Emmanuel Akyirefi Aboagye - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Emmanuel Akyirefi Aboagye

Water, 2021

Due to population growth and economic development, there has been an increase in global wastewate... more Due to population growth and economic development, there has been an increase in global wastewater (WW) generation footprint. There are different technologies associated with the wastewater treatment (WWT) process. The challenge is to select technologies that minimize the cost of treatment, as well as meet purity requirements. Further, there is a need to integrate sustainability analysis to facilitate a holistic decision. With the application of systems engineering, sustainable and cost-effective solutions can be achieved. In this work, we apply systems engineering to generate a sustainable and cost-effective solution. A superstructure was generated by categorizing technologies into four treatment stages. After modeling all functional equations for each technology, an optimization problem was formulated to determine the best path for the treatment process. Mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP), which implements a 0–1 binary integer constraint for active/inactive technologies ...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

Background: The study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the Productivity Measurement and Enhanc... more Background: The study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System (ProMes) intervention to reduce employee work-related stress and enhance work performance. Methods: A prospective cohort study was used to undertake the evaluation from a business perspective. Objective workload data and stress were gathered repeatedly over a 17-month period (i.e., before and after intervention). Independent t-test and an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis were used in the analysis. The average cost-effectiveness ratio (ACER) was calculated as a ratio of the average cost of the intervention and the effect sizes of the different outcomes to reflect the average cost per clinician for each unit change in outcome. Results: Based on the results of the ITS analysis, an expenditure of EUR 41,487 was linked with no change in stress levels, according to the ACER for stress. In addition, the expenditures associated with each unit change were EUR 3319 for overall t...

This study examined the media consumption of Ghanaian football fans during the Covid-19 pandemic ... more This study examined the media consumption of Ghanaian football fans during the Covid-19 pandemic as match day attendances were banned. Using surveys developed with Google form, purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were employed to gather data from social media platforms (WhatsApp and Facebooks) of two Ghanaian Premier League club's fans (N=305). Based on the results, Ghanaian football fans consumed more sport products on television (46.2%), preferred live matches to recorded matches (M=4.54, S.D.=1.84) and use team apps the most (34.1%). Again, the result of the independent sample t-test showed that highly identified fans frequently consumed more sports products than moderate to lowly identified fans (t=-13.045, p=0.000, M=3.93 S. D=0.76). The findings provide evidence to team managers and football administrators on where to engage fans during pandemics and how to generate revenue based on the media consumption of the fans.

Social Education Research, 2021

The present study examines the perception of senior high school (SHS) students on the coronavirus... more The present study examines the perception of senior high school (SHS) students on the coronavirus and the use of masks to prevent the disease. Semi-structured interviews were employed as a form of data collection with purposively sampled twenty-four (24) senior high school students comprising twelve (12) males and twelve (12) females aged sixteen to nineteen (16-19) years. Thematic analysis was used in analysing the qualitative data gathered. Six (6) themes emerged that centered around SHS students' perception of the coronavirus, wearing of masks, health effects and other general ideas on the pandemic. The main themes were the mode of spread, symptoms, prevention, reasons for wearing masks, the health effects of wearing masks and other issues. The findings were discussed in line with recent literature and recommendations have been made to the stakeholders for policy direction. In sum, the students usually follow the safety protocols instituted by the World Health Organisation (W...

Scientometrics, 2021

The purpose of this review was to investigate the association between publication performance and... more The purpose of this review was to investigate the association between publication performance and the organizational and psychosocial work environment of academics in a university setting. In 2018 we conducted database searches in Web of Science, Medline and other key journals (hand-searched) from 1990 to 2017 based on population, exposure and outcome framework. We examined reference lists, and after a title and abstract scan and full-text reading we identified studies that were original research and fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Articles were evaluated as having a low, moderate or high risk of bias using a quality assessment form. From the studies (n= 32) identified and synthesized, work-environment characteristics could explain the quality and quantity aspects of publication performance of academics. Management practices, leadership and psychosocial characteristics are influential factors that affect academics’ publication productivity. Most of the reviewed studies were judged...

