Accra Metropolitan Assembly Research Articles

The mediating effect of job satisfaction in the relationship between human resource management practices and job performance in the hospitality industry of Ghana

The study investigated the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between HRM practices and job performance in the hospitality industry of Ghana. The study collected primary data from 349 hospitality establishments within the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. The study population comprised 1,745 hospitality employees within the metropolitan assembly. A total of 325 participants were selected using the simple random sampling method and structured questionnaires were administered to the chosen respondents. The study employed a quantitative approach and adopted the explanatory research design. The data gathered were analysed using SPSS. The findings indicated that the relationship between performance appraisal and job performance is statistically insignificant. However, it is worth noting that job satisfaction has a mediation effect on the relationship between HRM practices and job performance in the hospitality industry of Ghana. The study concluded that while performance appraisal is traditionally seen as a vital tool for providing feedback, the study findings suggest that its effectiveness varies and recommends that management must strive to refine their appraisal systems to offer meaningful feedback and goals for improvement, thereby boosting employee motivation and satisfaction. Keywords: HRMP, Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, Hospitality, Mediation.

The Institutionalization of the Product of Financial Engineering Techniques on Listed Commercial Banks in Ghana

Well-considered financial engineering initiatives are what propel company success and general economic growth. This book aimed to improve knowledge of financial instruments used in project financing and the financial engineering process; however, no research has been done on the influence of financial engineering on the financial performance of commercial banks in Ghana. This study employed a descriptive survey design and a quantitative methodology to gather information on the influence of financial engineering on building project financing in Ghanaian commercial banks. The treatise concentrated on the banking industry with a spotlight on banks listed on Ghana Stock Exchange with operations in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly only, and both primary (questionnaire) and secondary (audited financial records) data were employed to analyse the treatise. The secondary data were analysed descriptively, while the analysed data were analysed proportionally. The regression technique was adopted to explore the relationship between financial engineering and building project finance. The results show a significant but negative association between the project finance market and project finance. Also, there was a powerful but positive association among the selected commercial banks between project finance instruments, market innovation and project finance. The treatise concludes that commercial banks in Ghana have adopted various financial engineering strategies to improve project finance and, by extension, financial performance. This treatise recommends that commercial banks in Ghana employ product innovation strategies such as product range extension, product replacement, product improvement, product repositioning and new product introduction to enable the banks to be more productive, grow faster, invest more and earn more profit.

Exploring stakeholders' response to travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

AbstractAccess to public transport increases vulnerable people's social mobility, facilitates economic integration and improves general well‐being. This is possible given the low vehicular acquisition and low cost required to enjoy public transport services. Unfortunately, the discourse on the responsiveness of public transport services to the disability community in the Global South has been viewed from users' perspectives, leaving out key stakeholders whose actions impact persons with disability (PWDs') mobility needs. This study seeks to fill the gap by exploring stakeholders' responses to the travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Employing an exploratory research design, this study purposively engaged five national stakeholders on transport and disability issues. All interviews and transcripts were transcribed using MaxQDA. The qualitative data analysis was iterative as the study adopted a thematic analytical approach to explore participants' opinions. From the data, all stakeholders did not have a disability‐inclined transport agenda or policy despite making various attempts to meet the travel needs of PWDs. Some attempts include the reliance on one's discretion as seen in the case of transport operators, while other stakeholders appeared to offer little support due to financial and administrative bottlenecks. Transport‐oriented stakeholders cared little about PWD while disability‐oriented stakeholders cared little about transport issues. This study recommends a consultative action framework to guide all stakeholders in ensuring the delivery of barrier‐free transport services to the disability community.

Mobile money taxation and informal workers: Evidence from Ghana's E‐levy

SummaryMotivationIn recent years, governments in low‐income countries have increasingly introduced taxes on mobile money transfers. These are often explicitly promoted as a way of taxing informal economic activity, but critics have noted their potential negative impact on lower‐income groups and specifically those in the informal sector. Yet there is virtually no evidence base on the effects of mobile money taxes on informal workers.PurposeThis article assesses how informal workers in Accra, Ghana, use mobile money and how they perceive Ghana's Electronic Transfer Levy (E‐levy), introduced in May 2022. This provides a particularly interesting case study to explore the equity implications of the tax, as the policy was explicitly justified as a way of taxing the informal economy but also includes measures to limit the tax burden on lower‐income groups.Methods and approachThe article uses data from a survey of 2,700 self‐employed informal workers in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to capture citizen perceptions of the policy and to examine the likely impact of the E‐levy on informal workers with reference to equity.FindingsOverall, our results suggest that the E‐levy is highly regressive. Further, we show that most informal workers disapprove of the E‐levy, reflecting not just concerns about its equity impacts, but also disappointment with the government's performance.Policy implicationsOur findings suggest that taxes on digital financial services should be reconsidered from an equity perspective. While some policy measures, including those undertaken in Ghana, can protect low‐income earners, they are often insufficient to counteract overall regressive impacts. Where they are implemented, social spending from the revenue from these taxes should target low‐income populations in the informal economy, while governments should focus on building trust among informal workers with regard to revenue raising and spending.

