Journal of Business and Enterprise Development (JOBED)

Navigating the Dual Demands: The Impact of Polychronicity, Work-School Facilitation, and Organisational Support on Academic Performance among Ghanaian Postgraduate Students.

2025-01-06T16:08:32+00:00

This study investigated the impact of polychronicity, work-school facilitation, and organisational support on the academic performance of postgraduate distance students in Ghana. The quantitative approach and explanatory research design were employed. The researchers collected data from 341 postgraduate students across three universities offering distance education programs via a structured questionnaire. The research utilised a three-wave survey approach and analysed the data using structural equation modelling. The results showed that polychronicity does not significantly affect academic performance. The study found that work-school facilitation fully mediates the relationship between polychronicity and academic performance of postgraduate students. Finally, organisational support significantly moderates the relationship between polychronicity and both academic performance and work-school facilitation. The findings suggest that organisational support is crucial in mitigating the potential stress associated with multitasking and in easing better academic outcomes. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the importance of organisational support and work-school facilitation in enhancing academic performance. It provides practical implications for educational institutions and employers to create supportive environments that can improve student outcomes.

Determinants of audit automation adoption among audit firms in Ghana

2025-04-24T12:37:44+00:00

Automation is widely recognised to be revolutionising the auditing profession. Despite the known benefits, it is reported that auditors are not fully leveraging the potential value of certain automated tools and techniques. To understand why, this study aims to draw on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to empirically examine the determinants of audit automation adoption by audit firms in Ghana. The study conforms to the positivist paradigm which agrees with the quantitative approach and an explanatory research design; structured questionnaires were administered to 190 respondents from various audit firms in good standing with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) using Google Forms. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via Smart PLS was used for the analysis and testing of the hypotheses. Importance performance map analysis (IPMA) was conducted to enhance a deeper understanding of the findings. Performance expectancy and effort expectancy have a positive and significant influence on audit automation adoption by audit firms in Ghana. This implies that auditors will be willing to use audit automation when they perceive that it will enhance their performance and that the use of audit automation will mean less effort will be required from the auditors. The study contributes to the literature by advancing the understanding of the importance of performance expectancy and effort expectancy as determinants of audit automation adoption. This extends the theoretical understanding of the UTAUT model.

WFC Work-Family Conflict and Employee Performance in Ghanaian Universities: A Multivariate Analysis of Mediating and Moderating Variables

2025-01-27T13:18:46+00:00

This study examines the impact of work-family conflict on employee performance in Ghanaian universities, exploring mediating and moderating factors. Three mediating variables (affective commitment, family-related factors, and work-related factors) and one moderating variable (sex) were examined concerning the impact of work-family conflict on employee performance. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 310 respondents from the senior staff of the University of Cape Coast. The questionnaire was used to gather data, which was analysed using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Key findings revealed that family-related and work-related factors fully mediate the work-family conflict-staff performance relationship. Hence, to ensure optimal employee performance, the University of Cape Coast should encourage workers to effectively balance their work-related and family-related factors. Additionally, the moderating role of sex in the work-family conflict-performance link indicates that work-family conflict affects female senior staff performance at the university than their male counterparts. This study highlights novel mechanisms (family-related factors, work-related factors, sex) through which work-family conflict impacts employee performance. The study recommends that organisations should adopt balanced approaches to reduce work-family conflict. This study contributes to understanding work-family conflict's impact on employee performance, emphasizing the need for balanced work-life approaches in Ghanaian universities. By addressing work-family conflict, organisations can promote optimal employee performance and gain a competitive advantage.

Global risk aversion and returns from faith-based assets across market conditions

2025-04-16T13:34:05+00:00

Abstract

This study renders an empirical documentation of the resilience of Islamic stocks, from various sectors of economic activity, as a safe-haven and hedge against global risk aversion (GRA) during bullish, normal, and bearish market conditions. Using the causality-in-quantiles and quantile regression techniques, the analysis reveals that (i) GRA significantly predicts the returns from Islamic stocks across quantiles, (ii) faith-based stocks belonging to both the “real” and “services-driven” sectors retain their safe-haven and hedge attributes against GRA across various economic conditions, and (iii) assets from the real sector are more attractive than those from the services-driven sector. These findings underscore the importance of sectoral composition in determining the effectiveness of faith-based assets as risk mitigation tools. Moreover, the asymmetric and nonlinear dependence structures observed across quantiles suggest that investors' preferences for Islamic equities are heightened during periods of elevated global uncertainty. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on ethical investing by offering fresh insights into the dynamic relationship between global risk aversion and the performance of Islamic financial instruments. Policy implications are discussed for portfolio managers, institutional investors, and regulators aiming to enhance market stability through diversification into resilient, faith-based asset classes.

Effect of Financial Exclusion on Consumption Inequality across Settlement and Employment Types in an Emerging Economy

2025-04-24T15:56:30+00:00

In the quest to reduce inequality in its various forms, researchers, policymakers, and industry players have embarked on efforts to uncover empirical evidence that could inform policy-driven recommendations. However, few studies have analysed how financial exclusion may influence consumption inequality. This study employed the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method to model the relationship between financial exclusion and consumption inequality using the 7th wave of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS7). Financial exclusion significantly contributes to consumption inequality, with notable variations across different employment types and settlement areas. Non-digital and digital financial exclusion have a more pronounced influence on consumption inequality in rural areas than in urban areas. Additionally, households led by public sector workers and the unemployed experienced greater levels of consumption inequality due to financial exclusion, compared to those led by self-employed or privately employed individuals. This study highlights the role of financial inclusion in addressing consumption inequality and stresses the importance of reducing both digital and non-digital financial exclusion to create a more equitable society. To this end, the study recommends that the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) implement financial literacy programmes in local languages, particularly targeting rural areas. The novelty of this study lies in its focus on the employment sector of household heads and its examination of both digital and non-digital financial exclusion, providing a unique perspective on how these forms of exclusion affect consumption inequality across varied demographics.

The Marketing Strategies of International Restaurant Chains (IRCs) in Tanzania:

2025-01-27T12:58:10+00:00

This paper explores the customisation dynamics of 7Ps in marketing of IRCs in Tanzania for strategic marketing adjustments to perpetually satisfy consumers and reinforce dedication to their vision and mission. Without orthodoxy marketing strategies, companies may crumble due to internal and external organizational pressures. In today’s competitive restaurant business, where customers have more dining choices than before, as a result, customer expectations are ever increasing and demanding. In view of the growing phenomenon toward eating-out, knowledge of the criteria used by customers in the selection of a restaurant is strategic in understanding food consumption trends. Qualitatively determining factors influencing the selection of restaurants were tracked, utilizing cross-sectional descriptive and exploratory surveys for discovery of study related ideas and insights through content analysis. The population of all 12 IRCs was used. Primary data was collected using interview method. The results show that all the IRCs have customized their 7Ps invariably depending on their target market. The reluctance to customise has led some of them to exit the market. It is recommended that (i) IRCs should collect and mine data for deeper customized strategies to improve customer loyalty and retention; (ii) appropriate classification of restaurants based on acceptable parameters; and (iii) inclusion of local products, tribal-cooking techniques and display in menu and franchising proposition. The implications are grounded to the fact that with customized 7Ps, IRCs can introduce limited time offerings to attract repeat customers and use pure bundling to increase average order value. The rise in vegetarianism and veganism due to health or ethical reasons would be beneficial for restaurants to communicate with their customers. Through deeper customization of 7Ps, restaurants can introduce value meals to enhance affordability, reach a wider target audience and enable sustainable performance.