Ghana Experience Research Articles

Hosts’ acceptance of tourist and trip experience in Ghana

ABSTRACT There is little empirical understanding of tourists’ feelings of acceptance and how this shape their experiences at destinations. Using the Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory and interviews with 34 international tourists in 2018, this study examines international tourists’ feelings of acceptance in Ghana. The results show that while most of the tourists felt accepted, some felt unaccepted by the residents. Acceptance is underpinned by social, cultural, and economic reasons, while unacceptance is due to the display of undesirable behaviour, cultural differences and lack of respect for the local way of life. Acceptance enhanced the overall trip experience of the tourists, while unacceptance diminished their trip experience. The implications of these findings in terms of host-guest relationships are discussed.

Spirituality and Transcendental meditation practitioners’ experiences in South Africa and Ghana

ABSTRACT Spirituality involves being in harmony with the cosmos or nature and a willingness to engage in good works for the sake of mankind; for instance, love for one another, care for the environment, and the production and protection of the common good for society. Spirituality could also be defined as the connectedness with nature or the cosmos, seeing beyond the circumstances of one’s limitation and the suffering one encounters (transcendence) and understanding one purpose and meaning of one existence. In an African context, spirituality is experienced by many people as being in touch with one’s spirit which is an indication of integration of the body with the spirit and without this spiritual aspect of the essence of oneself, it becomes natural to see and feel problem. When one is permanently established on the platform of the Transcendental Being, life is lived in eternal freedom and enjoyment of blissfulness throughout the day. In this vein, the self silently witnesses daily activity. This is the essence of TM practice where practitioners experience spiritual upliftment. Though much research has been done on TM globally, the spiritual lived experiences of the practitioners have not been adequately explored, especially in South Africa and Ghana. Therefore, the study sought to explore the spiritual lived experiences of TM practitioners in South Africa and Ghana. The study adopted the constructivist paradigm through the lens of phenomenology. In all, 28 participants took part in the study − 14 participants from South Africa and another 14 from Ghana. Open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data for the study. Husserl’s transcendental phenomenological data analysis was used to analyze and synthesize the descriptions of the spiritual lived experiences of the TM practitioners. The results suggest that TM act as a catalyst for the spiritual growth of the participants from both countries and that they experienced spiritual upliftment with the practice of TM. However, two participants both females were of the view that TM has nothing to do with their spirituality. It is the recommendation of this study that people who seek a spiritual path to discover their purpose and meaning in life explore this technique although there are other paths toward spiritual enlightenment. For instance, Christian’s contemplations player and Sufism.

“It's the patient that suffers from poor communication”: Analyzing communication gaps and associated consequences in handover events from nurses’ experiences

BackgroundAlthough routine communication gaps among clinical shift teams significantly account for adverse care and treatment outcomes, existing analysis of the phenomenon remain limited in low middle income countries battling with patient safety issues. This study analyzed the drivers and associated episodic consequences of communication gaps from nurses’ experiences in Ghana. MethodsQualitative design implemented in two referral hospitals. Data collection involved site observations and in-depth interviews with general nurses, midwives, and staff nurses across 3-cycle shift regimes in the emergency, ICU, inpatient wards, and maternity units. A two-stage data analysis was adopted by integrating deductive and inductive codes into broad thematic typologies explaining drivers of communication gaps and the consequences thereof. ResultsCommunication gaps among shift teams were largely driven by a combination of three broad factors: a) Attitudinal elements of poor work ethics, poor documentation, interpersonal conflicts and use of unconventional language that impaired effective communication; b) organizational dynamics of taxing job demands, limited training exposure and lack of formal handover communication procedures which allowed shift teams to adopt default patterns of communication behavior; and c) cultural values, stereotyping and prejudicing behaviors that restricted inclusive interactions among shift teams. These communication gaps produced adverse episodic effects of diagnostic and treatment errors, complications, and extended hospitalizations. ConclusionThe findings underscore the need to develop standard guidelines to direct structured communication alongside equipping shift teams with competences on emotional intelligence to overcome cultural and behavioral adversities that influence communication breakdown.

