types to conduct similar studies in other parts of the world.
Practical implications
The findings stress the need for national and institutional policies, funding streams and skill enhancement of library staff.
Originality/value
The study fills the literature gap and contributes a comprehensive set of digital preservation practices divided into general and technical types to conduct similar studies in other parts of the world.
Peer review
The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2023-0074
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A. A. Obalade, T. Moodley, N. Ncama, N. Mkhize, M. Pillay and T. Singh
The establishment of a currency union is a topical issue in the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ). The subject of currency union formation needs to be reassessed in light of the…
Abstract
The establishment of a currency union is a topical issue in the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ). The subject of currency union formation needs to be reassessed in light of the recent efforts towards the economic integration of west African countries. This study employs the Markov Switching Model (MSM) to determine whether a currency union in WAMZ is feasible. The study analyzes the regime switching behavior in WAMZ countries’ foreign exchange markets before and after the formation of the union. The contribution of this study is two-fold. First, the study accounts for the success or otherwise of the latest efforts to integrate the fiscal and monetary strategies in the zone. Secondly, the study contributes to the literature on the currency union literature in WAMZ by using Markov Switching Model (MSM) to generate novel results. The results of the study revealed that prior to the WAMZ formation, the real exchange rates of member states were more divergent. In contrast, a growing but marginal, convergence was observed after the formation of the zone amongst four (Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Liberia) of the six countries. The authors conclude that while WAMZ is on course for establishing a currency union, their monetary authorities must work together, particularly with Ghana and Liberia, to synchronize their policy efforts, and policy makers must implement policies to strengthen harmonious trade interactions.
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Miller Williams Appau, Elvis Attakora-Amaniampong and Oliver Tannor
The adaptation of emerging building designs for single room occupancy in off-campus university student housing during the COVID-19 pandemic is evolving. However, assessing its…
Abstract
Purpose
The adaptation of emerging building designs for single room occupancy in off-campus university student housing during the COVID-19 pandemic is evolving. However, assessing its effects on student satisfaction to compensate for COVID-19-associated impacts is missing. As a result, the study examines the satisfaction of students with emerging building designs in single-room off-campus student housing in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is quantitatively based on positivist philosophical thinking. A purposive sample of 202 purpose-built student housing facilities was selected across public and private universities in Ghana. Using systematic stratified sampling, the study sampled 1,212 student residents through a survey. A principal component method (PCM) was used to assess the availability of 10 emerging building design and basic building services variables across the study location. Multiple regression was employed to determine the satisfaction and predict potential variables for policy formulation.
Findings
The analysis revealed that private space for social distancing, the availability of hands-free fittings in the toilet and bathroom, and the availability of hands-free fixtures in the kitchen unit was common single-room self-occupancy support systems. However, there is a huge gap in the availability of key emerging building designs and basic building services and their associated effects on students' satisfaction across the study locations. Therefore, relevant proposals to serve as fundamental requirements for developing an off-campus student housing model during pandemics were indicated.
Research limitations/implications
It is seen that emerging building designs across the housing sector are equally evolving among off-campus student housing. The study helped to understand that student satisfaction with emerging building designs and basic services is a motivational need for students. However, the preparedness of student housing owners to adopt and satisfy the requirements of these design require further studies.
Originality/value
While COVID-19 and its associated effect keep evolving in building design requirements, it is equally relevant to assess the students' satisfaction with these designs and services among single room occupancy-made off-campus student housing. This research is limited to Africa.
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Kwame Oduro Amoako, Isaac Oduro Amoako, James Tuffour, Gilbert Zana Naab and Kofi Owiredu-Ghorman
Drawing on both the stakeholder theory and Carroll’s Corporate Social Responsibility Pyramid, this chapter explores sustainability practice challenges of a gold minning…
Abstract
Drawing on both the stakeholder theory and Carroll’s Corporate Social Responsibility Pyramid, this chapter explores sustainability practice challenges of a gold minning multinational enterprise in Ghana. Primary data was collected through observation and the interviewing of multi-stakeholder groups. We found that internal stakeholders perceive sustainability expenditure as costly. However, while employees of the case enterprise see the cost as depleting shareholders’ wealth, managers view them as investment with possible long-term benefits. Meanwhile, the external stakeholders perceive the gold mining enterprise’s sustainability expenditure as meagre and that beneficiary communities are not economically empowered to sustain those investments. Again, we found that government’s inability to clamp down illegal gold mining threatens economic and environmental sustainability. Additionally, members of the host community identify the lack of adequate employment opportunities within the entity as a hindrance to their economic empowerment. We submit that the resolution of the sustainability challenges would contribute to the balancing of stakeholders’ expectations: the conduct of ethical business through compliance to environmental laws; promotion of host communities’ social well-being; and improved economic returns for shareholders. By meeting the needs of stakeholders, gold mining enterprises could gain acceptance in their host communities and boost corporate reputation.
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