Browsing by Author "Ankrah, E."
Now showing 1 - 15 of 15
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Accessibility and Utilization of Scholarly Electronic Journals by the Academic Staff of Garden City University College, Kumasi and Christian Service University College, Kumasi, Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Boakye, E.; Alemna, A.A.; Ankrah, E.; University of Ghana, College of Education, School of Information and Communication Studies, Department of Information StudiesDevelopments in the field of information technology have led to a great change in the collection development and service structure of libraries. In recent times, libraries, especially academic libraries, are not only seen with print and non-print resources but also with scholarly electronic journals. Scholarly electronic journals in reality have become one of the most used technological innovations in modern times and also the backbone of many academic institutions. The main focus of the study was to compare awareness, accessibility and utilization of scholarly electronic journals by the academic staff of Garden City University College (GCUC) and Christian Service University College (CSUC), Kumasi. The study also sought to determine factors affecting electronic journal usage and limitations in accessing and using scholarly electronic journals. The survey method was used and questionnaire was also used as the main instrument. The entire population of one hundred and eighty-seven (187) was used. The findings revealed low awareness and accessibility levels as well as under-utilization of scholarly electronic journals in both university colleges. No statistically significant relationship was found between gender and usage of scholarly electronic journals at a p-value of 0.354 which is greater than the significant level of 0.05. No statistically significant relationship was found between age and usage of scholarly electronic journals at a p-value of 7.159 which is greater than the significant level of 0.05. No statistically significant relationship was found between other factors including differences in discipline, educational level, computer skills and age at a p-value of 7.159, 5.308, and 0.504 respectively which are all greater than the significant level of 0.05. However, a statistically significant relationship was found between awareness and usage of electronic journals. The study recommends awareness creation, training, provision of more relevant electronic journals, infrastructure, quality staff and sustenance to ensure maximum access and use of scholarly electronic journals in GCUC and CSUC and also to commensurate the investment made in them.Item Customer satisfaction of electronic products and services in Ghanaian banks(Information and Knowledge Management, 2013) Ankrah, E.Ankrah (2012) stated that, Technology has brought about a complete paradigm shift in the functioning of banks and delivery of banking services. Technology is no longer an enabler, but a business driver. The growth of the internet, mobiles and communication technology has added a different dimension to banking. The information technology (IT) available today is being leveraged in customer acquisitions, driving automation and process efficiency, delivering ease and efficiency to customers. The purpose of this research is to find out the level of satisfaction of bank customers using electronic products and services provided by the banks. This was influence by the fact that customer satisfaction has a direct relationship with profitability. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) originally proposed by Davis (1989) was used as the framework within which this study was executed. This study adopted the survey method and the instrument used in this study was the questionnaire. The population for this study was the bank customers from six banks all selected at their head offices in Greater Accra region. Proportionate sampling was used to select the sample from the six banks. The raw data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 17.0). It came to light from the findings that, most of the bank customers are satisfied with the operations of the banks. It was also clear that, almost all the banks have websites, but it was observed that most of the bank customers do not visit the bank’s websites or even if they do, once in a while. Even though the banks offer SMS banking, it is noticeable that most of the bank customers do not use the SMS banking. In the same vein, it is apparent that most of the bank customers do not use the internet banking. The hypothesis tested statistically at a significance level of 0.05 also confirms the fact that, customers are satisfied with the services of banks with modern technology. This research would help the bank management to know the level of electronic products and services usage as well as improving the level of satisfaction and strengthening the bond between the banks and their customers, thereby helping them to retain and/or expand their overall customer base. This research would also add to existing literature in the field of information technology in banking and both students and scholars can also draw knowledge from this research.Item Human resource information system as a strategic tool in human resource management(Problems of Management in the 21st Century, 2012-12) Ankrah, E.; Sokro, E.The purpose of this research is to identify specifically, how the use of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) contributes to the effectiveness of strategic human resources management and to examine the strategic importance of using HRIS at the workplace. Relevant review of various HRIS literature were undertaken which culminated into the development of a conceptual model and the formulation of hypotheses to test the proposal that there is relationship between independent variables- HRIS- and the dependent variables- Cost and Time Savings (CTS), Decision Making Contribution (DMC), Quality Information Effects (QIE) and Employment Development Commitment (EDC). The research uses data generated from 34 respondents from insurance companies in Ghana: SSNIT, ELAC, Vanguard, and Donewell. Data was analyzed using SPSS software. It has been found that HRIS adoption and use have a strong and positive effect on CTS and DMC. Essentially, organizations that divert concerted efforts towards HRIS adoption and use have a high likelihood of cutting down cost and saving time, and also ensure better contributions to strategic decision making. Further findings suggest that insurance organizations map up a strategic plan before implementation goes underway. Financial and resource appraisal in relation to the ability to start and sustain HRIS use are critical. HRIS enables HR professionals and supervisors to manage complex information entities and to plan HR efficiently also, organisations that intend using HRIS should thoroughly educate its employees- not only HR staff- so that internal awareness can facilitate the acceptance of the system.Item The Impact of Information Systems Investment on Bank Performance in Ghana(Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2015-11) Ankrah, E.The advancement of technology is a necessity of the current era. Businesses need to adopt and embrace new technologies to provide excellent business operations and services to their customers. This study looks at the impact of information systems investment on bank performance in Ghana. The major objectives are; (1) to determine the types of technology that the banks invest in (2) to find out the level of IS investment in the banks and (3) to determine the relationship between IS investments and bank’s performance. The following hypothesis was proposed and tested statistically “Information systems investment has a positive relationship with bank performance”. This study adopted the survey methodology. Taking into account the purpose of the study and the research hypothesis, this study is comfortably placed within a scientific epistemology of logical positivism. The cases investigated were local banks and foreign banks. The six banks used were named Bank A, Bank B, Bank C, Bank D, Bank E and Bank F respectively for the sake of anonymity. The population for the study was the strategic staff from the six banks all selected at their Head Offices in Greater Accra Region. The findings revealed that, there has been a high rate of investment in the past three years made by the various banks. The findings also revealed that both the foreign banks and the local banks asserted to the fact that, market share, profitability and ROA increases as IS investments are employed in the industry. Subjecting the hypothesis to statistical test also showed that, information systems investment has a positive relationship with bank performance. This study would help bank managers to recognize the importance of information systems investment and its use to gain competitive advantage and increase profit margins.Item The Impact of Information Systems Strategy on Bank Performance in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2014-02) Ankrah, E.; Badu, E.E.; Banuro, F.Y.; Alemna, A.A.Today’s business environment is very dynamic and undergoes rapid changes as a result of technological innovation, increased awareness and demands from customers. Information system strategy is a plan that aims to (1) identify the required IS assets, structures, monetary resources, and technologies and (2) Allocate the existing Information System assets in the most efficient way. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of information system strategy on bank performance of six banks in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. There are two measures of performance that relate to how efficient and profitable a business entity is and these are Return on Asset (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and was comfortably placed within a scientific epistemology of logical positivism. The cases or study settings investigated were local and foreign banks. This study has three categories of population; the strategic staff, the operational staff and the bank customers from the six banks all selected at their Head Offices in Greater Accra region. A proportionate sample size of 62, 348, and 1,352 were used for the strategic staff, operational staff, and bank customers respectively. Simple random sampling was used for the selection of the operation staff whilst purposive sampling was used for the selection of the bank customers. The instrument used in this study was the questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for the analysis of the data. A frequency, percentages, charts and Chi- square test of independence to ascertain the significance of the relationship between variables has been used to present the results of the study. Logistic regression is also used to predict the value of a dependent variable using more independent variables. The findings revealed that, the foreign banks (Bank D, Bank E, and Bank F) have invested more in IS than the local banks (Bank A, Bank B, and Bank C). All the foreign banks exhibited increasing trends in the ROA but this trend did not occur in the local banks. This is in line with the second hypothesis that statistically concluded that banks with higher levels of information systems investments have increasing operating profits than banks with low level information systems investments. The effects of IT investment on increasing profitability (ROA and ROE) for banks are significantly great. Strategy appears to have direct effect on IT and IT has direct effect on ROA. The analysis suggests that IT can play a meaningful role in the strategy-ROA relationship. Despite these caveats, the strategic context makes a significant difference in the correlations observed between IT adoption and ROA. Without strategy variable in the model, the correlations would have been underestimated.Item The Impact Of Technology On Postal Services In Ghana(International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 2015-01) Ankrah, E.The information technology (IT) available today is being leveraged in customer acquisitions, driving automation and process efficiency, delivering ease and efficiency to customers. The study investigated