Examining people’s participation in corporate social responsibility development process: A study of Tullow Oil Ghana Limited
Local communities living close to production sites of oil drilling activities, all over the world, have in one way or the other suffered adverse impacts which the exploration companies try to appease through activities of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The key is for each party to tap into the resources and expertise of the other, finding creative solutions to critical social and businesses challenges. This study is to find out the patterns of people's participation at different stages of Tullow’s Cooperate Social Responsibility development process, taking into account the participation of members of the community. The researcher engaged various stakeholders through the use of questionnaires and face to face interviews. At the end of the study, it was seen that practical CSR decision and implementation could hardly involve decisions of the local community in the coastal belt. As high as 90% of respondents had not gotten the opportunity by any Oil Company to either recount their losses or threats due to their operations. Also, almost all the respondents never had the opportunity to make input into Tullow’s CSR decisions regarding CSR projects. Tullow CSR is therefore seen as a strategic approach meant to reduce business risk rather than a participatory platform for both Tullow and the intended beneficiary community.
The digital world is still evolving with many opportunities and challenges. The mobile phone is one of the devices that has transformed the telecommunication industry. Repair of mobile phones places itself within the idea of circular economy in an urban setting, and the allied process like refurbishing, reengineering, and recycling are advantageous to the environment, contributing to sustainable development goals. This study sought to access the performance and skill gained by some students in selected second cycle institutions in Southern Ghana who undergone training to technologically fix mobile phones. The study found out that about 90% of the students were able to install, uninstall and repair mobile systems as well as becoming conversant with the use of various tools & instruments in mobile phone repairing.
Mark Ofori Nketia, Prince Obeng Lokko, Eric Adu-Gyamfi
STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONSATATECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE IN GHANA
Nearly five years ago, the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC) responded to a call for proposals by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) under Component 2 of the Ghana Skills and Technology Development Project (GSTDP). Funding received was used in the establishment of the Technology Research and Innovation Centre (TRIC) for technology and market-oriented research with an overarching goal of transferring technology to the public and industry. Ghana Technology University College is committed to bridging the gap between academia and industry, and the establishment of TRIC transformed this vision into reality. Nine projects were selected from presentations made at workshops by researchers from our academic faculties (ie, Faculty of Computing and Information Systems, Faculty of IT Business and Faculty of Engineering) in collaboration with their private industry partners. Thus, the implementation of the projects entailed cross-institutional collaborations between GTUC, COTVET and MESTI with the involvement of the private sector. This paper discusses the processes and outcomes of the implementation of the TRIC projects with recommendations for the sustainability of TRIC.
Prince Obeng Lokko, Mark Ofori Nketia, Kofi Bobi Barimah
Technological Fix: Students in Mobile Phone Repairs
Towards a faculty blended learning adoption model for higher education
Management of the Ghana Technology University College took the decision to adopt blended learning (BL) for teaching and learning because of its effectiveness as a learning approach. However, academicians are apprehensive about teaching in blended learning environment. A major study to understand the factors influencing faculty to adopt blended learning in the university has allowed a preliminary grounded theory model to be developed. This model identifies key factors, including pedagogy fitness, faculty technology affinity, student positive disposition to BL and institutional readiness lead positively to motivate faculty to adopt BL. The outcome of this research is a faculty blended learning adoption model which highlights the process of how faculty members situate themselves within the construct of adoption. Furthermore, the study highlights that faculty blended learning can be understood through …
Factors affecting port users’ behavioral intentions to adopt financial technology (fintech) in ports in sub-saharan africa: A case of ports in Ghana
The study evaluated factors influencing port users’ intentions to participate in Financial Technology (Fintech) in the ports of Ghana. The study used non-experimental quantitative correlational design and the Extended Unified Theory of the Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) as the theoretical foundation to assess whether performance expectancy (PE), behavioral intention (BI), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM), price value (PV), and habit (HT) were predictors of the intention of port users to participate in a Fintech program with age as a moderating factor. The sample comprised 407 individuals who work in the port industry and are between 18 and 64 years old; these were randomly selected through the SurveyMonkey platform. The study used principal component analysis (PCA), confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling to analyze and report the results. Findings show that PE, EE, and HT were predictors of the behavioral intention of port users to participate in a Fintech in the maritime and ports in Ghana. FC, SI, HM, and PV values could not predict BI for port users to enroll on a Fintech program. Neither did age have a moderating effect on the predictors variable influence on behavioral intention. This study offers a deeper insight into the adoption of Fintech in the port industry and sub-Saharan Africa. The findings can help researchers explain the variations in the UTAUT2 theoretical framework predictions relative to different sectors and disciplines. Researchers who intend to use the UTAUT2 theoretical framework to influence port users BI to enroll in the …