Business and Economics Journal, 2014

The term, corporate governance as a relatively new term has been in popular use for the past two ... more The term, corporate governance as a relatively new term has been in popular use for the past two decades to describe the general codes by which businesses are steered and controlled. Despite its newness, there is however, no single or universally accepted definition of this term by academic scholars or practicing managers. However, the various definitions reflect the two main perspectives of corporate governance: the shareholder perspective, which fits into the narrow scope of the definition of corporate governance; and the stakeholder perspective, which also corresponds to the wider scope of the definition of corporate governance. This paper examines how these two perspectives shape the contemporary debate on the relevance of corporate governance. We find that it is obvious that the practical importance of shareholder and stakeholder perspectives of corporate governance will continue to be discussed for a very long period of time to come. Even though theoretically, it is important ...

African Educational Research Journal, 2020

The present study examined the perception of teachers of the new educational curriculum in Ghana.... more The present study examined the perception of teachers of the new educational curriculum in Ghana. Responses from six teachers interviewed were developed into a questionnaire and posted on the websites of teacher unions via WhatsApp. In all, 74 teachers responded. From the study teachers perceived that the new curriculum is important as it will encourage group work, assist students to get lifelong skills, prepare students for the job market, promote inclusive education, promote gender equality, and considers Ghanaian students’ culture and society. The findings further revealed that the current curriculum does not includes difficult content for teaching but contains a lot of workloads, lacks teaching and learning materials and includes long class periods. Teachers were also of the view that the government should involve teachers in planning the curriculum, get books and learning materials ready, train teachers in advance and pilot a new curriculum before implementation. In a nutshell,...

Social Education Research, 2020

The role of coaches in promoting anti-doping education among athletes is well researched in the w... more The role of coaches in promoting anti-doping education among athletes is well researched in the western world. The present study examined the role of Physical Education (P.E.) teachers in anti-doping education in Ghana under doping practices, knowledge of anti-doping control and the importance of doping education in training programmes among student-athletes. Semi-structured interviews involving eleven P.E. teachers aged 31-46 who coached all the sporting disciplines in Senior High Schools-football, handball, netball, hockey, volleyball, table tennis, badminton and athletics were conducted. Based on the preliminary results, additional information was requested from 10 student-athletes on the use of doping products and the harmful effects. The interviews were transcribed, and the data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that although coaches and athletes are aware of the effects of doping, the effort to promote anti-doping education have been met with resistance as stud...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

The objective of this study was to investigate if the psychosocial work environment moderates the... more The objective of this study was to investigate if the psychosocial work environment moderates the proposed negative impact of presenteeism on future general health. We expect that the negative impact of presenteeism on general health is weaker if the psychosocial work environment is resourceful, and more pronounced if the environment is stressful. Data were derived from the 2008–2018 biennial waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). The final analytic sample consisted of n = 15,779 individuals. We applied repeated measures regression analyses through generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results from the autoregressive GEE models showed statistically significant interaction terms between presenteeism and all four investigated moderators, i.e., job demands, job control, job support and job strain. The results indicate that the psychosocial work environment moderates the negative association between presenteeism and general health and illustrates a bu...

Social Education Research, 2020

Problems associated with the transition from conventional learning (face to face) to online learn... more Problems associated with the transition from conventional learning (face to face) to online learning (e-learning) in the educational system are well documented. The present study explores the challenges students in tertiary institutions have reported facing in online learning in the era of coronavirus pandemic. Using a sample (n = 141), an initial principal component factor analysis was conducted to group the constructs. Eight groups that emerged were social issues, lecturer issues, accessibility issues, learner motivation, academic issues, generic issues, learner intentions, and demographics. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the scales resulting in the deletion of learner motivation. Comparing the means of the factors revealed that the most important challenge for students to study online was accessibility issues. This was followed by social issues, lecturer issues, academic issues, and generic issues. The mean for the individual items in learners’ intentio...

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2020

Objective: To examine the associations between sickness presenteeism (SP) reported as number of d... more Objective: To examine the associations between sickness presenteeism (SP) reported as number of days with SP reported as number of times and to evaluate their responsiveness. Methods: The study population (n ¼ 454) consisted of employed individuals, at risk of long-term sickness absence. Correlation analyses were performed to examine associations between the two SP measures and external constructs such as work performance, general health, and registered sick leave. Both SP constructs were measured several times to examine responsiveness. Results: The SP measures are moderately correlated. They moderately correlated with work performance and health status measures. SP reported as number of times seems to be more sensitive than number of days in detecting changes after rehabilitation. Conclusions: Numerical or categorical constructs are valid sources of data on SP. However, categorized SP seems to be more responsive.