the impact of technology on postal services in Ghana. The population for the study consists of all staff members of Ghana Post at the Head office. The entire population was used in the research since the researcher wanted to generalize the findings. The main instrument used is the questionnaire. Two hundred copies of the questionnaire were received, representing a return rate of 53.7%. The findings revealed that technology has improved the data processing at Ghana Post and staff member are giving frequent IT training. Subjecting all the three hypotheses to a chi square statistical test turned out that, (1) the birth of the internet has a negative effect on postal services, (2) organizational efficiency and productivity have increased as a result of technology and (3) technology has given rise to innovative products and services in Ghana Post.Item Intention and usage of human resource information systems among ghanaian human resource managers(International Journal of Business and Management, 2016-01) Ankrah, E.; Sokro, E.The purpose of this study is to investigate the intentions and usage of human resource information systems (HRIS) among Ghanaian HR managers and practitioners. In today’s global networking era, information technology has become an integral part of human resource management. This is because the increasing pressure to support strategic goals and the greater focus on shareholder value has led to changes in both job content and expectations of Human Resource professionals. Hence, the use of Human Resource Information System has been used by HR professionals to become strategic managers. Survey methodology was adopted to obtain data from HR managers and practitioners in Ghanaian companies. A net-targeted sample of 175 respondents produced 100 usable questionnaires for analysis. The study results revealed that information technology (IT) has assisted “organizations to deliver state-of-the art HR services, and reduced operational costs of companies, regardless of the size of the firm”. Advances in IT helps in resolving many of the challenges of HRM such as attracting, retaining, motivating employees, meeting the demands for a more strategic HR function, and managinItem Knowledge and Use of Social Media by Reference and User Services Librarians in Public and Private Universities in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Ahenkorah-Marfo, M.; Akussah, H.; Ankrah, E.; University of Ghana, College of Education, School of Information and Communication Studies, Department of Information StudiesTrends in global information communication have necessitated that academic libraries, whether public or private, resort to the employment of web 2.0 technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, YouTube, etc. in their services. Indeed the knowledge and use of such platforms has become critical for the survival of academic libraries globally. For this reason, this research focused on investigating the knowledge and use of social media by reference and user services librarians. The main objectives were to determine the level of knowledge, extent of use, the major social media platforms used, as well as the perceptions librarians held about employment of social media in reference and user services. A mixed methods research approach employing Likert type questionnaire and interviews was used in soliciting the views of 105 librarians from UG, KNUST, UCC, AUC, VVU and GTUC on their knowledge and use of social media. The findings of the study indicate that majority of the librarians were knowledgeable and used social media for both personal and work-related purposes. They, however, lacked the skill needed to use the array of social media platforms available to make a difference in service delivery. As a result, though librarians had a very good perception of social media, they still found the traditional mode of service delivery more comfortable. Some of the challenges that bedeviled the practice of social media were lack of interest and skill on the part of librarians, low bandwidth and poor internet connectivity, and more importantly lack of policy to guide social media application in libraries. The study therefore, recommended re-training and re-orientation of librarians in the use of social media by e-resources and reference departments, sensitization workshops by GLA/CARLIGH to whip up interest in librarians to use social media, and adoption of policy document to guide the practice of social media in libraries.Item Library Management Software: A Comparative Study of Cloud Service and In-House Software Implementation at Upsa-Ghana(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Ofoe, S. B. H.; Ankrah, E.; University of Ghana, College of Education, School of Information and Communication Studies, Department of Information StudiesThis study looks at Library Management Software, a comparative Study of Cloud Service and In-house Software Implementation at UPSA-Ghana with the help of key performance indicators. The study was aimed at identifying the security effects of Cloud SaaS and In-house Software Management, the benefits of Cloud Service as compared to In-house Software Implementation, the capabilities of the IT personnel at UPSA, as well as trying to find out the challenges encountered by staff in the use of the current In-house Software Implementation of Library Management Systems within the context of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Software as a Service (SaaS) is a new emerging information system technology that provides software application services over the Internet for firms and individuals working from computer networks or mobile devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets and so on. This frees users from tough software and hardware controls. To accomplish the intents of the analysis, the study used self-administered questionnaires and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) tool to analyze data collected from 52 respondents which took place at the UPSA only due to the research time restrictions. The study revealed that the users of the In-house library system faces challenges such as