Browsing by Author "Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,"
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Item Corporate Social Responsibility in Ghana.(2011) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, K.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) an ethical, non-legislative, non-forcing approach to promoting responsible behaviours within organisations employs the central route of persuasion which consists of thoughtful considerations of arguments to achieve desired results. Studies suggest that attitudes that change through persuasion are more likely to persist temporally, resist counter persuasion and are more likely to predict behaviour (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). It is therefore worthwhile examining the usage of the CSR concept in Ghana particularly in the mining industry where it enjoys some popularity. This paper defined CSR as the strategic decision of an organisation to voluntary act upon the social factors that have the potential of militating against the fulfillment of corporate goals and examines the CSR concept in the Ghanaian mining industry. In Ghana the concept has tended to focus on the external environment to the neglect of the internal environment from where employees operate.Item Corporate Social Responsibility in Ghana: A Sectoral Analysis. In Corporate Social Responsibility in Sub-Saharan Africa(2016) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, K.CSR as the strategic decision of an organisation to voluntary act upon the social factors that have the potential of militating against the fulfilment of corporate goals is a fast evolving concept in Ghana, led by large scale multinational companies. The concept has been “bastardised” in the country with various sectors of the economy having a different interpretation to it. It is common to read daily in the news print various activities which are classified as part of the social responsibilities of various organisations. The lack of uniformity in the definition/description of the concept is worrying and therefore calls for a baseline understanding of the concept as practiced by different sectors of the Ghanaian economy. This work therefore adopts a sectoral approach to the classification and understanding of the concept. A documentation review, specifically, a thematic analysis of various newspaper reports, website information on CSR undertakings of companies and previous literature of CSR activities undertaken by various organisations from 2007 to 2015 formed the framework and methodological approach for the study. The various organisations were classified based on their main operations and based on the CSR activities undertaken. Notable amongst the findings were the following; Organisations in the mining industry were more into community relations, curative and preventive health issues and environmental protection activities. The telecommunication sector was into health related activities, education and infrastructure development. The banks were into donating to the underprivileged and offering scholarships to needy but brilliant students and also involved in refurbishing school buildings and financing adult literacy programmes. The manufacturing sector on the other hand support education and health related activities and sometimes lend extension services to producers of their raw materials. The CSR activities of the agriculture sector are geared towards the betterment of the lives of farmers who supply produce to them and the development of farming communities in which they operate. For religious bodies’ especially Christians and Muslims, the concept of CSR has been one of charity. This is because of the belief that God blesses those who give especially to the needy and the underprivileged such as orphans, the sick and the poor. Generally in Ghana, the concept has tended to focus on externalities to the neglect of the internal issues that bother on employee well-being.Item CSH-OHS: Expert views, analysis and commentary on two potent contrivances towards achieving MDGs(2012) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, K.Item Effects of Dwindling Gold Prices on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Performance in Ghana’s Mining Sector.(Springer, Cham, 2017-03-28) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Tuokuu, F. X. D.Since the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) in the 1980s, the gold mining sector has been a major contributor to the economies of many African countries including Ghana. There has been a fall in the global prices of gold in recent times resulting in budget cuts especially those not directly related to corporate prosperity, as well as job losses. This study sought to examine the level of CSR activities in five of the big mining companies operating in Ghana. Findings from the study pointed to a reduction in the profit margins of mining companies as a result of the fallen gold prices, which has invariably affected the volume and nature of CSR activities engaged in by the mining companies in the past 5 years. The study concluded that the fallen price of gold has re-defined the form and shape of CSR activities among mining companies in Ghana.Item Emerging “Dutch disease” in Emerging Oil Economy:(2012) Dartey-Baah, K.,; Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Aratuo, D.N.