Social Education Research, 2020

The increase in the number of betting terminals over the years has attracted many people to watch... more The increase in the number of betting terminals over the years has attracted many people to watch matches and stake odds. Since live matches have been found to provide more money for betting companies, betting companies are providing more options for people to stake live bets by establishing many terminals. Sports fans have also taken the opportunity to watch free live matches in the betting terminals. The current study examined the reasons why football fans prefer watching live matches in betting terminals instead of at the stadia. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) the views of six football fans (bettors) were examined in betting terminals. Findings revealed that fans are attracted to watch matches at betting terminals based on cost-effectiveness and financial benefits, socialisation/atmosphere, watching many matches at the same time, and proximity (nearness of betting terminals to their homes). While the respondents foresaw the establishment of betting termin...

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between presenteeism and absenteeism dur... more The aim of this study was to investigate the association between presenteeism and absenteeism during the previous year and the current levels of exhaustion and impaired work performance in a Swedish university setting. Methods: In a study of 3525 employees, an ordinal logistic regression and general linear model was used to examine the association between presenteeism and absenteeism during the previous year and the current exhaustion and impaired work performance, respectively. Results: Presenteeism, but not absenteeism, during the previous year independently increased the risk of having moderate or severe exhaustion. Presenteeism, absenteeism, and exhaustion remained positively associated with impaired work performance when health status and other confounders had been adjusted for. Conclusions: Presenteeism, but not absenteeism, was associated with exhaustion. Both presenteeism and absenteeism were the salient correlates of impaired work performance.

PLOS ONE, 2017

Background Exercise is effective in improving non-specific low back pain (LBP). Certain component... more Background Exercise is effective in improving non-specific low back pain (LBP). Certain components of physical exercise, such as the type, intensity and frequency of exercise, are likely to influence participation among working adults with non-specific LBP, but the value and relative importance of these components remain unknown. The study's aim was to examine such specific components and their influence on individual preferences for exercise for secondary prevention of non-specific LBP among working adults. Methods In a discrete choice experiment, working individuals with non-specific LBP answered a webbased questionnaire. Each respondent was given ten pairs of hypothetical exercise programs and asked to choose one option from each pair. The choices comprised six attributes of exercise (i.e., type of training, design, intensity, frequency, proximity and incentives), each with either three or four levels. A conditional logit regression that reflected the random utility model was used to analyze the responses. Results The final study population consisted of 112 participants. The participants' preferred exercise option was aerobic (i.e., cardiovascular) rather than strength training, group exercise with trainer supervision, rather than individual or unsupervised exercise. They also preferred high intensity exercise performed at least once or twice per week. The most popular types of incentive were exercise during working hours and a wellness allowance rather than coupons for sports goods. The results show that the relative value of some attribute levels differed between young adults (age 44 years) and older adults (age ! 45 years) in terms of the level of trainer supervision required, exercise intensity, travel time to exercise location and financial incentives. For active study participants, exercise frequency (i.e., twice per week,

Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, 2017

The aim of this study was to propose wage multipliers that can be used to estimate the costs of p... more The aim of this study was to propose wage multipliers that can be used to estimate the costs of productivity loss for employers in economic evaluations, using detailed information from managers. Data were collected in a survey panel of 758 managers from different sectors of the labor market. Based on assumed scenarios of a period of absenteeism due to sickness, presenteeism and work environment-related problem episodes, and specified job characteristics (i.e., explanatory variables), managers assessed their impact on group productivity and cost (i.e., the dependent variable). In an ordered probit model, the extent of productivity loss resulting from job characteristics is predicted. The predicted values are used to derive wage multipliers based on the cost of productivity estimates provided by the managers. The results indicate that job characteristics (i.e., degree of time sensitivity of output, teamwork, or difficulty in replacing a worker) are linked to productivity loss as a res...

