School of Information and Communication Studies
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/4773
Browse
331 results
Search Results
Item Assessing Quality Assurance Practices in Institutions of Higher Learnings(International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2019) Dei, D.G.J.In the effort to globalize higher education services and embark on innovative knowledge production and dissemination aimed at fitting into the global scheme, quality assurance becomes the sine qua non. Quality assurance (QA) provides the tools and direction to improve the quality of knowledge created, stored, and shared at institutions of higher learning. This study assesses the development and practice of QA in institutions of higher learning (IHLs) in Ghana. The mixed research method was used to collect data from staff and officers of institutions of higher learning who are directly involved in ensuring quality in the institutions. Six (6) IHLs participated in this study. The results indicated a generally higher degree of awareness and understanding of the concept of QA at the institutions as all of them have a QA department. The institutions are putting in more effort to ensure quality by carrying out internal assessments as there are available policies and strategies aimed at ensuring quality at the institutions. This led to high service quality at the institutions except for the College of Health. Besides, the focused areas quality at the institutions: stated vision, mission; governance structure; statutes and conditions of service; academic and programs; clean and siren environment; staffing; and library, technology, and information services. Despite these, the study established that the quality assurance units of the institutions lacked the necessary resources (technology, library, staff, laboratories, etc) for effective quality assurance activities.Item Internet Usage and its effect on Senior High School Students in Bantama Sub-Metro in Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana(2021) Kwaah, C.O.; Ankrah, E.; Frimpong, A.D.; et al.The internet has become the fountain of information access for senior high school students and academics. Poor telecommunication infrastructure, difficulties in accessing relevant information, inadequate computers, high cost of bundles, system failure, low internet bandwidth, and power fluctuation are some challenges Senior High students face in their quest to access information on the internet. The study sought to determine internet usage and its effect on students of three Senior High schools in the Bantama Sub-Metro in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study adopted the survey research design, and the quantitative research approach was used; hence questionnaires were the main instrument employed for data collection. A total of 360 students were conveniently sampled from three selected Senior High schools. From the results, it was found that students accessed information on the internet prominently for communication, recreation, and learning. The public internet café was the highest point of internet access followed by the home and availability of computer laboratories in the schools. However, confirming the effects on students regarding the use of the internet, the students were given limited hours to access information and different internet infrastructure in the schools. The majority of the students rated the internet access in their school computer laboratories as poor. By implication, Administrators and parents should adopt safety measures to monitor the internet content used by students, educating students on how to access and use information from the internet, provision of more computers in the school's laboratories, and high bandwidth to access the internet.Item Information Systems Evaluation in Ghanaian Academic Libraries Using DandM IS Success Model(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2021) Ocloo, P.E.D.; King, L.The use of Information Systems (ISS) has been widely accepted and proven to increase service quality in many organizations. Academic libraries have embraced the use of ISs and have implemented them to perform different activities. The efficient utilization and management of ISs in libraries will help libraries derive maximum benefit from adopted ISs. The researchers therefore used the DeLone and McLean IS success theory to determine the impact of IS management on the quality of the IS and the use of the IS. The researchers solicited responses using questionnaires from all the staff members who use any electronic system in libraries that were purposively selected. The research revealed that the management of ISs affects the quality thereof. The quality of ISs affects use, and use affects the benefits gained from use.Item Use Of Social Media By Leaders Of Charismatic Churches In Ghana(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2021) Animante, M.A.; Akussah, H.; Darko-Adjei, N.This study examined the use of social media platforms by leaders of the Charismatic Churches in Ghana. This study is germane in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic where churches are embracing social media platforms to supplement conventional face-to-face church meetings. The study was conducted within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from a sample size of 152 respondents. Also, 2 head pastors and their deputies, as well as 2 IT personnel, were interviewed. The study found a high level of awareness of social media platforms adopted by the churches for running their day-to-day activities through their departmental heads and church leaders. Also, the study found that the