Ghana Journal of Higher Education Management

Fore Pages & Editorial

Reginald Sitsofe Kwaku Agbo — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Fore Pages and Editorial

Exploring internal quality assurance management practices: Experiences of some quality assurance actors at the University of Ghana

Emmanuel Dodzi Anyidoho — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article used a constructivist-interpretivist approach to explore the perspectives of quality assurance actors on internal quality assurance management practices at the University of Ghana (UG). Semi-structured interviews and document reviews were used to gather data from UG. The themes that emerged from the data indicated that UG has a comprehensive quality assurance policy, and policy implementation structure and uses a systems model of quality assurance management system made up of input, process, output, and outcome sub-systems. The results show that there is a lack of well–resourced quality assurance sub-committees at the policy implementation levels, inadequate quality assurance stakeholders’ involvement, and neglect of quality assurance measures for the educational outcome sub-system. The findings imply that for UG to improve its internal quality assurance management, there is a need to establish well-resourced quality assurance sub-committees at the policy implementation levels. In addition, quality assurance actors should involve all stakeholders stipulated in the quality assurance policy documents. The Academic Quality Assurance Unit should implement the educational outcome quality assurance measures by conducting tracer studies, employer satisfaction surveys, alumni surveys, and community perception surveys as stipulated in the UG’s quality assurance policy document.

Assessing the limitations of Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) implementation in Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAS). A case of Anloga District Assembly

Christopher Alatarige — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study sought to assess the limitations of GIFMIS implementation in Ghana: A case study of Anloga District Assembly. The main tool used for the data collection for this study was a structured questionnaire containing closed-ended questions. The study used the quantitative research approach as well as the explanatory study design. A total of 20 respondents were sampled, using the purposive sampling techniques. Descriptive statistical tools, such as frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the research data. The study revealed that the GIFMIS system is necessary to ensure effective and efficient revenue collection, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accountability in financial management, ensuring timely dissemination of information, and maximizing payments and commitment controls of public funds. The results also revealed that inadequate ICT infrastructure, poor network connectivity, inadequate ICT skills of staff, and funding challenges among others are some of the limitations hindering the smooth operationalization of GIFMIS in the Anloga District Assembly in the Volta Region of Ghana. The study, therefore, recommends that the Government of Ghana should provide the needed resources such as ICT infrastructures, network connectivity, training of staff, computers, and other facilities needed to support the GIFMIS program in order to achieve its objectives.

Assessing youth capacity to influence public policy and practice in Ghana

Eric A. V. Kavaarpuo, Peter F. X. Porekuu, Paul Y. A. Yeboah — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This capacity assessment on youth groups, networks and organisations revealed that
only 4 per cent of youth-focused organisations and groups in Ghana were legally
registered with the Registrar General’s Department. Majority (at least 54%) of the
groups and networks (including organisations) lacked clear-cut organisational
structure and systems, mission and strategy and the requisite personnel (people) to
function effectively. Leadership and management capacity to deliver on their mandate
was inadequate to influence public policy in favour of the youth. Few of the youth
groups and organisations understood the youth policy and legal framework in Ghana.
Again, majority did not understand their sector of operations; and majority were not
financially sustainable. The assessment which was conducted across the sixteen (16)
regions of Ghana categorised youth groups into a) Organisations engaged in youth
work; b) Youth-led organisations or groups; and c) Youth Networks or Federations.
A regional list of youth groups and organisations within the three categories was the
sample frame and used to purposively sample as many youth as could be reached for
the assessment

Impact of staff development programmes on productivity: The case of Tamale campus of University for Development Studies

Godslove Adjeiwaa Kordie, Lois Leikib Dukper, Thomas A. Azuure — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study presents the importance of staff development programmes on productivity
among the staff of the University for Development Studies on the Tamale campus.
The Human Capital Theory was the tool adapted to serve as a theoretical
foundation for this study. A convenient sampling technique was employed in
selecting respondents for the study. Primary data was collected through the
administration of semi-structured questionnaires. The study population was senior
members and senior staff of the Tamale campus. Findings from the study show that
in-service training was the most predominant staff development programme among
respondents, while short courses were the least programme. On the relevance and
quality of the staff development programmes, the findings indicated that the
programmes were very relevant with no record of the programmes not being
relevant. Focusing on the quality of the staff development programmes, the majority
of the respondents indicated the programmes were very good in developing their
careers with a few of them indicating the quality of the programmes was on average.
Challenges faced by respondents in accessing staff development programmes
included infrequent training programmes; biases in the selection of applicants;
short notification of opportunities; short duration of programmes; inadequate
information on programmes; long application and selection process; inadequate
sponsorship; unskilled facilitators; and poor planning. Among the recorded
challenges, inadequate sponsorship was the major challenge while poor planning of
programmes constituted the least of the challenges. It was therefore recommended
that the University should establish a Fund or Scholarship Scheme to support staff
in the various development programmes since inadequate sponsorship was a major
challenge for respondents.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the collegiate system of administration at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In order to ensure synchronisation, decentralisation, and democratisation of
operations as well as the devolution of power, the collegiate system of
administration was implemented in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (KNUST). It is anticipated that it will assist in the decision-making and
execution processes to combat the bureaucratic issues related to the faculty system
of administration. The study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the collegiate
administration system and its associated challenges. The study used a quantitative
approach to solicit data. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire from
senior management within the colleges and the university administration and data
from secondary sources. Data from each source were analysed descriptively. The
study revealed that the collegiate system had cultivated a strong feeling of
engagement. The system has helped with academic and administrative leadership
which deserves a more concentrated focus. The style of administration has been
successful in increasing the scope of operations in the colleges.