Occupational Medicine, 2016

Background Besides causing ill health, a poor work environment may contribute to production loss.... more Background Besides causing ill health, a poor work environment may contribute to production loss. Production loss assessment instruments emphasize health-related consequences but there is no instrument to measure reduced work performance related to the work environment. Aims To examine convergent validity and test-retest reliability of health-related production loss (HRPL) and work environment-related production loss (WRPL) against a valid comparable instrument, the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ). Methods Cross-sectional study of employees, not on sick leave, who were asked to self-rate their work performance and production losses. Using the Pearson correlation and Bland and Altman's Test of Agreement, convergent validity was examined. Subgroup analyses were performed for employees recording problem-specific reduced work performance. Consistency of pairs of HRPL and WRPL for samples responding to both assessments was expressed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and tests of repeatability. Results A total of 88 employees participated and 44 responded to both assessments. Test of agreement between measurements estimates a mean difference of 0.34 for HRPL and −0.03 for WRPL compared with work performance. This indicates that the production loss questions are valid and moderately associated with work performance for the total sample and subgroups. ICC for paired HRPL assessments was 0.90 and 0.91 for WRPL, i.e. the test-retest reliability was good and suggests stability in the instrument. Conclusions HRPL and WRPL can be used to measure production loss due to health-related and work environment-related problems. These results may have implications for advancing methods of assessing production loss, which represents an important cost to employers.

European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences

We examine how board characteristics and activities affect firm performance of banking institutio... more We examine how board characteristics and activities affect firm performance of banking institutions listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The data come from the annual reports of the banking institutions for the period, 2007-2012. The results of the study show that the proportion of non-executive directors on boards of these institutions positively influence their performances. This clearly highlights that the presence of non-executive directors on boards of these banking institutions enhances monitoring and advisory role of boards thus leading to firm performance. The results also reveal that the number of board meetings per year by the boards of the banking institutions positively affects firm performance. This implies that as the number of board meetings increases, the monitoring and advisory role of boards improves, hence translating into firm performance. The study however, did not provide any significant relationship between board size, the composition of audit committee members...

The relevance of corporate governance principles in the management of corporate organisations can... more The relevance of corporate governance principles in the management of corporate organisations cannot be underestimated. The increasing influence of principles of corporate governance across the globe has been greatly linked to the recent corporate frauds and scandals. These frauds and scandals largely resulted from the failure of authorities of countries to effectively implement the legal and regulatory frameworks pertaining to corporate governance. Ghana is archetypal in regards to the failure of authorities to enforce the laws and regulations in relation to corporate governance. During the enforcement of the laws and regulations of corporate governance, some vitally important issues are either overlooked or deliberately deserted. This paper attempts to examine the legal and regulatory framework of Ghana in regards to corporate governance and points out the importance of complying with good corporate governance. It also highlights prevailing issues of corporate governance practice ...

This study examines how internal governance structures in corporate organisations function in ens... more This study examines how internal governance structures in corporate organisations function in ensuring good corporate governance. It contributes to the extant art of knowledge by shedding light on how ownership and board control structures in corporate organisations operate to achieving good corporate governance in developing countries. Using interviews, observations and archival records, catholic and significant data is collected from four large quoted corporate organisations on the Ghana Stock Exchange for the analysis of the study. By linking the data to the theoretical propositions, the study reveals that these four corporate organisations are characterised by the presence of large shareholders and as a result, they tend to wield extensive control over the activities of the companies through their involvement in the decision-making processes. This sort of involvement by large shareholders in the decision-making processes of the companies is as a result of the incessant flow of i...

Society and Business Review, 2015

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the rights of shareholders, particularly those ... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the rights of shareholders, particularly those of minority shareholders in the management of firms in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – As a result of the largely unexplored nature of this issue in Ghana, a qualitative analysis was conducted to offer a painstaking understanding needed. The case study design is in particular relevant for exploring such phenomenon, as it evolves through the experiences of several key players. Findings – Data indicate that minority shareholders’ influence is, in most cases, nil in every aspect of their firms. Whilst majority shareholders have an absolute right to appoint or influence the appointment of top officials of the firms, minority shareholders’ role in the selection is limited. In addition, in regards to control of corporate decision-making processes, unlike the majority shareholders, the minority shareholders do not have any influence on them. Further, in terms of relevant information, whils...