two churches had documented policies for guiding the use of the adopted social media for running the church's activities. Also, the study arrived at a positive perception towards the adopted social media platforms, and as such, the church leaders found the social media platforms very useful. This finding confirms the preposition of the TAM where perceived usefully increases the extent of platform use. Also, the absence of a functional dedicated help desk to support and facilitate the use of the platforms appeared to be the most critical challenge. The study recommended that orientation on social media use should be intensified in the churches, training of users, and strengthening of policies on the use of social media in the two churches, should be given priority attention.Item Categories of Stress Among Librarians in Public Universities: The Causes and Effects(Library Philosophy and Practice, 2021) Kodua-Ntim, K.; Adjei, E.; Akussah, H.The study aimed to investigate the causes and effects of stress encountered by library staff of the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Cape Coast and the various categories of stress. Using purposive, simple random, and convenience sampling techniques, the researcher sampled 153 respondents from UG, KNUST, and UCC to respond to the questionnaire and interview questions. Descriptive statistics (Means and Standard Deviation), inferential statistics (Multiple Regression and ANOVA) were used for the quantitative analysis while content thematic analysis was used for the qualitative analysis. The study among other things found that poor administrative support, lack of support systems, lack of in-service training and inadequate resources, anxiety and frustration, staff conflict, ill-health, and smoking and drinking were the major causes of stress among public university library staff in Ghana. However, it was revealed that library staff also adopt numerous coping strategies such as taking time off work and leave, positive thinking, building strong human relationships, and going for counseling in an attempt to manage their stress. It was recommended that universities institute proactive guidance and counseling measures, strong social support systems, and compensation for additional work.Item “It Began With A Dm”: A Study Of Young Ghanaian Twitter Users’ Search For Intimacy Online(University Of Ghana, 2020-07) Asare, N.A.G.Recent statistics have shown a rapid growth in the use of social networking sites among Africa’s youth (Ngwainmbi, 2017). The increasing popularity of these sites highlights how social networking sites have gradually become a place of convergence (Hughes and Palen, 2009), making these sites powerful social intermediaries which mediate how people meet, maintain and negotiate their relationships. This study sought to explore how young Ghanaian adults use Twitter for self-presentation, to create, negotiate, and maintain their intimate relationships, to express their sexual agency and to redefine the traditional codes of intimacy by drawing on the theory of impression management. Using in-depth interviews conducted with 12 young Ghanaian Twitter users, the study found out that young Ghanaian Twitter users use the tool in very similar ways to negotiate their online-based intimate relationships. The findings revealed that Twitter has different implications for how relationships at different stages of evolution are conducted and is enabling a change in the way love and intimate relationships are conducted traditionally.Item An Assessment Into The Relevance Of Public Relations In Tertiary Institutions In West Africa: The Case Of Ghanaian And Nigerian Universities(University Of Ghana, 2021-10) Kyei, M.A.This study examined the relevance of public relations in tertiary institutions in two West African countries— Ghana and Nigeria. The study was undertaken within the framework of the excellence theory. A qualitative in-depth interview was employed for data collection. Six institutions were purposively sampled — three in Ghana and three in Nigeria. The study noted that functions performed by the public relations units in the selected institutions are media and community relations, internal communication and content management. Tenets of the excellence theory were used as parameters to establish the relevance of public relations in tertiary institutions. The findings revealed that in some institutions, the senior public relations executive is a member of the dominant coalition. Again, it was revealed that the public relations units also perform other functions outside the core PR duties. Some challenges faced by the public relations units are inadequate funds and lack of qualified personnel and equipment. The fundamental parameters of the excellence theory were met hence the excellent practice of public relations in the selected institutions provide the benchmark for institutional relevance. The study recommends that for effective implementation of public relations functions, the senior public relations executive shouldbe a member of the dominant coalition. Again, the senior public relations executive should play the manager role and not the technician role or both. Also, it is important to separate the core publicrelations functions from other duties. In addressing the challenges identified, the public relationsunits should be well- resourced with adequate budget and equipment as well as qualified personnel. KEYWORDS: public relations, functions, relevance, challenges.Item Radio Management Practices: A Study Of Selected Private Radio Stations In Sekondi-Takoradi(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Flintwood-Brace, J.Located