system instability, lack of usability and user adaptation, system unreliability and malfunctioning, and poor training for staff to use the system. Also, majority of the respondents have indicated that, In-house Software Implementation were more advantageous than the Cloud Services in terms of security inferences, maintenance expenses and procurement budgetary. However, there were indications that SaaS adoption would provide better service and minimize the frustration of staff. The study recommended the creation of user awareness about the services that SaaS (Outsourcing) offers, the need for the improvement of Staff Training to be abreast with current IT developments, and the motive for the acceptance of Cloud Services.Item Media for Health Information Dissemination to Rural Communities by the Ghana Health Service. A Study of the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Sokey, P. P.; Adjei , E.; Ankrah, E.; Adjei E.; Ankrah E.; University of Ghana, College Of Education, School Of Information and Communication Studies, Department of Information Studies; University of Ghana, School of Information and Communication studies, Information Studies Department.The study aimed at investigating media for disseminating health information to rural communities by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Shai Osudoku district of the greater Accra region. Among the objectives of the study were to identify the media used by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to deliver health information to the people in the district and to unravel the challenges encountered in provision and access to health information using media. A case study approach using the convenient and purposive sampling techniques was used to sample 210 community members within Shai Osudoku district, two directors with the Ghana health service and four community health workers. Descriptive and cross tabulation techniques were used to analyse the quantitative data while qualitative thematic content analysis method was used to analyse the interview data from Ghana health service staff. The outcome of the study revealed that, the Ghana health service mostly relied on print media namely leaflets, posters, billboard etc. and interpersonal channels like doctors, community health workers, family, friends, town cries, group discussions etc. The study also discovered that mobile technology for community health (MoTech) and telehealth are some of the emerging technologies being piloted and used in disseminating health information via the mobile phone to rural communities in the district. Challenges in disseminating health information to communities of the Shai-Osudoku included network connectivity, poor infrastructure, training and sensitization among others. The results of the study suggest that the GHS can enhance its role of disseminating health information by compensating the use of traditional media with the overwhelming advantages of using the new modes or mediums of media such as mobile phones to disseminate health information to rural communities. The study also recommends that future research focus on exploring potential mechanisms for monitoring the quality of health communication using social media.Item Media Use for Health Information Dissemination to Rural Communities by the Ghana Health Service(Journal of Information Science, Systems and Technology, 2018-02) Sokey, P.P.; Adjei, E.; Ankrah, E.The study investigated the patterns and challenges of media use for disseminating health information to rural communities by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), focusing on the Shai Osudoku district of the Greater Accra Region, as a case study. A case study approach using the convenient and purposive sampling techniques was used to sample 210 community members within Shai Osudoku district, two directors with the GHS and four community health workers. Descriptive analyses were used to examine the quantitative data, while qualitative thematic content analysis was used for the interview data from the GHS staff. The study found out that the GHS mostly used print media for health information dissemination namely leaflets, posters, billboard, and interpersonal channels like doctors, community health workers, family, friends, town cries, group discussions, etc. MoTech (Mobile technology for community health) and telehealth are some of the technologies being piloted in delivering health information or care via the mobile phone to rural communities in the district. Challenges in disseminating health information in the communities were inadequate mobile network connectivity, infrastructure, training and sensitization, among others. The findings suggest that the GHS can enhance its health information dissemination roles by supporting the use of traditional media with the overwhelming advantages of media such as mobile phones to disseminate health information to rural communities. The study recommends that future research focus on exploring potential mechanisms for monitoring the quality of health communication delivery using the new media.Item Students’ Use of Electronic Resources in University of Professional Studies, Accra(University of Ghana, 2016-09) Acheampong, E.K.; Ankrah, E.; Markwei, E.