Water, 2021

Due to population growth and economic development, there has been an increase in global wastewate... more Due to population growth and economic development, there has been an increase in global wastewater (WW) generation footprint. There are different technologies associated with the wastewater treatment (WWT) process. The challenge is to select technologies that minimize the cost of treatment, as well as meet purity requirements. Further, there is a need to integrate sustainability analysis to facilitate a holistic decision. With the application of systems engineering, sustainable and cost-effective solutions can be achieved. In this work, we apply systems engineering to generate a sustainable and cost-effective solution. A superstructure was generated by categorizing technologies into four treatment stages. After modeling all functional equations for each technology, an optimization problem was formulated to determine the best path for the treatment process. Mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP), which implements a 0–1 binary integer constraint for active/inactive technologies ...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

Background: The study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the Productivity Measurement and Enhanc... more Background: The study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System (ProMes) intervention to reduce employee work-related stress and enhance work performance. Methods: A prospective cohort study was used to undertake the evaluation from a business perspective. Objective workload data and stress were gathered repeatedly over a 17-month period (i.e., before and after intervention). Independent t-test and an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis were used in the analysis. The average cost-effectiveness ratio (ACER) was calculated as a ratio of the average cost of the intervention and the effect sizes of the different outcomes to reflect the average cost per clinician for each unit change in outcome. Results: Based on the results of the ITS analysis, an expenditure of EUR 41,487 was linked with no change in stress levels, according to the ACER for stress. In addition, the expenditures associated with each unit change were EUR 3319 for overall t...

This study examined the media consumption of Ghanaian football fans during the Covid-19 pandemic ... more This study examined the media consumption of Ghanaian football fans during the Covid-19 pandemic as match day attendances were banned. Using surveys developed with Google form, purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were employed to gather data from social media platforms (WhatsApp and Facebooks) of two Ghanaian Premier League club's fans (N=305). Based on the results, Ghanaian football fans consumed more sport products on television (46.2%), preferred live matches to recorded matches (M=4.54, S.D.=1.84) and use team apps the most (34.1%). Again, the result of the independent sample t-test showed that highly identified fans frequently consumed more sports products than moderate to lowly identified fans (t=-13.045, p=0.000, M=3.93 S. D=0.76). The findings provide evidence to team managers and football administrators on where to engage fans during pandemics and how to generate revenue based on the media consumption of the fans.

Social Education Research, 2021

The present study examines the perception of senior high school (SHS) students on the coronavirus... more The present study examines the perception of senior high school (SHS) students on the coronavirus and the use of masks to prevent the disease. Semi-structured interviews were employed as a form of data collection with purposively sampled twenty-four (24) senior high school students comprising twelve (12) males and twelve (12) females aged sixteen to nineteen (16-19) years. Thematic analysis was used in analysing the qualitative data gathered. Six (6) themes emerged that centered around SHS students' perception of the coronavirus, wearing of masks, health effects and other general ideas on the pandemic. The main themes were the mode of spread, symptoms, prevention, reasons for wearing masks, the health effects of wearing masks and other issues. The findings were discussed in line with recent literature and recommendations have been made to the stakeholders for policy direction. In sum, the students usually follow the safety protocols instituted by the World Health Organisation (W...

Scientometrics, 2021

The purpose of this review was to investigate the association between publication performance and... more The purpose of this review was to investigate the association between publication performance and the organizational and psychosocial work environment of academics in a university setting. In 2018 we conducted database searches in Web of Science, Medline and other key journals (hand-searched) from 1990 to 2017 based on population, exposure and outcome framework. We examined reference lists, and after a title and abstract scan and full-text reading we identified studies that were original research and fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Articles were evaluated as having a low, moderate or high risk of bias using a quality assessment form. From the studies (n= 32) identified and synthesized, work-environment characteristics could explain the quality and quantity aspects of publication performance of academics. Management practices, leadership and psychosocial characteristics are influential factors that affect academics’ publication productivity. Most of the reviewed studies were judged...