Examining the Influence of Gender Differences on Shopping Mall Experience in Ghana

Examining the Influence of Gender Differences on Shopping Mall Experience in Ghana

Influence of Retirement Experiences on Psychological Well-Being of Retired Teachers in East Gonja Municipality, Ghana

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of retirement experiences on psychological well-being of retired teachers in the East Gonja Municipality. The study employed a quantitative approach underpinned by analytical cross-sectional design. The target population of the study comprised of retired teachers in the East Gonja Municipality. A total of 320 retired teachers from East Gonja Municipality were purposively selected to constitute the sample for the study. Methodology: Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) and Psychological Well-Being Scale were adopted for data collection. Data was analysed using means and standard deviation and linear regression. Findings: The study found that most of the retired teachers in the East Gonja Municipality in the Savannah Region of Ghana experience positive emotions, express optimism, and are satisfied with their lives in their retirement phase of life. Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: The study concludes that retirement experiences are unique and can be a liberating experience for retired teachers, where they can pursue their interests and hobbies without any restrictions. It is recommended that retirement should be a time for retired teachers to focus on their health and well-being, a time they can pursue activities that promote physical and mental health. This study recommends to education system to provide pre-retirement counselling and post-retirement support programmes, focusing on mental health and well-being. Also, the study recommends to pension and retirement agencies to develop and implement workshops and peer support programmes to promote retired teachers’ psychological well-being, addressing issues of social isolation and identity loss.

Living with type 1 diabetes and schooling among young people in Ghana: a truism of health selection, inadequate support, or artefactual explanation of educational inequalities?

IntroductionType 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is mostly diagnosed among young people. Despite the evidence that T1DM is disruptive, and affects individuals’ health and cognitive ability, there is dearth of knowledge on the impact of T1DM on schooling in LMICs including Ghana. In this research, we explored the impact of T1DM on the schooling of young people living with the disease, and discussed the results within health selection, social support, and artefactual perspectives of inequality.MethodsData were extracted from a qualitative project on T1DM lived experiences in southern Ghana. The study participants were young persons living with T1DM (n = 28) and their caregivers (n = 12). They were purposively recruited to participate in the study using maximum variation and snowball sampling techniques and interviewed in their support group centres, homes, or healthcare facilities using semi-structured interview guides. A computer-assisted qualitative data analysis was performed using QSR NVivo 14 software, and the results were categorised into themes.ResultsThree themes were identified from the transcripts. These themes were school and classroom attendance, choice of school, and school/academic performance. T1DM was a major reason for patients’ limited contact hours with teachers, school drop-out, preference for day schools rather than boarding, opting for vocational training instead of continuation of formal education, limited concentration at school, and delayed educational progression.ConclusionT1DM impacted the schooling of young people living with the disease. The mechanisms of these impacts, and young peoples lived experiences are not artefactual, but rather support discourses on health selection and inadequate social support for young people living with the disease. The results call for the need to develop educational and social interventions to address these barriers. The full implementation of the Inclusive Education Policy (IEP) may contribute to reducing educational and social inequalities caused by ill-health.

A non-conformist choice: how young women studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in technical institutes in Ghana navigate their education and career decision

ABSTRACT The study discussed in this paper investigated how young women studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in upper secondary technical institutes in Ghana made their education and career decisions. The study interviewed 26 young women to explore and understand the processes they navigated to choose STEM in TVET. The findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis are grounded in these young women’s distinct social, political, and cultural experiences in Ghana. Nonetheless, the results provide evidence and knowledge that could inform policies, practices, and interventions to increase the participation of other young women in STEM-related TVET courses. The concluding section discusses recommendations from the experiences of these young women and the relevance of the processes and steps identified in the study to increase young women’s participation in STEM-related TVET.