Energy literacy levels and energy investment choices of faith-based organisations in Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana: Implications for energy conservation

Achieving energy literacy is now considered both a necessary and sufficient condition to ensure strict adherence to energy conservation/efficiency programs. While the existing literature has considered the energy literacy of different end-users, a gap exists in the energy literacy levels of faith-based organisations and how they impact energy conservation in faith-based organisations. This study surveyed responses of church leaders connected to energy decision-making in the church from randomly selected 44 faith-based organisations in Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ghana, to explore energy literacy levels (i.e. multifaceted and individual dimensions) of these leaders, how it connects with energy expenditures of churches and what influences energy appliance investment choices among faith-based organisations. Lighting and cooling appliance of churches were generally found to be inefficient, and churches consider the brand name of the appliance as the most important factor when making energy appliance investments. The findings also demonstrate that, generally, church leaders have very low multifaceted energy literacy levels, but are much more promising for action energy literacy with a mean score of about 66 percent. Finally, churches with energy-literate leaders experience a lower risk of high electricity expenditure compared to their compatriots who are energy illiterate. Specifically, leaders with action energy literacy exert a significant negative effect on electricity expenditure. In addition, churches with utility committees experience a lower risk of higher electricity expenditure, but the size of the church positively correlates with electricity expenditure. Our findings demonstrate the need to strengthen energy education in churches.

State of public transport services to Ghana's disability population: Lessons from public transport operators in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

Access to public transport services is crucial to the enjoyment of various life-enhancing opportunities by persons with disabilities (PWDs). However, the attainment of such services is confronted with varying levels of difficulties due to the non-conformity between transport service delivery and PWDs' needs. While many players like transport operators and vehicle manufacturers contribute to the delivery of transport services, this study examines the responsiveness of public transport operators to the travel needs of commuters with disabilities in Accra. Using a qualitative research approach, 24 public transport operators were conveniently sampled from 3 popular and busy transport terminals in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Thematic content analysis was employed using key constructs that emanated from the transcripts. The findings reveal that none of the public transport providers/operators had any knowledge of Ghana's Disability Act of 2006 and its transport provision. By this, all activities tailored to the disability population were generally informed by common sense despite refuting calls to acquire disability-friendly vehicles or support systems. It is recommended that sensitization on the transport provision of Ghana's Disability Act should be heightened by the Ministry of Transport given its ability to improve transport services to the disability population.

Urbanization, climate change and health vulnerabilities in slum communities in Ghana

IntroductionRapid population growth, increased migration, surge urbanization and human settlement challenges have become defining features of most African cities. Accra, the capital of Ghana, is no exception as its fast-urbanizing processes and associated housing challenges have seen the emergence of slum communities in and around the city. While slum communities are not new in Accra nor in Ghana, what is worrying is the current pace of emergence, the state of such communities, population density and levels of vulnerability. Even more worrying are the observed impacts of climate-induced extreme weather events on such communities and attendant health consequences. MethodologyFocusing on some slum communities in and around the city of Accra, this paper investigates the environmental health conditions of slum communities and how such conditions converge with climate change impact manifestations to increase disease burden. The paper employed a concurrent triangulation mixed method approach to simultaneously gather data from randomly selected slum communities in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and La-Nkwantanang Madina municipality to explore possible correlations between current changes in climate and public health challenges. ConclusionThe results affirm a correlation between observed climate change impacts and prevailing health conditions in the selected slum communities. There is ample evidence to signal both direct and indirect linkages between climate-induced weather events and increased prevalence of diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, cholera, skin disease, lung diseases, as well as the emergence of novel diseases in the target slum communities. The study, ultimately, succeeds in demonstrating the nexus of climate change, health, and urbanization.