Business and Economics Journal, 2014

The term, corporate governance as a relatively new term has been in popular use for the past two ... more The term, corporate governance as a relatively new term has been in popular use for the past two decades to describe the general codes by which businesses are steered and controlled. Despite its newness, there is however, no single or universally accepted definition of this term by academic scholars or practicing managers. However, the various definitions reflect the two main perspectives of corporate governance: the shareholder perspective, which fits into the narrow scope of the definition of corporate governance; and the stakeholder perspective, which also corresponds to the wider scope of the definition of corporate governance. This paper examines how these two perspectives shape the contemporary debate on the relevance of corporate governance. We find that it is obvious that the practical importance of shareholder and stakeholder perspectives of corporate governance will continue to be discussed for a very long period of time to come. Even though theoretically, it is important ...

African Educational Research Journal, 2020

The present study examined the perception of teachers of the new educational curriculum in Ghana.... more The present study examined the perception of teachers of the new educational curriculum in Ghana. Responses from six teachers interviewed were developed into a questionnaire and posted on the websites of teacher unions via WhatsApp. In all, 74 teachers responded. From the study teachers perceived that the new curriculum is important as it will encourage group work, assist students to get lifelong skills, prepare students for the job market, promote inclusive education, promote gender equality, and considers Ghanaian students’ culture and society. The findings further revealed that the current curriculum does not includes difficult content for teaching but contains a lot of workloads, lacks teaching and learning materials and includes long class periods. Teachers were also of the view that the government should involve teachers in planning the curriculum, get books and learning materials ready, train teachers in advance and pilot a new curriculum before implementation. In a nutshell,...

Social Education Research, 2020

The role of coaches in promoting anti-doping education among athletes is well researched in the w... more The role of coaches in promoting anti-doping education among athletes is well researched in the western world. The present study examined the role of Physical Education (P.E.) teachers in anti-doping education in Ghana under doping practices, knowledge of anti-doping control and the importance of doping education in training programmes among student-athletes. Semi-structured interviews involving eleven P.E. teachers aged 31-46 who coached all the sporting disciplines in Senior High Schools-football, handball, netball, hockey, volleyball, table tennis, badminton and athletics were conducted. Based on the preliminary results, additional information was requested from 10 student-athletes on the use of doping products and the harmful effects. The interviews were transcribed, and the data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that although coaches and athletes are aware of the effects of doping, the effort to promote anti-doping education have been met with resistance as stud...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

The objective of this study was to investigate if the psychosocial work environment moderates the... more The objective of this study was to investigate if the psychosocial work environment moderates the proposed negative impact of presenteeism on future general health. We expect that the negative impact of presenteeism on general health is weaker if the psychosocial work environment is resourceful, and more pronounced if the environment is stressful. Data were derived from the 2008–2018 biennial waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). The final analytic sample consisted of n = 15,779 individuals. We applied repeated measures regression analyses through generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results from the autoregressive GEE models showed statistically significant interaction terms between presenteeism and all four investigated moderators, i.e., job demands, job control, job support and job strain. The results indicate that the psychosocial work environment moderates the negative association between presenteeism and general health and illustrates a bu...

Social Education Research, 2020

Problems associated with the transition from conventional learning (face to face) to online learn... more Problems associated with the transition from conventional learning (face to face) to online learning (e-learning) in the educational system are well documented. The present study explores the challenges students in tertiary institutions have reported facing in online learning in the era of coronavirus pandemic. Using a sample (n = 141), an initial principal component factor analysis was conducted to group the constructs. Eight groups that emerged were social issues, lecturer issues, accessibility issues, learner motivation, academic issues, generic issues, learner intentions, and demographics. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the scales resulting in the deletion of learner motivation. Comparing the means of the factors revealed that the most important challenge for students to study online was accessibility issues. This was followed by social issues, lecturer issues, academic issues, and generic issues. The mean for the individual items in learners’ intentio...

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2020

Objective: To examine the associations between sickness presenteeism (SP) reported as number of d... more Objective: To examine the associations between sickness presenteeism (SP) reported as number of days with SP reported as number of times and to evaluate their responsiveness. Methods: The study population (n ¼ 454) consisted of employed individuals, at risk of long-term sickness absence. Correlation analyses were performed to examine associations between the two SP measures and external constructs such as work performance, general health, and registered sick leave. Both SP constructs were measured several times to examine responsiveness. Results: The SP measures are moderately correlated. They moderately correlated with work performance and health status measures. SP reported as number of times seems to be more sensitive than number of days in detecting changes after rehabilitation. Conclusions: Numerical or categorical constructs are valid sources of data on SP. However, categorized SP seems to be more responsive.