Understanding students’ cynicism and engagement in a Ghanaian university

Abdul Kahar Abukari, Ibrahim Alhassan, Baba Gazali Mohammed — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Students’ expectations about university life and the impact of their unmet
expectations on the university experience are exceedingly complex phenomena in
much of today’s higher education enterprise. Given the enormous challenges
universities face as the number of students increases, university management and
administrators require information to shape students' expectations about various
aspects of their university's education experience. This study explored Student
Cynicism (SC) and its relationship with Student Engagement (SE) at the University
for Development Studies (UDS). We collected valid data from 435 undergraduate
students enrolled in health science and non-health science programmes and
analysed them using non-parametric test techniques. The results indicate that SC
and SE are inversely related. Also, students studying health science-related
programmes were found to be more cynical than their non-health science
counterparts. Furthermore, overall cynicism was higher among students in Level
300 than in other year groups. The practical implications of the study, its limitations,
and directions for future research are discussed

Students’ expectations and satisfaction on the vocational training learning environment: The case of the University of Health and Allied Sciences

Emmanuel Dodzi Anyidoho, Anthony Asempah — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study was intended to find out the level of expectation and satisfaction in health
and allied sciences regular undergraduate and sandwich students with their
vocational training learning environment. A descriptive cross-sectional research
design was carried out among 870 undergraduate students who were studying for a
Bachelor’s degree from the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho. Nonprobability enumerative sampling was used to select the sample. Modified standard
tool Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision, and Preceptor evaluation scale
was used to assess the level of expectation and satisfaction in vocational training
environment among students. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and
inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that most of the students
were satisfied beyond their level of expectation with their vocational training
environment. However, few students both regular and sandwich recorded a level of
satisfaction lower than their level of expectation on some of the factors. Further, a
statistically significant association was found between both regular and sandwich
students’ expectations and satisfaction with the vocational training environment
factors. The findings imply that there is a need for the University of Health and
Allied Sciences to organise regular capacity-building training for preceptors and
health facility managers to improve students’ level of satisfaction regarding
facility/ward/unit atmosphere, the leadership style of a preceptor, leadership of
preceptor to nursing care/clients, preceptorship/supervisory relationship, preceptor
as enabling the integration of theory and practice, cooperation between placement
staff and preceptor, the relationship among student, preceptor, leadership of
preceptor to nursing care/clients, preceptorship/supervisory relationship, preceptor
as enabling the integration of theory and practice, cooperation between placement
staff and preceptor, the relationship among student, preceptor as enabling the integration of theory and practice, co operation between placement staff and preceptor, the relationship among student, preceptor, and abiluty to achieve vocational training objectives could be improved.

Motivational influence and employees’ performance: Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies and Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University in perspective

Joseph S. K. Bagah — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The study examined the influence of motivation on employees’ performance with
reference to two tertiary educational institutions in Ghana. Purposive sampling was
used to select Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated
Development Studies and Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University as the study area.
Purposive sampling technique was again used to select a sample size of 300 from the
two institutions. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire based on the
Likert scale method. With respect to the main findings, 73% of the respondents
strongly agreed that motivation influences employees’ performance, also 58.0%, of
the study respondents agreed that financial rewards can motivate employees to
increase performance. In all, 70% of the respondents strongly agreed with the
statement that non-financial rewards motivate employees to increase performance as
compared to financial rewards. Finally, 47.0% of the respondents agreed that
employers encounter challenges in motivating hardworking employees. It was
recommended that management focus more on non-financial reward packages such
as promotions, commendations, and feedback to give employees satisfaction and
increase performance.

The position of the Ghana Labour Law on accumulated annual leave: Perspectives from the University for Development Studies

Joseph Attiah Seniwoliba — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Employees of the University for Development Studies have come to the conclusion
that they have no obligation to accumulate their annual leave, and if that was done,
they were most likely to forfeit it if not taken within the calendar year in which the
leave is earned mandatorily. The rule, order, and directive emanate from the Office
of the Registrar, cautioning staff to take their leave within the calendar year or forfeit
it. The approval authorities refuse to grant accumulated leave claim requests with the
assumption that staff have been given enough information on management’s decision
not to approve accumulated leave. As a result, this paper reviews the basic
employment conditions in Ghana with particular reference to annual leave, the
Unified Condition of Service for Unionized Staff of the Public Universities of Ghana,
the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the propositions in the Ghana Labour Act 2003 (Act
651), and the position of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on holidays
with pay. The study revealed that leave administration is the discretion and
responsibility of the employer to decide which month in the year the worker should
take his or her annual leave; the power to defer the worker’s leave from one month to
another; the discretion to grant the worker’s leave in portions; the discretion to defer
the annual leave is limited to and within the 12 calendar months; and under no
circumstance should the employer defer the leave into the subsequent year because
such an act will be contradictory to Section 31 of Act 651; The study therefore
recommends that the employer or employer representative should ensure that every
employee is able to claim his or her annual leave, inclusive of accumulated leave days,
before the end of the calendar year.