Land banking, land price and Ghana’s informal land markets: A relational complexity approach

Land banking practices have received little attention on how such practices shape informal land markets in developing countries. Drawing on a relational complexity framework, this study explores the land banking experience in Ghana’s informal land markets. This research conducted semi-structured interviews with over thirty participants from four communities within the Ghanaian informal land market. The analysis revealed that developers are banking large tracts of land as capital investments through land dispositions. The absence of development on these banked lands has created a situation where developers are gradually influencing land prices. The analysis also shows that developers have created complex ongoing relationships with customary land managers. This coalition relationship has shaped land prices through the displacement of state-mediated statutory powers for land exchanges. The study recommends revisiting of stakeholder discussions on the enforcement and monitoring of the processes required under the Ghanaian Lands Commission guidelines for large-scale land transactions.

The impact of digital health technologies on the quality of service delivery: A pre and post assessment of the healthcare consumer's experiences in Ghana

AbstractThis study takes into account the pre and post experiences of the healthcare consumer in a developing country context regarding the use of digital technologies in receiving healthcare services. The study proposes a conceptual framework which suggests that the digitalization of healthcare services may present both tangible and intangible outcomes to the healthcare consumer. Underpinned by the SERVQUAL model, this study adopts a qualitative approach to explore the pre and post‐digitalization experiences of healthcare consumers in Ghana. Findings reveal that seven out of the nine dimensions used in the study's assessment gave positive outcomes on the consumers' post‐digitalization experiences, despite claims of the social inequalities that characterize developing countries (DCs) like Ghana. The study further reveals how the patient‐centered eHealth concept which is gaining considerable attention in Information Systems (IS) healthcare research, has not been fully adopted in some DC contexts. This study presents both practical and theoretical implications for all relevant stakeholders within the healthcare ecosystem.

Gender Difference on Internal Equity: Evidence From the Hospitality Industry in Ghana

It is a hypothetical position that employees in the hospitality industry in Ghana experience salary disparities based on the gender of the employee. Pay disparities exist because of unconscious biases in areas such as hiring, promotions, performance reviews, and salary decisions. In ensuring equal pay for equal work to fulfill the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention, this study investigated the internal equity pay of the employees in Ghana's hospitality industry based on equal work. This quantitative association study adopted a self-constructed research instrument to measure internal equity pay and randomly selected 350 respondents in the hospitality industry in Ghana to answer the research questionnaires. The respondents were made up of 160(46%) males and 190(54%) females. In looking for the significant difference of gender as related to internal equity pay of the employees in Ghana with a T'Test analysis, the study revealed that, indeed, there was a significant difference in the salary payment of the employees in Ghana. The males were paid more than the females for equal work. Therefore, the study rejected the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference in internal equity pay based on the gender of the employees in the hospitality industry in Ghana. To ensure equal pay for equal work, the management and shareholders of hospitality firms in Ghana are recommended to seek knowledge of the legal requirement of this principle in the Ghana Labor Law and also become compliant with the ILO convention. Furthermore, a conscious effort must be made to ensure equal pay for equal jobs.

Prospects and challenges of online pharmacy in post-Covid world: A qualitative study of pharmacists' experiences in Ghana

BackgroundOnline pharmacies continue to grow worldwide, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghana is experiencing this growth in an unprecedented way since its government initiated an online pharmacy pilot in December 2021, which was followed by the launch of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform in July 2022. This pioneering initiative calls for extensive research with pharmacists to gain their perspectives. However, there is a dearth of such studies in the sub-Saharan African countries. ObjectiveThis study sought to understand how pharmacists in Ghana perceive online pharmacies in terms of the larger socio-cultural and policy implications, as well as the challenges they face in its implementation. MethodsUsing a qualitative research design, local licensed pharmacists were recruited through purposive sampling and by specifically combining the maximum variation and snowball sample techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually with 21 pharmacists over the months of February and March 2022. The data were analyzed by using interpretive thematic analysis. ResultsPharmacists perceived that online pharmacies would transform the pharmaceutical industry in Ghana by making it convenient for people to access medication easily and at a reasonable price, while also offering them privacy. However, concerns were expressed around existing poor infrastructure and inequities, low health literacy, and inadequate regulatory practices that could pose major challenges in the operation of this platform. Engagement of stakeholders was deemed essential for success. ConclusionOnline pharmacy in Ghana and much of the developing world has the potential to transform and advance the pharmaceutical industry to better serve people. However, it could also lead to increased and irrational use of medications, if not properly regulated. Government, policy makers, and leaders in the field of digital health and pharmacy must also address poor infrastructure and inequities in digital access.