Social Education Research, 2020

The increase in the number of betting terminals over the years has attracted many people to watch... more The increase in the number of betting terminals over the years has attracted many people to watch matches and stake odds. Since live matches have been found to provide more money for betting companies, betting companies are providing more options for people to stake live bets by establishing many terminals. Sports fans have also taken the opportunity to watch free live matches in the betting terminals. The current study examined the reasons why football fans prefer watching live matches in betting terminals instead of at the stadia. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) the views of six football fans (bettors) were examined in betting terminals. Findings revealed that fans are attracted to watch matches at betting terminals based on cost-effectiveness and financial benefits, socialisation/atmosphere, watching many matches at the same time, and proximity (nearness of betting terminals to their homes). While the respondents foresaw the establishment of betting termin...

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between presenteeism and absenteeism dur... more The aim of this study was to investigate the association between presenteeism and absenteeism during the previous year and the current levels of exhaustion and impaired work performance in a Swedish university setting. Methods: In a study of 3525 employees, an ordinal logistic regression and general linear model was used to examine the association between presenteeism and absenteeism during the previous year and the current exhaustion and impaired work performance, respectively. Results: Presenteeism, but not absenteeism, during the previous year independently increased the risk of having moderate or severe exhaustion. Presenteeism, absenteeism, and exhaustion remained positively associated with impaired work performance when health status and other confounders had been adjusted for. Conclusions: Presenteeism, but not absenteeism, was associated with exhaustion. Both presenteeism and absenteeism were the salient correlates of impaired work performance.

PLOS ONE, 2017

Background Exercise is effective in improving non-specific low back pain (LBP). Certain component... more Background Exercise is effective in improving non-specific low back pain (LBP). Certain components of physical exercise, such as the type, intensity and frequency of exercise, are likely to influence participation among working adults with non-specific LBP, but the value and relative importance of these components remain unknown. The study's aim was to examine such specific components and their influence on individual preferences for exercise for secondary prevention of non-specific LBP among working adults. Methods In a discrete choice experiment, working individuals with non-specific LBP answered a webbased questionnaire. Each respondent was given ten pairs of hypothetical exercise programs and asked to choose one option from each pair. The choices comprised six attributes of exercise (i.e., type of training, design, intensity, frequency, proximity and incentives), each with either three or four levels. A conditional logit regression that reflected the random utility model was used to analyze the responses. Results The final study population consisted of 112 participants. The participants' preferred exercise option was aerobic (i.e., cardiovascular) rather than strength training, group exercise with trainer supervision, rather than individual or unsupervised exercise. They also preferred high intensity exercise performed at least once or twice per week. The most popular types of incentive were exercise during working hours and a wellness allowance rather than coupons for sports goods. The results show that the relative value of some attribute levels differed between young adults (age 44 years) and older adults (age ! 45 years) in terms of the level of trainer supervision required, exercise intensity, travel time to exercise location and financial incentives. For active study participants, exercise frequency (i.e., twice per week,

Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, 2017

The aim of this study was to propose wage multipliers that can be used to estimate the costs of p... more The aim of this study was to propose wage multipliers that can be used to estimate the costs of productivity loss for employers in economic evaluations, using detailed information from managers. Data were collected in a survey panel of 758 managers from different sectors of the labor market. Based on assumed scenarios of a period of absenteeism due to sickness, presenteeism and work environment-related problem episodes, and specified job characteristics (i.e., explanatory variables), managers assessed their impact on group productivity and cost (i.e., the dependent variable). In an ordered probit model, the extent of productivity loss resulting from job characteristics is predicted. The predicted values are used to derive wage multipliers based on the cost of productivity estimates provided by the managers. The results indicate that job characteristics (i.e., degree of time sensitivity of output, teamwork, or difficulty in replacing a worker) are linked to productivity loss as a res...

