The private sector is deemed as an engine of growth. As such, many developing countries including... more The private sector is deemed as an engine of growth. As such, many developing countries including Ghana have sought to develop the private sector to propel the growth of their economies. This notwithstanding, much has not been done to examine the effects of such efforts on the productivity of firms in relation to trade reforms in the context of the private sector. This paper contributes to the trade literature by examining how tariffs affect the productivity of manufacturing firms in Ghana’s private sector using firm-level data from 1991 to 2001. In the first step, productivity is estimated via the Levisohn-Petrin approach in order to correct for the well-known simultaneity and selection biases. In the second step, the effect of tariffs on the derived productivity is analysed. The findings suggest that lower tariffs are associated with a decline in the productivity of Ghanaian private firms in the manufacturing sector. Keywords: tariffs; productivity; trade liberalization; private sector; manufacturing
The development of the private sector has been recognized as the means to accelerate the rapid in... more The development of the private sector has been recognized as the means to accelerate the rapid industrialization desired by developing countries. In this light, Ghana embarked on the Structural Adjustment Programme in the late 1980s which gave prominence to the private sector as an engine of growth in the country. Since then, other policies and programmes have been instituted by successive governments to make the private sector flourish and drive the country's economic prosperity. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to bring to light the policies that have been geared toward the private sector in Ghana over the years as well as the evolution of development thinking on private sector development. The paper also highlights the contributions of the private sector to Ghana's development and the challenges that stifle the growth of the sector. This paper is relevant for policy makers as it draws attention to both what has been done and what still needs to be done to make the private sector in Ghana viable.
This paper examined the effect of work environment on job satisfaction with the spotlight on a me... more This paper examined the effect of work environment on job satisfaction with the spotlight on a merchant bank in Ghana. Among other objectives, the paper set out to ascertain the impact of physical and mental environment on employees' performance, to know the overall satisfaction level of employees in the bank and study whether physical, social and psychological work environment affect job satisfaction. Stratified sampling technique was adopted to select the sample for the study. Questionnaire was used as the research instrument while Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was employed to analyze the data gathered from the field study. Findings of the study indicated that most of the staff at the bank are satisfied with their work environment especially the physical ambiance. The paper concludes that the environment has a significant effect on employees' satisfaction. The findings of the paper emphasize the need for management to improve the work environment of employees to boost productivity.
This paper examined the role of psychological contract on organisational behaviour and organisati... more This paper examined the role of psychological contract on organisational behaviour and organisational commitment. A case study approach of research design was adopted in gathering data from 65 respondents from a public university in Ghana. Stratified random sampling method was employed to group the respondents into strata. Purposive sampling method was then employed to select the respondents for the study. The field data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the study showed that commitment between employer and employees depend on the fulfilment of the perceived expectations between the two parties. Again, the study pointed out that majority of the employees would leave the organisation if their perceived expectations were not met. The study recommended that aside the written conditions of contract, employees must behave appropriately so that they will get the best from management.
Despite the vital role of women entrepreneurs in the economic development of their families and c... more Despite the vital role of women entrepreneurs in the economic development of their families and countries, it has been revealed that they have low business performance compared to their male counterparts. In this paper, an analysis of the business profile and entrepreneurial characteristics of women owned Small and Medium Enterprises in the Tamale Metropolis has been carried out. A cross-sectional design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs who have benefited from
This paper examined the determinants of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) growth in the Tamale ... more This paper examined the determinants of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) growth in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana using logistic regression. Growth was measured based on three key performance indicators of gross profits, employment and asset levels. Logistic regressions were estimated to identify the determinants of growth for each of the performance indicators. A survey was conducted on 199 women owned enterprises in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana that had accessed micro credit from 2010-2014. The relationship between the performance indicators and a set of explanatory variables grouped into entrepreneur characteristics, business profile, loan and banking profile and enterprise size were considered. The results showed that entrepreneur characteristics and business profile 325 significantly predicts the growth in gross profits of the SMEs. Specifically the person(s) put in charge of the day-today running of the business enterprise had a significant relationship with the growth in gross profit of the enterprise at the 1% significance level whilst household size of entrepreneur was significant at the 5% level. However, employment and asset growth were not significantly predicted by the explanatory variables at both the 1 and 5 % levels.