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the Ghanaian economy within the context of its macro-economic indicators and the performance of the agricultural sector against the backdrop of the exogenous economic explanation of the resource curse. This is aimed at equipping policy makers with the tools needed in identifying symptoms of the Dutch disease as it transitions from an agrarian to an oil economy. Design/methodology/approach – This is a research paper, employing quantitative and qualitative data of the macro-economic indicators in the last ten years (2000-2010) and policy initiatives since the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Ghana. Furthermore, it also examines theoretical perspectives of the Dutch disease as frames of analysis to gauge the existence of any symptoms of the latter. Findings – The paper questions a previous World Bank (2009) report classifying the Ghanaian economy as already showing signs of the Dutch disease. The paper suggests that the macro-economic indicators show resilience and stability of the economy which is necessary for growth. It is observed that various government policies are aimed at improving agriculture inspite of the emerging oil industry. The paper recognizes some areas of concern and recommends further studies to observe the changes in dynamics when the “petro-dollars” begin to flow into the economy. Originality/value – This is a pioneering work which seeks to provide early warning signals of the Dutch disease in an emerging oil economy.Item Here Comes Another Questionnaire! The Questionnaire Allergy among Business Executives in Ghana.(2012) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, K.,; Ametorwo, A.M.The paper seeks to find out reasons for completion or non-completion of research questionnaires, and to sample general views regarding questionnaire administration and reaction by respondents. It makes recommendations as to how questionnaires should be designed in order to increase response rates. The convenient sample and purposive sampling designs were used in obtaining information from 95 students reading for the Executive Masters in Business Administration at the University of Ghana Business School, through the use of questionnaires. Previous studies have pointed out that through poor response rates, the validity of questionnaires is compromised. The paper confirms the previous findings and adds that ambiguity of questions, too lengthy questionnaires and many open-ended questions militate against completion of questionnaires. Further research in this area has been suggested, and recommendations as to how questionnaires should be constructed in order to elicit better response rates have been provided.Item The impact of safety climate on safety related driving behaviors.(Elsevier Ltd., 2016-07) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Mensah, J.This study explored the impact of safety climate, age and tenure as a driver on safety related driving behaviors among 290 company drivers in Ghana. The study found a negative relationship between safety climate and studied work-related behaviors: speeding, rule violation, inattention and driving whiles tired. The study also found that age significantly predicted the extent to which drivers engaged in safety related driving behaviors. The results showed that young drivers (aged 20–35 years) engage more in risky driving behaviors relative to adult drivers (aged 36–60 years). The study also found that the tenure of a driver did not significantly affect work-related driver behaviors. The findings from this study suggests that in the quest to reduce safety related traffic accidents and its resulting consequences such as injuries, absenteeism and deaths, a critical organizational variable that organizations can use to mitigate this canker is commitment to and strict adherence to safety practices and regulations. By extension, the findings suggest, Ghana’s commitment to safety practices and enforcement of safety regulations and policies among others can help the country win the battle against road accidents.Item Linking commuting stress to job satisfaction and turnover intention: The mediating role of burnout.(Taylor & Francis, Informa UK Limited, 2016-04-20) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Annor, F.,; Arthur, B. G.This study uses structural equation modelling to test a model that posits that commuting stress would have direct and indirect effects (through burnout) on employee job satisfaction and turnover intention. Based on a sample (N = 336) of employees from diverse occupations in Ghana, the results partly supported the authors’ hypothesized model. Commuting stress was positively related to burnout and turnover intention but had no direct relationship with job satisfaction. In addition, commuting stress was indirectly related to job satisfaction and turnover intention via burnout. These results were found to be invariant for men and women. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.Item The Mining Industry in Ghana Blessing or Curse.(2011) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, K.Mining has become a controversial business everywhere. Issues of mining are in the wake because of the increasing demands for mineral products and diminishing nature of such minerals in the West. This seemingly opportunity for developing countries like Ghana which have mineral deposits comes with its accompanying repercussions. This paper looks at the general mining environment as a whole, narrowed down to developing countries with emphasis in the Ghanaian context. The impact and contributions of the sector to the economy, as well as the emerging trends of the industry in Ghana in terms of law enforcement are touched on. This conceptual paper identifies that with the international mining industry becoming more cosmopolitan, developing countries will have to develop a competitive mining regime based on greater economic equality, mutual benefit and in accordance with generally accepted notions of fairness.Item Occupational Health and Safety and Sustainable Development in Ghana(2013) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,This paper examines the state of occupational health and safety in Ghana and the role it plays in the sustainable development agenda of the country. It reviews literature on the triple bottom line (people, profits and planets) and how they are affected by OHS policies and the effects of work related hazards on sustainable development. The paper observes the argument that there are three pillars of sustainable development; people, planet and profit. The paper also reveals that OHS has three pillars similar to sustainability; Economy, Environment and Society. It thus recommends that there should be sound OHS policies that will embrace sufficient environmental friendly programmes to ensure that the employees are safe and hence ensure sustainability.Item Occupational Health and Safety Management and Turnover Intention in the Ghanaian Mining Sector.