Occupational Medicine, 2016

Background Besides causing ill health, a poor work environment may contribute to production loss.... more Background Besides causing ill health, a poor work environment may contribute to production loss. Production loss assessment instruments emphasize health-related consequences but there is no instrument to measure reduced work performance related to the work environment. Aims To examine convergent validity and test-retest reliability of health-related production loss (HRPL) and work environment-related production loss (WRPL) against a valid comparable instrument, the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ). Methods Cross-sectional study of employees, not on sick leave, who were asked to self-rate their work performance and production losses. Using the Pearson correlation and Bland and Altman's Test of Agreement, convergent validity was examined. Subgroup analyses were performed for employees recording problem-specific reduced work performance. Consistency of pairs of HRPL and WRPL for samples responding to both assessments was expressed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and tests of repeatability. Results A total of 88 employees participated and 44 responded to both assessments. Test of agreement between measurements estimates a mean difference of 0.34 for HRPL and −0.03 for WRPL compared with work performance. This indicates that the production loss questions are valid and moderately associated with work performance for the total sample and subgroups. ICC for paired HRPL assessments was 0.90 and 0.91 for WRPL, i.e. the test-retest reliability was good and suggests stability in the instrument. Conclusions HRPL and WRPL can be used to measure production loss due to health-related and work environment-related problems. These results may have implications for advancing methods of assessing production loss, which represents an important cost to employers.

European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences

We examine how board characteristics and activities affect firm performance of banking institutio... more We examine how board characteristics and activities affect firm performance of banking institutions listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The data come from the annual reports of the banking institutions for the period, 2007-2012. The results of the study show that the proportion of non-executive directors on boards of these institutions positively influence their performances. This clearly highlights that the presence of non-executive directors on boards of these banking institutions enhances monitoring and advisory role of boards thus leading to firm performance. The results also reveal that the number of board meetings per year by the boards of the banking institutions positively affects firm performance. This implies that as the number of board meetings increases, the monitoring and advisory role of boards improves, hence translating into firm performance. The study however, did not provide any significant relationship between board size, the composition of audit committee members...

The relevance of corporate governance principles in the management of corporate organisations can... more The relevance of corporate governance principles in the management of corporate organisations cannot be underestimated. The increasing influence of principles of corporate governance across the globe has been greatly linked to the recent corporate frauds and scandals. These frauds and scandals largely resulted from the failure of authorities of countries to effectively implement the legal and regulatory frameworks pertaining to corporate governance. Ghana is archetypal in regards to the failure of authorities to enforce the laws and regulations in relation to corporate governance. During the enforcement of the laws and regulations of corporate governance, some vitally important issues are either overlooked or deliberately deserted. This paper attempts to examine the legal and regulatory framework of Ghana in regards to corporate governance and points out the importance of complying with good corporate governance. It also highlights prevailing issues of corporate governance practice ...

This study examines how internal governance structures in corporate organisations function in ens... more This study examines how internal governance structures in corporate organisations function in ensuring good corporate governance. It contributes to the extant art of knowledge by shedding light on how ownership and board control structures in corporate organisations operate to achieving good corporate governance in developing countries. Using interviews, observations and archival records, catholic and significant data is collected from four large quoted corporate organisations on the Ghana Stock Exchange for the analysis of the study. By linking the data to the theoretical propositions, the study reveals that these four corporate organisations are characterised by the presence of large shareholders and as a result, they tend to wield extensive control over the activities of the companies through their involvement in the decision-making processes. This sort of involvement by large shareholders in the decision-making processes of the companies is as a result of the incessant flow of i...

Society and Business Review, 2015

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the rights of shareholders, particularly those ... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the rights of shareholders, particularly those of minority shareholders in the management of firms in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – As a result of the largely unexplored nature of this issue in Ghana, a qualitative analysis was conducted to offer a painstaking understanding needed. The case study design is in particular relevant for exploring such phenomenon, as it evolves through the experiences of several key players. Findings – Data indicate that minority shareholders’ influence is, in most cases, nil in every aspect of their firms. Whilst majority shareholders have an absolute right to appoint or influence the appointment of top officials of the firms, minority shareholders’ role in the selection is limited. In addition, in regards to control of corporate decision-making processes, unlike the majority shareholders, the minority shareholders do not have any influence on them. Further, in terms of relevant information, whils...