Browsing by Author "Ossei Kwakye, T."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Factors influencing career choice of tertiary students in Ghana: A comparison of science and business majors
(Education and Training, 2018-09) Owusu, G.M.Y.; Essel-Anderson, A.; Ossei Kwakye, T.; Bekoe, R.A.; Ofori, C.G.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence Ghanaian tertiary students’ career choices. The paper explores the dimensionality of the career choice factors within the Ghanaian context and also ascertains their degree of influence on students’ career choices. Design/methodology/approach The study employs survey method of research and a set of questionnaire was used to examine the factors that influence students’ career choices. A total of 354 undergraduate students from the Ashesi University College in Ghana participated in the study. Factor analysis was conducted on the career choice factors and differences in response between science and business students were ascertained by means of independent sample t-test. Findings The findings of this study indicate that university students in Ghana place much premium on intrinsic value and employability/financial prospect in their career choice decisions than such factors as prestige and desired working conditions. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study are relevant for policymakers and tertiary education providers interested in making the study of science an attractive option for university students in Ghana. Originality/value The findings of this paper highlight some of the underlining reasons for the unpopularity of the study of sciences among university students in Ghana.
What explains student’s intentions to pursue a certified professional accountancy qualification?
(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., 2018) Owusu, G.M.Y.; Obeng, V.A.; Ofori, C.G.; Ossei Kwakye, T.; Bekoe, R.A.
Purpose: This study examines the factors that explain Ghanaian business students’ intentions to pursue a Certified Professional Accounting (CPA) qualification. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses survey method of research and mainly used questionnaires as data collection instrument to elicit information from the respondent group. Using a total of 641 business students from the University of Ghana Business School, a mixture of factor analysis and logistic regression analysis techniques was used in investigating the study objectives. Findings: Results from the regression analysis demonstrate that students’ preference and beliefs about accounting professional qualification, academic major and grade point average are significantly associated with their intentions to pursue a CPA qualification. Moreover, majority of the sampled respondents (47.9 per cent) with the desire to pursue a CPA qualification prefer to be affiliated with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 27.2 per cent prefer the Institute of Charted Accountant Ghana qualification, while only 7 per cent of the students prefer to be affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountant. Research limitations/implications: The findings from this study have important implications for the various professional accountancy bodies, accounting educators and other stakeholders interested in promoting the choice of accounting as a career path among university students. Practical implications: The results indicate that, as part of the broader strategy to increase the number of professional accountants in Ghana, there is the need to promote the study of accounting at the undergraduate level in the various universities in the country. Originality/value: This study uniquely uses the behavioral decision theory to explain the dominant factors associated with students’ intentions to pursue a CPA qualification. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.