(Elsevier Korea LLC, 2016-03) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Ntow, M. A. O.,; Mensah, J.Background The mining industry is considered as one of the most dangerous and hazardous industries and the need for effective and efficient occupational health and safety management is critical to safeguard workers and the industry. Despite the dangers and hazards present in the mining industry, only few studies have focused on how occupational health and safety and turnover intentions in the mines. Method The study suing a cross-sectional survey design collected quantitative data from the 255 mine workers that were conveniently sampled from the Ghanaian mining industry. The data collection tools were standardized questionnaires that measured occupational health and safety management and turnover intentions. These scales were also pretested before their usage in actual data collection. Results The correlation coefficient showed that a negative relationship existed between dimensions of occupational health and safety management and turnover intention; safety leadership (r = −0.33, p < 0.01); supervision (r = −0.26, p < 0.01); safety facilities and equipment (r = −0.32, p < 0.01); safety procedure (r = −0.27, p < 0.01). Among these dimensions, safety leadership and safety facility were significant predictors of turnover intention, (β = −0.28, p < 0.01) and (β = −0.24, p < 0.01) respectively. The study also found that turnover intention of employees is heavily influenced by the commitment of safety leadership in ensuring the effective formulation of policies and supervision of occupational health and safety at the workplace. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that safety leadership is crucial in the administration of occupational health and safety and reducing turnover intention in organizations.Item Occupational Health and Safety: Key Issues and Concerns in Ghana.(2011) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, K.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) poor occupational health and reduced working capacity of workers may cause economic loss up to 10-20% of the Gross National Product of a country. In countries like Ghana with fast growing workforce coupled with a growing informal sector, workers have tended to fight for job security neglecting the need for quality work life. It is argued that poor countries and companies cannot afford safety and health measures. However, there is no evidence that any country or company in the long run would have benefited from poor safety and health. This paper examines occupational health and safety (OHS) issues in Ghana and reveals the lack of a comprehensive OHS policy, poor infrastructure and funding, insufficient number of qualified occupational health and safety practitioners, and the general lack of adequate information as among the main drawbacks to the provision of occupational health and safety services.Item Rent-seeking resource and institutional challenges in Ghana’s nascent oil economy(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2014) Dartey-Baah, K.,; Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Aratuo, D.Purpose – The paper aims to assess the institutional readiness of Ghana prior to and after the production of her first oil. The paper also assesses the influence of politics in directing the appropriate use of the oil rents in facilitating the developmental needs of the country. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a literature review of the main theories regarding national politics and institutional policies in explaining the economic demise of a country due to a natural resource find. It also uses the natural resource find in Norway as a case study, drawing lessons from the effectiveness of Norway’s institutional policies in harnessing maximum benefits from their oil find and how developing nations such as Ghana can do same. Findings – The paper establishes that Ghana’s institutional architecture as regards the production of oil and gas is fraught with inadequacies on all fronts as regards regulations, regulators and the needed logistics. Additionally, the paper also highlights the role of Ghana’s political elite in perpetuating these institutional inadequacies. Originality/value – The paper highlights the insufficiencies in the institutional readiness for Ghana’s oil find and brings to the fore the influence of Ghana’s politics in contributing to these inadequacies.Item Towards an Accident Free Energy Regime in Ghana.(2012) Amponsah-Tawiah, K.,; Dartey-Baah, Dartey-Baah,This paper examines the legislative instruments governing the Ghanaian oil and gas industry with the view to identifying weaknesses that may compromise the health and safety standards and quality of life of the people. It reviews literature on the global and Ghana’s energy regimes within the framework of its economic benefits and the challenges posed to the environment, people, flora and fauna as a basis for analysing the current legislative and regulatory environment and the proposed future legislations. The study observed that developed economies such as the United States of America have not totally escaped the challenges of oil and gas exploitation in spite of its well established oil and gas legislative and regulatory environment. Against this backdrop, the paper reveals that Ghana’s current legislative and regulatory environment has little provision for issues of health and safety and the institutions are ill-resourced to prevent pollution. It thus made recommendations to enhance future legislations and demonstrates the importance of good legislative and regulatory environment in harnessing the benefits of oil and gas exploitation and reducing or eliminating its ills.