Edward Nartey Tetteh and Esther Julia Korkor Attiogbe
The purpose of this paper is to explore how working university students in Ghana are able to combine work and study, and the effect of this on their academic performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how working university students in Ghana are able to combine work and study, and the effect of this on their academic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory survey method is used to collect data from 360 working students randomly selected from four universities in Accra, Ghana. The study employs the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r2) to test two hypotheses and both are affirmed by the results.
Findings
It is found that combining schooling with work results in less time for studies which negatively affects academic performance. Again, difficulty in finding time for studies due to work requirements ranks the highest, and finally, students receive slightly better support from their academic institutions than from their employers.
Research limitations/implications
The study focussed only on perspectives from working students in Ghana. The dimension of employers and officials of academic institutions was not investigated.
Practical implications
The findings imply that to achieve sustainable development in the tertiary education sector and even in industry, all stakeholders – universities, policymakers, employers, students, etc. – must find practical ways to assist these students to combine work and study.
Originality/value
The study bridges the empirical gap of this critical phenomenon in the Ghanaian context. It will inform government and corporate policy on higher-level skill development among the workforce, and also tertiary institutions on how to address the needs of the critical mass of working students.
Details
Keywords
Ummu Markwei, Esther Julia Attiogbe, Abena Asomaning Antwi and Georgina Korkor Boafo
The purpose of the study is to examine how women become leaders in the Security Services in Ghana and the challenges they face in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine how women become leaders in the Security Services in Ghana and the challenges they face in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to explore the intentions and opinions of the participants, interpret their worlds through their lived experiences and present a clearer understanding of their stories.
Findings
The study revealed that women deliberately positioned themselves to be considered for leadership placements in their male-dominated professions. The study’s findings also suggest that although both men and women are considered equal in the service, women were faced with challenges in their daily experiences as leaders due to their gender. The gender barriers created a strenuous situation for women to rise to top leadership placements in the Security Services.
Originality/value
This research is one of the first studies that explored the experiences of women in middle and top leadership positions in the national Security Services in Ghana. It contributes to the literature by presenting how female leaders in the Security Services successfully navigate into leadership placements, the challenges and their strategies in excelling in their duties. The study is important in bridging the gender gap in leadership positions in the Security Services.