Ahmed Antwi-Boampong, David King Boison, Musah Osumanu Doumbia, Afia Nyarko Boakye, Linda Osei-Fosua, Kwame Owiredu Sarbeng
Blockchain-Ready Port Supply Chain Using Distributed Ledger
Blockchain technology, as a bedrock for distributed ledgers, offers a platform for innovation for a new decentralized and transparent transaction machinery in industries and businesses, and the port is not an exception. The inbuilt features of this technology enrich trust through transparency and traceability within any transaction of data, goods, services, and financial resources. Notwithstanding initial doubts about this technology, lately government and large corporations have offered to adopt and enhance this technology in various fields of applications, from social and legal industries, and finance to design, maritime and port networks. In this paper, the authors review the current status of the Blockchain technology and some of its applications. The potential benefit of such a technology in port and maritime supply chain is then discussed, and a vision for the future Blockchain ready port and maritime supply chain are proposed. The importation of containerized vehicles is used as an example to demonstrate how such technology can be deployed in a global port industry. Finally, the requirements and challenges to adopt this technology in the future in relation to, port and maritime systems are discussed.
Towards an institutional blended learning adoption model for higher education institutions
There has been considerable interest in Blended learning (BL) and how it is transforming teaching and learning in higher education institutions. Research in this area is focused on course level issues in relation to how students and faculty members interact and adopt blended learning, with very limited focus on institutional adoption. There is the need for more institutional adoption research to guide how higher education institutions shape policies as they transition from the traditional face to face delivery model to fully blended universities. This study adopts a grounded theory methodology to investigate institutional BL adoption initiatives. A public university in Ghana, which is in its early/adoption implementation stage, is selected as a case study and analysed using the constant comparative analytical technique. The university management took a decision in 2013 to transition from face to face delivery to a fully …
Ahmed Antwi-Boampong, Anthony Junior Bokolo
An investigation into barriers impacting against faculty blended learning adoption
Blended Learning has not attained campus-wide integration and adoption as the preferred teaching delivery mode by faculty members a few years after the management of a public university in Ghana decided to move from face to face delivery to the blended mode. This study investigates the barriers impacting faculty Blended Learning in Ghana. The study uses an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate the barriers to faculty non-adoption of blended learning. It also investigates their perceptions and experiences. A total of 22 faculty members from four faculties of the university were purposively selected and interviewed for this study. The data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparative analytical method. Thematic analysis was then applied to generate themes for the findings. The study found four themes that inductively constitute barriers to faculty BL adoption. These are infrastructure, faculty concerns, institutional, technical support barriers. The study provides insights into the lived experiences of faculty members relative to the impediments they face in adopting BL. Thus, administrative managers need to avert their attention to institutional related barriers, faculty related concerns, technical barriers, and infrastructure-related barriers when implementing BL.
Blended Learning Adoption in Higher Education: Presenting the Lived Experiences of Students in a Public University from a Developing Country.
The concept of Blended Learning (BL) is gaining widespread attention in Ghana as many public universities' switches into this delivery format. The paper investigates the BL experiences of students from a public university and among other things presents their views relative to the determinants of BL adoption and the barriers encountered out of the experience. The paper adopts a qualitative case study methodology and purposively interviews 15 students from a BL class of 57 students. The analysis was done using Thematic analysis techniques. The findings presented in this paper indicate that the students in the BL class hold a positive perception of BL. Insights into the perspective of the respondents show that students view BL as an approach that is convenient, flexible and among other things facilitate learning beyond the limitations imposed by the classrooms. Also, BL is viewed as an effective pedagogic tool that allows learning to take place in a socially constructive manner through
Sakarya University. Esentepe Campus, Adapazari 54000, Turkey