In recent times, there has been a surge in small scale mining activities in Ghana which has made ... more In recent times, there has been a surge in small scale mining activities in Ghana which has made significant contributions to the national gold output, foreign exchange earnings, and employment among others. This paper investigated the impact of small scale gold mining on the living conditions of the people of the West Gonja District in the Northern Region of Ghana. The research involved: (a) the determination of gender and generation roles in small scale mining activities; (b) the determination of the effect of mining activities on employment, education, health, agriculture and cost of living of the people in the district and (c) The identification of the areas of interventions that will eradicate the negative effects of small scale gold mining in the district. Data of sampled households in four communities in Damongo was gathered and analyzed. The research methods included; semi structured interviews, validated self-administered questionnaires and observations. Sampling of communities and households was done using a combination of stratified and simple random sampling procedures. The study revealed varied effects with respect to small scale miners and the general community. Small scale mining has contributed positively in improving the lives of the people in the form of employment, revenue generation and meeting health, educational and basic family needs. It also confirmed the associated social, and environmental negative effects of small scale mining. The paper concludes that in the absence of a viable alternative source of economic livelihood, the West Gonja District Assembly should organize small scale miners into groups, assist them to acquire equipment needed for their operations and regularly monitor and control their activities.
Since the inception of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, there has been increased interest on how t... more Since the inception of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, there has been increased interest on how to restart the Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) market especially in Europe. The crisis exposed several shortcomings in the securitization process which include inadequate due diligence on the part of investors, conflicts of interest and misaligned incentives among participants along the securitization chain, overreliance on rating agency risk models, and lack of transparency regarding collateral and deal structures. This paper therefore provides an insight into how ABS will be conducted in Europe after the recent financial crisis and highlights the current developments in the securitization of financial assets. The paper examined how the financial crisis of 2007-2008 has reshaped the business of ABS using data from the Association of Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and European Securitization Forum (ESF) quarterly reports. A hypothesis was formulated and four research questions were answered with the help of secondary data
The private sector is deemed as an engine of growth. As such, many developing countries including... more The private sector is deemed as an engine of growth. As such, many developing countries including Ghana have sought to develop the private sector to propel the growth of their economies. This notwithstanding, much has not been done to examine the effects of such efforts on the productivity of firms in relation to trade reforms in the context of the private sector. This paper contributes to the trade literature by examining how tariffs affect the productivity of manufacturing firms in Ghana’s private sector using firm-level data from 1991 to 2001. In the first step, productivity is estimated via the Levisohn-Petrin approach in order to correct for the well-known simultaneity and selection biases. In the second step, the effect of tariffs on the derived productivity is analysed. The findings suggest that lower tariffs are associated with a decline in the productivity of Ghanaian private firms in the manufacturing sector. Keywords: tariffs; productivity; trade liberalization; private sector; manufacturing
The development of the private sector has been recognized as the means to accelerate the rapid in... more The development of the private sector has been recognized as the means to accelerate the rapid industrialization desired by developing countries. In this light, Ghana embarked on the Structural Adjustment Programme in the late 1980s which gave prominence to the private sector as an engine of growth in the country. Since then, other policies and programmes have been instituted by successive governments to make the private sector flourish and drive the country's economic prosperity. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to bring to light the policies that have been geared toward the private sector in Ghana over the years as well as the evolution of development thinking on private sector development. The paper also highlights the contributions of the private sector to Ghana's development and the challenges that stifle the growth of the sector. This paper is relevant for policy makers as it draws attention to both what has been done and what still needs to be done to make the private sector in Ghana viable.
This paper examined the effect of work environment on job satisfaction with the spotlight on a me... more This paper examined the effect of work environment on job satisfaction with the spotlight on a merchant bank in Ghana. Among other objectives, the paper set out to ascertain the impact of physical and mental environment on employees' performance, to know the overall satisfaction level of employees in the bank and study whether physical, social and psychological work environment affect job satisfaction. Stratified sampling technique was adopted to select the sample for the study. Questionnaire was used as the research instrument while Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was employed to analyze the data gathered from the field study. Findings of the study indicated that most of the staff at the bank are satisfied with their work environment especially the physical ambiance. The paper concludes that the environment has a significant effect on employees' satisfaction. The findings of the paper emphasize the need for management to improve the work environment of employees to boost productivity.
This paper examined the role of psychological contract on organisational behaviour and organisati... more This paper examined the role of psychological contract on organisational behaviour and organisational commitment. A case study approach of research design was adopted in gathering data from 65 respondents from a public university in Ghana. Stratified random sampling method was employed to group the respondents into strata. Purposive sampling method was then employed to select the respondents for the study. The field data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the study showed that commitment between employer and employees depend on the fulfilment of the perceived expectations between the two parties. Again, the study pointed out that majority of the employees would leave the organisation if their perceived expectations were not met. The study recommended that aside the written conditions of contract, employees must behave appropriately so that they will get the best from management.