The role of digital surveillance during outbreaks: the Ghana experience from COVID-19 response.

Over the years, Ghana has made notable strides in adopting digital approaches to address societal challenges and meet demands. While the health sector, particularly the disease surveillance structure, has embraced digitization to enhance case detection, reporting, analysis, and information dissemination, critical aspects remain to be addressed. Although the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) structure has experienced remarkable growth in digitization, certain areas require further attention as was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic, recognized the importance of leveraging digital technologies to bolster the public health response. To this end, Ghana implemented various digital surveillance tools to combat the pandemic. These included the 'Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS)', the digitalized health declaration form, ArcGIS Survey123, Talkwalker, 'Lightwave Health information Management System' (LHIMS), and the 'District Health Information Management System (DHIMS)'. These digital systems significantly contributed to the country's success in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. One key area where digital systems have proved invaluable is in the timely production of daily COVID-19 situational updates. This task would have been arduous and delayed if reliant solely on paper-based forms, which hinder efficient reporting to other levels within the health system. By adopting these digital systems, Ghana has been able to overcome such challenges and provide up-to-date information for making informed public health decisions. This paper attempts to provide an extensive description of the digital systems currently employed to enhance Ghana's paper-based disease surveillance system in the context of its response to COVID-19. The article explores the strengths and challenges or limitations associated with these digital systems for responding to outbreaks, offering valuable lessons that can be learned from their implementation.

Criminalising and Punishing Non-Compliance with Petroleum Revenue Laws in Africa: Ghana's Experience with Non-Compliance

The discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Ghana in 2007 came with the hope of an economic boom and infrastructure development. The parliament of Ghana passed the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (Act 815) in 2011 and subsequently amended parts to address new concerns. The law does not only identify all the sources of revenue that should accrue to the Government of Ghana, but it also sets out which state institution is responsible for the assessment and collection of revenue, how revenue allocation should be made, and what it should be used for. The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) established under the law to monitor statutory compliance with the collection, disbursement, and use of all petroleum revenues has raised issues of non-compliance with statutory provisions by state institutions and government officials since 2011. The implications of non-compliance with Petroleum Revenue Management Statutes cannot be overstated. This article, which is generally descriptive and interspersed with some textual analyses, proposes criminalising all breaches of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act with deterrent sanctions.

Teaching Mathematics with Digital Technologies: A Situational Analysis of High School Teachers’ Experiences in Ghana

In spite of the proliferation of educational technologies, teacher surveys have indicated relatively low levels of technology integration in mathematics lesson delivery in Ghanaian Senior High Schools. This study examined how Senior High School mathematics teachers use the available technology resources in their pedagogy in Ghana. Drawing on the substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition model, an explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed for the study. A questionnaire, classroom observation and semi-structured interview guide were used in gathering data for the study. A total of 202 mathematics teachers were selected using a stratified sampling technique. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) whereas the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed relatively low levels of technology usage as modification or redefinition in mathematics lesson delivery; however, the calculator was reported as the predominant technology frequently used by mathematics teachers as substitution and augmentation in their classrooms. The results also revealed that mathematics teachers could only use technology to facilitate their pedagogical activities. They used digital technologies to prepare for lessons, assist in computational tasks during class (substitution) and validate mathematical solutions (augmentation). Consequently, the study emphasises the necessity of training and enhancing teachers’ skills to enable them to employ technology for the transformation (modification and redefinition) of their pedagogical practices within the classroom. This transformation would allow students to utilise technology not only for computation and solution verification but also to develop mathematical concepts and critical thinking skills.