Institutional roles in enhancing assets adaptation of urban poor

Population growth has increased the number of informal settlements and unplanned structures within the urban areas. Most often, the urban poor suffer since they are found within urban slums with poor facilities. Even though government institutions are expected to develop assets within the urban areas, other institutions such as the Civil Society Organizations, Faith-Based Organizations, and traditional authorities can play certain roles to complement government efforts in this direction. However, studies into the roles of these institutions in enhancing the assets of the urban poor such as human, social, physical, financial, and natural have received less attention. To address this literature gap, this study employed the explanatory mixed-method approach to investigate the topic in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, and Sagnerigu Municipality in Ghana. The study reveals that the roles played by the government and other institutions are inadequate and target different assets whilst the urban poor are interested in other assets. The urban poor believe that they are vulnerable and need support from various institutions to enhance their assets. Traditional authorities’ roles are by mere consultation which can impede the development of assets for the urban poor. The study recommends that these institutions increase their commitment and collaborate with urban residents to enhance the assets adaptation to achieve the sustainable cities agenda. The study provides guidelines for policymakers, public and private institutions towards assets enhancement and adds to the limited literature on assets adaptation for the urban poor.

State of Public Transport Services to Ghana's Disability Population: Lessons from Public Transport Operators in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

State of Public Transport Services to Ghana's Disability Population: Lessons from Public Transport Operators in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

English

The paper examines the factors that affect the effectiveness of internal auditing in local government institutions in Ghana. Questionnaires were administered to the Internal Audit staff and Audit Committee members of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the Greater Accra region. Factor analyses were used to answer the closed-ended questions whilst the open-ended type was analysed based on recurring themes. It was found that the internal auditors do have the requisite educational and professional capacity to execute their mandate and were accorded the requisite support. Yet lack of management support through IT skills training, failure to discuss and timely implement audit recommendations are rendering the auditors ineffective. This research helps to awaken the awareness of policy-makers and researchers on issues that could hamper internal auditors’ contributions to good governance strategies in local government institutions by calling on relevant stakeholders to address the thieving challenges. However, the current study covers only the perception of internal auditors and audit committee members. Future research may consider the views of stakeholders in other local government institutions in Ghana and other parts of the world to deepen the generalisation of the current findings. Nonetheless, lack of management support through IT skills training and timely implementation of audit recommendations have rendered the internal auditors as “dogs which can only bark but cannot bite”.     Keywords: Accountability, audit committee, Ghana, internal audit effectiveness, local government institutions.

Identifying vulnerable urban neighbourhoods and their environmental, density, and housing characteristics in Accra, Ghana using census and remote sensing data

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Identifying vulnerable urban communities, commonly known as slums, can facilitate targeted policies to reduce urban economic and social inequities in cities, but these data are rarely available. We aimed to identify vulnerable urban neighbourhoods and their environmental and housing characteristics in Accra, Ghana using available training data on the city center (Accra Metropolitan Area - AMA) applied to the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). METHODS: We accessed the following enumeration area (EA)-level data for Greater Accra: slum classification available for a subset of 2,418 EAs in the AMA from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and UN-Habitat 2011 report; housing conditions from the most recent Ghana Census (2010); and environmental quality attributes from remote sensing data provided by the United States Geological Survey and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. We fitted a Bayesian logistic regression model to evaluate associations between housing, density, and environmental attributes with vulnerable area classification of EAs in the AMA. We then applied the model to predict the probability of each urban EA in GAMA as being vulnerable. RESULTS:We estimated that approximately one-fifth of EAs in the GAMA had a vulnerable area probability greater than 80%, corresponding to a population of 752,367 likely living in suboptimal conditions. The variables associated with a higher probability of an EA being vulnerable included greater use of public toilet facilities [OR: 3.51 (95% credible interval (CI): 1.55,7.53)], higher population density [OR: 5.72 (95% CI: 3.85,8.65)], lower use of improved wall materials [OR: 0.11 (95% CI: 0.03,0.43)], lower elevation [OR: 0.45 (95% CI: 0.35, 0.58)], lower use of indoor piping as a drinking water source [OR: 0.50 (95% CI: 0.25,0.99)], and lower vegetation abundance [OR: 0.25 (95% CI: 0.16,0.39)]. CONCLUSIONS:Our approach can be used in future studies to identify geographic clusters of vulnerable areas where interventions are warranted to improve housing and environmental conditions. KEYWORDS: Built environment, Socio-economic factors, Epidemiology

Making Cities Resilient in Ghana: The Realities of Slum Dwellers That Confront the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