in the Political Economy Tradition of the Media, this study explored the management practices of selected radio stations in Sekondi-Takoradi (Radio Maxx, Aseda FM, Spice FM, Empire FM and Kyzz FM) as proxy for understanding how normative management practices in Ghana are enacted vis-a-vis the economic considerations that characterise the industry. The study combined in-depth interviews, document analysis and observation to explore the management practices of the radio stations pertaining to the areas of programming, human resource management, financial management and audience management. The findings of the study showed that the stations did not contribute much to Sekondi-Takoradi's creative economy because, for the most part, the stations expend resources on buying content from Accra-based radio stations. This practice denies the local economy any form of patronage that could have resulted from the local production of programmes in Sekondi-Takoradi. Additionally, the stations rely on talents from outside the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, which indicates that the stations do not have any viable talent grooming programmes that benefit local talents in Sekondi-Takoradi. The study also found that the radio stations did little or no formative research to guide their programming decisions. The implication of their failure to investigate their audiences’ needs, is homogenised competition among the stations; where all five stations air very similar programmes with very few variations. The study also sought to discover what constitutes the management structures of the radio stations, and how the management structures impact management practices. The study found that three out of the five stations do not have Human Resource Departments, which indicates problematic HR practices in the radio stations. The study ultimately concluded that even though private radio stations operate to maximise profits, there are a number of factors that condition the market model upon which these stations are set up and operated.Item Analytic Study Of Social Media Use And Influence On Public Relations In Ghana(University of Ghana, 2022-04) Dziewornu-Norvor, W.K.This study sought to analyze Ghanaian public relations practitioners’ use of social media and influence on public relations practice. Using the uses and gratification theory and dialogic theory of public relations as a lens, the study sought the views of 20 public relations practitioners. Essentially, the interviews sought information on how public relations deploy social media in their work, how their work is influenced, the challenges associated, and the competencies required to navigate the evolving world of social media and public relations. The study found that public relations practitioners in Ghana were well informed of social media platforms and employed them in their duties and are unanimous in agreement that social media have reshaped mainly the mechanism by which they interact with their publics by bringing them closer to their target audience. It was also revealed that work output and efficiency was positive because practitioners could get to their publics in real-time and interact seamlessly. Finally, the study revealed that practitioners may be under-utilizing social media and may not be reaping the benefits that abound primarily because training in the proper usage and deployment of social media platforms is not abreast with the evolving technology of social media. Despite these significant findings, there were other issues that the study could not address, including the views of organizational publics and the use of the quantitative approach, which would have made it possible to obtain a significant enough sample and thereby make it possible to generalize the findings of the study. Accordingly, the present study recommends that researchers investigate the extent to which social media mediate the relationship between organizations and their publics and find out whether the relationship mediated by social media is stronger or otherwise than the one by traditional/legacy media.Item The Use Of Electronic Resources By Research Staff Of Csirsavanna Agricultural Research Institute (Sari) And Csir-Crops Research Institute (Cri): A Comparative Study.(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Issifu, I.The study investigated the use of electronic resources by the research staff of CSIRSavanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CRI). The research sought to find out research staff awareness of electronic resources, usefulness of e-resources to research works, and challenges" associated with the use of these resources. This study used the survey methodology. A census of the population of 240 research staff was involved in this survey. The findings indicate that a significant number of research staff in both institutes are aware of electronic resources. Majority of the respondents also indicated that they use e-resources daily. Although they use resources daily, they do not derive maximum satisfaction due to challenges such as poor internet connectivity, power outages, and struggle with information overload. The use of electronic resources has a positive impact on the research staff of CSIR as the findings indicate; they can obtain relevant information, and know what has been published in their field of work. They agreed that e-resources are useful to their research work. To ensure its maximum utilization, CSIR must invest in internet facilitates to improve the speed at which literature is downloaded using e-resources. Efforts must also be made to ensure a constant supply of power to CSIR institutes.