Vízgazdálkodás – Ghána

Having a tropical climate, Ghana experience high rainfall per year making water resources abundant in the country. The major water resources in the country include; lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and groundwater. Unfortunately, the management of these water resources by ensuring there is sufficient water of adequate quality for drinking and other benefits has been a challenge to government institutions responsible for the planning and execution of policies to manage and sustain these resources. The three major management problem are pollution, flood, and drought. The Government of Ghana in 2022 uses key tracker and indicator as an innovative way of monitoring the progress made in the country’s effort to address menace of illegal mining that pollute water resources in Ghana (ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, 2023). Dam safety Regulation LI 2236 of 2016 was established as an innovative way safeguarding dams to prevent flooding (WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION, 2021). Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and consultants use treated sludges and waste water for nursing vegetable seedlings, flash flood forecasting app for detecting early flood warning, using technology to recycle carwash water for re-use. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) together with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) through the Capacity Building Initiative for transparency (CBIT) project was aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of Ghana climate ambitious reporting programme for climate action and support (ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, 2023). Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA) a project of World bank, The Sahel groundwater Initiative by CIWA, Transboundary water management in Africa by European union and other initiatives seeks to assist Africa including Ghana with innovation ways in realizing the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6) which calls for ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. The government and the institutions responsible for safe guarding the water resources must invest in innovative methods in managing this great resource.

The Nature of Bullying in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Students’ Experiences in Ghana and Norway

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to identify the negative behaviors that constitute bullying in higher education as reported by students, and (b) to explore differences in student experiences in two markedly different national contexts. A sample of 1,189 respondents from two universities in Ghana (n = 751) and two universities in Norway (n = 438) answered the same questionnaire. Approximately 40% of the Ghanaian students and 20% of the Norwegian students responded that they had been bullied. Although less frequently observed than in Ghana, relational forms of bullying (e.g., being excluded) were more prevalent in Norway compared to other behaviors. In contrast, direct and verbal forms of bullying, such as name-calling and being taunted, were most common in Ghana. The findings provide insights into cultural and national variations with respect to negative social behaviors related to bullying in the context of higher education.

The intervening influence of the quality of health-care administrative process on the relationship between facilities management service quality and patients’ health-care experience in Ghana

PurposePatient-centred strategies should be applied in health-care facilities management (HcFM) to guarantee service quality to meet patients’ needs and ensure quality patient health-care experience. This paper aims to examine the intervening influence of the quality of health-care administrative process (QAP) on the association between health-care facilities service quality and patients’ experiences with medical care.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative technique was used for this cross-sectional study in three Ghanaian teaching hospitals. A total of 622 relevant questionnaires were used for the analysis of the study using SEM-PLS.FindingsThe intervening influence of the QAP on the relationship between HcFM service quality (empathy and tangibility) and patients’ health-care experience (PHcE) were reinforced whilst that of reliability, responsiveness and assurance were not reinforced. The association between the QAP and PHcE was also established.Research limitations/implicationsA high-quality health-care workforce (both core and supporting) and quality work environment provided by the FM department and QAP are essential during quality-of-care delivery, to reduce threats to patient safety to achieve exceptional PHcE. The constraint on the study is that information was gathered from only Ghana. Hence, the generalisation of the findings will be a challenge. Thus, in future, it is proposed that a comparative study across a developed country and a developing country can be conducted. Future research can assess the influence of the health-care internal appearance on patients’ satisfaction.Practical implicationsPractically, the administrative system can be improved by reducing patients overall waiting time. Steps must also be taken to reduce the problem of needless administrative tasks and practices to simplify administrative practices and improve patients’ total health-care experience (core health-care delivery and HcFM), as this influence patients’ total health-care experience.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this empirical validation is one of the initial studies in service quality and FM to examine how health-care administrative process quality affects the relationship between FM service quality and patients’ experiences with medical care. This framework can be adapted for research in different countries to extend knowledge.