Over the past three decades, various countries and stakeholders have aimed at having cities that can better handle natural and human-made disasters, protect human life, absorb the impact of economic, environmental and social hazards and promote well-being, inclusive and sustainable growth. This paper investigates how informal ties result in in-filling and the creation of slums in the context of efforts to make cities resilient in Ghana using the Accra Metropolis as case study. The United Nations Habitat classification of slums was used to purposively select two slum settlements in Accra for the study. The study used mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect data from April 2018 to August 2018. Quantitative data was collected from 400 slum dwellers while qualitative data was collected from eight focus group discussion sessions and in-depth interviews with at least one senior official from related institutions such as Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH), Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development (MICZD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Police Service, and Ghana National Fire Service. Descriptive techniques were used for the analysis. The findings are that informal ties contribute to in-filling in slums. Slum dwellers do not plan to return home, they are not involved in land use decision making and the slums have opportunities and challenges to the slum dwellers and AMA. The AMA should avoid forced eviction of slums and rather enforce development control bye-laws, implement slum upgrading programs, and involve slum dwellers in upgrading programs. Slum dwellers must cooperate with AMA to make Accra resilient. The mainstreaming of the issue of slums in all urban development agendas needs to be given the needed political and policy attention by central government and all stakeholders.

Capacity development for urban water senior staff members, stakeholders and influencers in Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) in Ghana

It is expected that adequate quantity and quality of service delivery is one of the preconditions that contributes to safe water and sanitation delivery. Yet the human resource gap in WATSAN sector is relatively unknown (S. Cavill & D. Saywell, 2009). This paper outlines a piece of research that was conducted to provide a reliable skill gap assessment and building solution in Ghana to national water utility provider staff members, stakeholders and influencers.The Purpose of the Research is to undertake Training Needs Analysis that will be followed up with Capacity Gap Assessment and Enhancement in urban water management and service delivery in Accra and Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, GhanaThe research found significant relationship between staff, stakeholders and influences service quality delivery and customer satisfaction. Therefore, the study was followed up with staff, stakeholders and influencer’s capacity building initiatives and motivation techniques, communication skills, cost reduction strategies, assets maintenance, billing cycles, monitoring and evaluation as panacea to quality service delivery. Furthermore, the study recommended that the management, influencers and stakeholders should reexamine and re programme the organization’s conceptual framework, vision, mission and operations such as their customer data base system to capture their customer’s profiles and needs so as to deliver customer focused services.Key Words: WATSAN, Utility, Influencers, Service Delivery, Customer, Staff, Stakeholders, Capacity, Ghana

E-health usage and health workers' motivation and job satisfaction in Ghana.

BackgroundThe application of digital technology to improve health service delivery is increasing rapidly in Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMICs). Digital tools such as electronic health (e-health) have been shown to improve healthcare quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. However, evidence on health workers’ experiences using e-health services is limited in LMICs. This study examined the relationship between e-health usage and health workers’ motivation and job satisfaction.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey design involving health workers across public and private hospitals in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA). A structured questionnaire was designed and self-administered to 305 respondents. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse the data.ResultsFindings showed a significant positive association of job satisfaction with e-health (p < 0.01) and type of hospital (p < 0.01) but not motivation (p = 0.42). Although type of hospital significantly influenced job satisfaction (p < 0.01), it had no significant mediating effect on the relationship between e-health and job satisfaction. Finally, type of hospital interacted with e-health to moderate the association between e-health usage and job satisfaction.ConclusionThe findings suggest that e-health systems can catalyse health workers job satisfaction. Thus, measures to strengthen e-health structures to improve on their efficiency and effectiveness is crucial.

Effect of Changing Urban Farming Landscape on Financing Livelihoods and Food Security of Urban Farmers’ Households in Ghana

High rate of concretization of urban areas presents a challenge to the sustainability of urban farms in Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), as farms are out-competed to built-up areas for residential and commercial purposes. A major result of this concretization is a growing loss of farmlands in the metropolis. Our study explores the effect of urban growth on livelihood financing and food security of urban farming households. This is an exploratory study based on purposive sampling and snowballing techniques to inquiry. This qualitative study uses interview guides (semi-structured and structured) to collect primary data from farmers in the Accra metropolis. We bolstered this approach with spatial imagery tool to map out changing farm sizes in the metropolis. We find participants displaying greater wakefulness of the community as a key factor of urban farming in relation to food security, income and employment. This was because of inadequate land use planning and support to urban farmers. Some of the significant challenges identified were limited space for farming, limited resources, continuous increase in buildings and inadequate education. Conscious efforts should be made by the assemblies at all levels to develop comprehensive land-use plans to guide urban land management. As part of housing policy, vertical development (storey building) of housing and office accommodation is encouraged rather than horizontal expansion of offices and residential accommodation, which could encourage further growth in buildings. Moreover, the organization of urban farmer associations is a prerequisite to the improvement of urban agriculture.