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Information and Communication StudiesThis study investigated students‟ awareness of the availability of e-resources in UPSA, their extent of use of these e-resources, reasons for use, usefulness of e-resources for students‟ academic performances, challenges with use, and the relationship between “students‟ computer literacy skills” and “use of electronic resources”. This study is beneficial to three (3) main categories of people within a university community, and includes university administrators, library information professionals, and students. It also adds to knowledge in its area of study. A survey methodology was used in this study, and the study has a population size of 2,850 (level 400 students of UPSA). A sample size of 570 (which is 20% of the population of 2,850) was used. A convenience sampling technique was adopted for data collection. SPSS was used to analyze data that were collected via questionnaires, whereas an interview schedule was analyzed according to themes. The findings revealed that UPSA students are fairly aware of electronic resources, and they fairly used electronic resources to conduct their researches and to answer their assignments. It was further discovered that comparatively, electronic resources‟ significance quite outweigh that of paper-form documents. Some challenges such as overcrowding of the library‟s electronic resources section by students due to inadequate number of computers and inadequate training on how to use e-resources were discovered. A Chi-square test revealed the direction of relationship between “students‟ computer literacy skills” and their “extent of use of electronic resources”. It was discovered that “students‟ computer literacy skills” affect their “extent of use of electronic resources”. Recommendations to improve the situation were madeItem Technology and service quality in the banking industry in Ghana(Information and knowledge management, 2012) Ankrah, E.Globally, retail banks are entering a new era. Sett ing out a clear strategy is becoming more difficult as regulatory and political intervention changes the market structure , and banks are under enormous pressure to restore public confidence in the role that they play in society. A s banks respond to these structural pressures acros s markets and strive to obtain a competitive advantage, the chall enge remains to keep the customer experience and wi der brand perceptions central to all strategic thinking; in t erms of technology and service quality. This resear ch is aimed at the analysis of technology and service quality in the b anking industry in Ghana. The research made use of both primary and secondary data instruments for data gathering; questionnaires were used for gathering primary data and the internet, organization’s website, Board minutes and brochures were means for secondary data collection . The population for the study was staff and customers of six Ghanaian Banks and the sample was restricted t o 500 respondents. Data was analyzed and presented in tab ular and graphical forms; tables, and bar graphs. T his research has reinforced that there are few global trends in retail banking, as customer perceptions are driven by a range of things, including many cultural differences, varyin g levels of overall market maturity and significant differentials in technology and service quality. It is vital to reco mmend that banks combine their knowledge of the cus tomer base with the technology available to improve their serv ice offerings to ensure quality.Item The use of electronic resources by postgraduate students of the University of Cape Coast(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2018-02) Ankrah, E.; Atuase, D.Developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have radically taken over every sphere of activity in university libraries. Academic libraries owe it a key duty to keep pace with technological advancement in order to cope with users’ continual sophisticated information requirements. The main purpose of this study was to examine the use of electronic resources by postgraduate students of the University of Cape Coast, and with a view of giving recommendations based on findings. The major objectives of the study are: (1) To determine postgraduate students’ awareness of electronic resources in the library. (2) To find out the frequency of usage of e-resources by students. (3) To determine the computer literacy level of postgraduate students. And (4) To identify the likely problems in the utilization of electronic resources by postgraduate students. The findings revealed that most of the postgraduate students were aware of the e-resources in the library. The findings of this study also revealed that most postgraduate students rather preferred to access information from Google scholar, and other web based databases more frequently than the databases in the library. The respondents identified poor internet connection as the most significant constrained for ineffective access e-resources.Item The Use of Electronic Resources by Postgraduate Students of the University of Cape Coast(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Atuase, D.; Akussah, H.; Ankrah, E.; College of Education School of Information and Communication StudiesAcademic libraries have become one stop information access points for members of the university and its community. In keeping pace with technological trends, academic libraries are focusing on the larger social and spatial context; through provision of electronic information resources for both local and remote users to enhance access to local and global information for the promotion of social, economic and political development in the society. The study sought to examine the use of electronic resources by postgraduate students of University of Cape Coast. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select 275 respondents out of 915 postgraduate students from four colleges. The questionnaire was the sole instrument used for data collection and that gave rise to a response rate of 91.63%. The responses from the respondents were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The findings of the study revealed that postgraduate students were aware of few individual e-resources in the library through orientation and seminar/workshop programmes. The study also showed that training on e-resources was inadequate, hence students had limited skills to access e-resources and relied on library staff for assistance. Major limitations were poor internet connection, inadequate computers, power outages and limited titles and power outage. Library management should promote e-resources extensively through social networking channels like Web 0.2 or Library 0.2 technologies; Training on e-resources should be organized at the beginning of each semester so that students do not rely solely on library staff for information; the university administration should increase bandwidth on campus so that students can readily access online e-resources.