Farmers’ perceptions of severe climate risks and adaptation interventions in indigenous communities in northern Ghana

Perceptions of climate change are widely studied and documented. However, understandings of conceptions and experiences of severe climate risks in indigenous farming communities are insufficient. This research respond to that knowledge gap with evidence from selected indigenous farming communities in northern Ghana through a mixed-method approach. Results from the empirical data show that farmers perceive severe climate risk to mean livelihood disruption throughout the season, unproductive farmlands, ineffective adaptation and inability to break even. The logistic regression estimates show that gender, marital status, livelihood activity and ecological zone are all influential factors that are likely to predict farmers’ perceptions of severe climate risk. Farmers in northern Ghana experience severe physical climate risks such as extreme droughts, extreme temperatures, severe heatwaves, frequent floods and severe water stress. To mitigate severe physical climate risks and disasters, individual farmers implement indigenous adaptation strategies such as livelihood diversification, construction of hand-dug wells in farms, migration, building of mounds or ridges, and early marriage of young girls. Collectively, farming communities culturally utilize animal sacrifices and spiritual incantations to invoke rains to address prolonged droughts. Understanding severe climate risks and their determinants will provide good policy guidelines for early warning systems to sustainably improve livelihood and food security in resource-constrained communities.

Battling with urban floods: Household experience, coping and adaptation strategies in Ghana

Empirical works have shown rising urban floods in Ghana and the associated household vulnerabilities. However, the flood response mechanisms by households remain inadequately understood. This paper, therefore, analyses the dynamics of urban floods and the response mechanisms of flood-prone community-dwelling households in Greater Kumasi, Ghana using a concurrent triangulation mixed method design. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical tools in IBM SPSS (Version 21) while the qualitative data were analysed using NVivo 12 analytical software. The results showed that households employed different flood coping strategies including bailing out of the water, placing valuable items above the ground level, and seeking support from neighbours. Adaptation took the form of massive use of concrete flood defence walls and elevated entrances, the use of sandbags as embarkments, and reinforced building foundations with concrete work. The uncoordinated nature of these individual strategies coupled with overdependence on the structural defence mechanisms made these response mechanisms less effective. For effective flood control, a site-specific mix of structural and non-structural flood control mechanisms is recommended. Crucially, it demands strict enforcement of land use regulations, land use, and development control, and sustained community sensitisation on the risks of non-adherence to land use regulations.

Learning from health system actor and caregiver experiences in Ghana and Nepal to strengthen growth monitoring and promotion.

Globally, growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) of infants and young children is a fundamental component of routine preventive child health care; however, programs have experienced varying degrees of quality and success with enduring challenges. The objective of this study was to describe implementation of GMP (growth monitoring, growth promotion, data use, and implementation challenges) in two countries, Ghana and Nepal, to identify key actions to strengthen GMP programs. We conducted semi-structured key informant interviews with national and sub-national government officials (n = 24), health workers and volunteers (n = 40), and caregivers (n = 34). We conducted direct structured observations at health facilities (n = 10) and outreach clinics (n = 10) to complement information from interviews. We coded and analyzed interview notes for themes related to GMP implementation. Health workers in Ghana (e.g., community health nurses) and Nepal (e.g., auxiliary nurse midwives) had the knowledge and skills to assess and analyze growth based on weight measurement. However, health workers in Ghana centered growth promotion on the growth trend (weight-for-age over time), whereas health workers in Nepal based growth promotion on measurement from one point in time to determine whether a child was underweight. Overlapping challenges included health worker time and workload. Both countries tracked growth-monitoring data systematically; however, there was variation in growth monitoring data use. This study shows that GMP programs may not always focus on the growth trend for early detection of growth faltering and preventive actions. Several factors contribute to this deviation from the intended goal of GMP. To overcome them, countries need to invest in both service delivery (e.g., decision-making algorithm) and demand generation efforts (e.g., integrate with responsive care and early learning).