Effect of changing urban farming landscape on financing livelihoods and food security of urban farmers’ households in Ghana

High rate of concretization of urban areas presents a challenge to the sustainability of urban farms in Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), as farms are outcompeted to built-up areas for residential and commercial purposes. A major result of this concretization is a growing loss of farmlands in the metropolis. Our study explores the effect of urban growth on livelihood financing and food security of urban farming households. This is an exploratory study based on purposive sampling and snowballing techniques to inquiry. This qualitative study uses interview guides (semi-structured and structured) to collect primary data from farmers in the Accra metropolis. We bolstered this approach with spatial imagery tool to map out changing farm sizes in the metropolis. We find participants displaying greater wakefulness of the community as a key factor of urban farming in relation to food security, income and employment. This was because of inadequate land use planning and support to urban farmers. Some of the significant challenges identified were limited space for farming, limited resources, continuous increase in buildings and inadequate education. Conscious efforts should be made by the assemblies at all levels to develop comprehensive land-use plans to guide urban land management. As part of housing policy, vertical development (storey building) of housing and office accommodation is encouraged rather than horizontal expansion of offices and residential accommodation, which could encourage further growth in buildings. Moreover, the organization of urban farmer associations is a prerequisite to the improvement of urban agriculture.

Informal operators in waste management in Accra, Ghana: From neglect to recognition?

Informal waste collectors play an essentialrole in urban solid waste management; however,in many developing countries, they are neglectedin the waste management policy framework. Thispaper explored the policy regime of informal waste operators in waste management in Accra, Ghana.Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with informal waste collectors, private waste companies and officials of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the paper shows that formal waste contractors with concession rights underserve low-class areas due to operational difficulties. The informal waste collectors fill this gap by providing services to these underserved communities though they have no legal entitlement to the concessions. The formal waste contractors and the municipal authorities recognize this gap filling role of informal waste collectors in waste management in Accra yet fail to provide the official recognition to legitimise their participation in solid waste management. The lack of official recognition, even in formal policy documents, undermines the development of informal waste management services as a viable employment option. It also denies a substantial section of the residents in poorer neighbourhoods in the national capital access to affordable and efficient waste management services.

The Attitude of Students towards the Learning of Social Studies and Their Performance: The Case of Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

This study sought to examine students’ attitude towards learning of Social Studies and their performance in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A sample of seventy-two (72) teachers was used. Methodologically, the study adopted the simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique. Questionnaires were used as the main data collection instrument. Kohler’s theory of insight learning served as the theoretical basis for this study. The quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. whereas the qualitative data was transcribed appropriately. It was found that students in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly performed averagely in Social Studies. They also have positive attitudes towards studying Social Studies. It is therefore recommended that Ghana Education Service should recruit professional teachers to teach Social Studies in Senior High schools. This will help the students to improve more with the right knowledge in Social Studies.

Households' source separation behaviour and solid waste disposal options in Ghana's Millennium City

Poor solid waste management has increasingly taken a hegemonic position in urban policy discourse in Ghana. Often, the discourse centers on free market principles and inflexible waste management laws that promote privatization and deregulation. Recently however, source separation is dominating discussions on policy alternatives. This study investigates determinants of households' source separation behaviour and solid waste disposal options among residents of Ghana's ‘Millennium City’- Accra using logit and multinomial logit regression models respectively. The logit regression estimates show that households' source separation behaviour is determined by gender, income, monetary incentives, attitude, compound house dummy, type of service provider and other household location variables. The multinomial logit estimates reveal that gender, age, age square, income, household size, employment, housing type, and attitude predicted household disposal options. We argue that to win the ‘garbage war’, source separation should be promoted by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly as this may enhance positive attitudes towards proper waste management.

Assessment of phthalate migration in polyethylene food contact materials sold on the Ghanaian market

Chemical contaminants that migrate into food may affect the safety and quality of the food depending on the nature and composition of the packaging material. The introduction of different packaging materials and designs have increased the specific hazards that humans are exposed to due to chemical migration into food. In Ghana, these food contact materials are not only used for food storage or transportation but also, foods such as kenkey are cooked with these food contact materials at very high temperatures for longer periods hence increasing the possibility of the migration rate and thereby posing hazard to consumers. The purpose of this study is to assess the quality and safety of polyethylene food contact materials used in the Ghanaian food industry in terms of phthalate migration. Five different polyethylene food contact materials specifically black polyethylene bags (BPB), plain polyethylene bags (TAB), thick plain polyethylene films/bags (TPB), polyethylene food containers (PFC) and polyethylene plastic bottles (PPB) were purchased from three different markets namely; Madina, Makola and Kwame Nkrumah circle within the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. The samples were analysed using a GC-MS after extraction with aqueous and fatty foods simulants.