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WIth limited research on the effects of variable message sign (VMS) message content and verbiage on revealed driver behavior, this study aims to investigate how different verbiage of crash-related messages are related to the diversion rate.

Using ordered logit models, the associations of message verbiage with diversion rates during crash incidents were assessed using five years of VMS message history within a section of I-15 in the state of Utah.

A significant impact of message verbiage on the diversion rate was observed. Based on the analysis results, the crash message verbiage with the highest diversion was found to be miles to crash + “prepare to stop,” followed by crash location + delay information, miles to crash + “use caution” + lane of the crash, etc. In addition, the diversion rate was found to be correlated to some roadway characteristics (e.g. occupancy in mainline, weather condition and light condition) along with the temporal variations.

These findings could be used by transportation agencies (e.g. state department of transportation [DOTs]) to make informed decisions about choosing the message verbiage during future crash incidents. This study also revealed that higher diversion rates are associated with a shorter distance between the crash location and VMS device location, recommending increasing the number of VMS devices, particularly in crash-prone areas.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the non-linear relationship between income diversification and efficiency of Ghanaian banks within the universal banking era.

The stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) technique is employed on annual data of 26 Ghanaian banks from 2003 to 2011 to estimate cost and profit efficiency scores. In the second stage analysis, a tobit regression model is estimated to examine the empirical effect of diversification into non-interest generating activities on estimated cost and profit efficiency scores while controlling for other bank specific characteristics.

The findings of the SFA reveal high levels of efficiency in cost compared with profit to reflect high inefficiencies on the revenue side. An analysis of efficiency scores by two categories of bank size suggests that large banks have high cost and profit efficiency compared to small banks. A non-linear relationship is found between income diversification and efficiency while size was also found to be important in enabling banks exploit the potential benefits of income diversification.

This study focuses on one banking market in Africa. A comparative analysis in a cross-section of banking markets in Africa will be useful to bring robustness to the findings of this study.

The findings of this study provides useful insights for management on the best corporate model in ensuring that diversification activities are efficiency-enhancing.

This study presents the first empirical evidence on the non-linear relationship between efficiency and income diversification in emerging banking markets in Africa.