Despite the vital role of women entrepreneurs in the economic development of their families and c... more Despite the vital role of women entrepreneurs in the economic development of their families and countries, it has been revealed that they have low business performance compared to their male counterparts. In this paper, an analysis of the business profile and entrepreneurial characteristics of women owned Small and Medium Enterprises in the Tamale Metropolis has been carried out. A cross-sectional design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs who have benefited from
This paper examined the determinants of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) growth in the Tamale ... more This paper examined the determinants of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) growth in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana using logistic regression. Growth was measured based on three key performance indicators of gross profits, employment and asset levels. Logistic regressions were estimated to identify the determinants of growth for each of the performance indicators. A survey was conducted on 199 women owned enterprises in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana that had accessed micro credit from 2010-2014. The relationship between the performance indicators and a set of explanatory variables grouped into entrepreneur characteristics, business profile, loan and banking profile and enterprise size were considered. The results showed that entrepreneur characteristics and business profile 325 significantly predicts the growth in gross profits of the SMEs. Specifically the person(s) put in charge of the day-today running of the business enterprise had a significant relationship with the growth in gross profit of the enterprise at the 1% significance level whilst household size of entrepreneur was significant at the 5% level. However, employment and asset growth were not significantly predicted by the explanatory variables at both the 1 and 5 % levels.
In recent times, there has been a surge in small scale mining activities in Ghana which has made ... more In recent times, there has been a surge in small scale mining activities in Ghana which has made significant contributions to the national gold output, foreign exchange earnings, and employment among others. This paper investigated the impact of small scale gold mining on the living conditions of the people of the West Gonja District in the Northern Region of Ghana. The research involved: (a) the determination of gender and generation roles in small scale mining activities; (b) the determination of the effect of mining activities on employment, education, health, agriculture and cost of living of the people in the district and (c) The identification of the areas of interventions that will eradicate the negative effects of small scale gold mining in the district. Data of sampled households in four communities in Damongo was gathered and analyzed. The research methods included; semi structured interviews, validated self-administered questionnaires and observations. Sampling of communities and households was done using a combination of stratified and simple random sampling procedures. The study revealed varied effects with respect to small scale miners and the general community. Small scale mining has contributed positively in improving the lives of the people in the form of employment, revenue generation and meeting health, educational and basic family needs. It also confirmed the associated social, and environmental negative effects of small scale mining. The paper concludes that in the absence of a viable alternative source of economic livelihood, the West Gonja District Assembly should organize small scale miners into groups, assist them to acquire equipment needed for their operations and regularly monitor and control their activities.
Since the inception of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, there has been increased interest on how t... more Since the inception of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, there has been increased interest on how to restart the Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) market especially in Europe. The crisis exposed several shortcomings in the securitization process which include inadequate due diligence on the part of investors, conflicts of interest and misaligned incentives among participants along the securitization chain, overreliance on rating agency risk models, and lack of transparency regarding collateral and deal structures. This paper therefore provides an insight into how ABS will be conducted in Europe after the recent financial crisis and highlights the current developments in the securitization of financial assets. The paper examined how the financial crisis of 2007-2008 has reshaped the business of ABS using data from the Association of Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and European Securitization Forum (ESF) quarterly reports. A hypothesis was formulated and four research questions were answered with the help of secondary data
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Keywords: tariffs; productivity; trade liberalization; private sector; manufacturing
Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) market especially in Europe. The crisis exposed several shortcomings in the
securitization process which include inadequate due diligence on the part of investors, conflicts of interest and
misaligned incentives among participants along the securitization chain, overreliance on rating agency risk
models, and lack of transparency regarding collateral and deal structures. This paper therefore provides an
insight into how ABS will be conducted in Europe after the recent financial crisis and highlights the current
developments in the securitization of financial assets. The paper examined how the financial crisis of 2007-2008
has reshaped the business of ABS using data from the Association of Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and
European Securitization Forum (ESF) quarterly reports. A hypothesis was formulated and four research
questions were answered with the help of secondary data
Keywords: tariffs; productivity; trade liberalization; private sector; manufacturing
Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) market especially in Europe. The crisis exposed several shortcomings in the
securitization process which include inadequate due diligence on the part of investors, conflicts of interest and
misaligned incentives among participants along the securitization chain, overreliance on rating agency risk
models, and lack of transparency regarding collateral and deal structures. This paper therefore provides an
insight into how ABS will be conducted in Europe after the recent financial crisis and highlights the current
developments in the securitization of financial assets. The paper examined how the financial crisis of 2007-2008
has reshaped the business of ABS using data from the Association of Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and
European Securitization Forum (ESF) quarterly reports. A hypothesis was formulated and four research
questions were answered with the help of secondary data