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Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Teddy Ossei Kwakye, Edem Emerald Welbeck and Charles Gyamfi Ofori

This study examines the multidimensionality of the environmental literacy concept among university business students in Ghana. The study also investigates the relationship between…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the multidimensionality of the environmental literacy concept among university business students in Ghana. The study also investigates the relationship between students’ interests in environmental issues and knowledge levels of environment and assesses how these two constructs influence students overall environmental behaviour and actions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a total of 591 business students from the University of Ghana Business School, the study uses exploratory factor analysis to examine the multidimensionality of environmental literacy concept. A structural equation modelling-based approach was used to examine the relationship among the study constructs.

Findings

Based on the factor analysis results, the study documents that environmental literacy concept can be grouped under four distinct factors (general environmental factors; industry-related factors; environmental assessment factors; and accounting-related factors). The regression results indicate a direct and positive relationship between students’ interest in environmental issues and their environmental literacy level. Also, students’ interest and their knowledge levels of environmental issues were found to be good predictors of actual students’ involvement in activities that promote sustainable environment.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions of the study are based on only data from one public university, which limits the generalizability of the findings.

Originality/value

The study is unique as it is the first empirical study to investigate environmental literacy levels in higher education in the Ghanaian setting.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2018

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Victoria Asantewaa Obeng, Charles Gyamfi Ofori, Teddy Ossei Kwakye and Rita Amoah Bekoe

This study examines the factors that explain Ghanaian business students’ intentions to pursue a Certified Professional Accounting (CPA) qualification.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the factors that explain Ghanaian business students’ intentions to pursue a Certified Professional Accounting (CPA) qualification.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses survey method of research and mainly used questionnaires as data collection instrument to elicit information from the respondent group. Using a total of 641 business students from the University of Ghana Business School, a mixture of factor analysis and logistic regression analysis techniques was used in investigating the study objectives.

Findings

Results from the regression analysis demonstrate that students’ preference and beliefs about accounting professional qualification, academic major and grade point average are significantly associated with their intentions to pursue a CPA qualification. Moreover, majority of the sampled respondents (47.9 per cent) with the desire to pursue a CPA qualification prefer to be affiliated with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 27.2 per cent prefer the Institute of Charted Accountant Ghana qualification, while only 7 per cent of the students prefer to be affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountant.

Research limitations/implications

The findings from this study have important implications for the various professional accountancy bodies, accounting educators and other stakeholders interested in promoting the choice of accounting as a career path among university students.

Practical implications

The results indicate that, as part of the broader strategy to increase the number of professional accountants in Ghana, there is the need to promote the study of accounting at the undergraduate level in the various universities in the country.

Originality/value

This study uniquely uses the behavioral decision theory to explain the dominant factors associated with students’ intentions to pursue a CPA qualification.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 October 2018

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Rita Amoah Bekoe, Theodora Aba Abekah Koomson and Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the propensity of business students to engage in unethical behaviour in the field of work. The study…

1812

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the propensity of business students to engage in unethical behaviour in the field of work. The study further examines the effect of temptation on the propensity of an individual to engage in an unethical conduct.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey method of research was used, and a set of questionnaires was developed and administered to the respondents. Data were collected from 551 undergraduate students from University of Ghana Business School and the partial least square structural equation modelling technique was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results indicate that the likelihood of students engaging in an unethical conduct is high when tempted. Students who are desirous of getting rich, who lack self-control and whose way of thinking are affected when found in tempting situations have high propensity to engage in unethical conduct.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide some useful insights to the corporate world on the behavioural intentions of future graduates in tempting situations.

Originality/value

This study highlights the effect of temptations on an individual’s propensity to engage in an unethical conduct.

Details

International Journal of Ethics and Systems, vol. 35 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9369

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 May 2024

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu and Charles Ofori-Owusu

In the accounting field, sustainability accounting (SA) has evolved as a valuable tool that links improvements in environmental, social and governance issues to financial…

Abstract

Purpose

In the accounting field, sustainability accounting (SA) has evolved as a valuable tool that links improvements in environmental, social and governance issues to financial performance. This study aims to examine the structure and evolution of SA research, map the state of knowledge and analyse the literature trends and gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a bibliometric review technique with data sourced from the Scopus database. A total of 7,049 extant literature spanning from 1982 to 2022 was analysed using the VOSviewer software.

Findings

The authors find a significant growth in the number of publications on SA research, primarily driven by collaboration among researchers from Europe and America. The analysis highlights emerging themes, structure and discusses in detail the changing phases of SA research over the past four decades while highlighting key events that have impacted the development of SA research. Furthermore, the dominant theories used by extant studies are discussed and potential avenues for future research are provided. The authors draw the attention of the research community to the dominant authors, the most cited articles, prominent publication outlets and countries advancing research in this field.

Originality/value

This study advances knowledge on SA research by providing a retrospective assessment of the state of knowledge in the field while highlighting avenues for future research.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 32 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 October 2020

Maureen Oquaye, Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu and Godfred Alufar Bokpin

This paper examines the effect of financial self-efficacy and financial behaviour on financial well-being and ascertains whether financial well-being affects an individual's level…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines the effect of financial self-efficacy and financial behaviour on financial well-being and ascertains whether financial well-being affects an individual's level of happiness in life. The authors also show the mediating role of financial behaviour in the relationship between self-efficacy and financial well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey method of research was adopted using questionnaires as the principal means of data collection. The hypotheses of the study were tested on a rich data set from a sample of 210 parliamentarians in Ghana using the structural equation modelling technique.

Findings

The results show that individuals with high level of financial self-efficacy practise responsible financial behaviour and find financial behaviour to be a good predictor of financial well-being. The authors also find financial behaviour to mediate between financial self-efficacy and financial well-being and conclude that well-being impacts positively on happiness.

Practical implications

Findings of this study demonstrate that the financial well-being of an individual has important implications on the quality of life and an important way of improving well-being is to promote responsible financial behaviour.

Originality/value

This study employs the subjective measure of financial well-being in its analysis and also examines an outcome of financial well-being.

Details

Review of Behavioral Finance, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1940-5979

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2020

Emerald Edem Sabah Welbeck, Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson and Rita Amoah Bekoe

The study examines employee perceptions of CSR relating to stakeholders in the telecommunication industry of Ghana. It also analyses the variations in CSR practices among the…

Abstract

Purpose

The study examines employee perceptions of CSR relating to stakeholders in the telecommunication industry of Ghana. It also analyses the variations in CSR practices among the sampled telecommunication firms.

Design/methodology/approach

By means of a survey, the study explored from the perspective of employees the CSR practices of their firms highlighting the stakeholder group they perceive their firms to be focussing on. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from employees working with leading telecommunication firms in Ghana. A total of 177 valid responses were used for the study analysis. Data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics, and differences in respondent views across the different firms were ascertained using analysis of variance test (ANOVA).

Findings

The study results demonstrate that although telecommunication firms engage in CSR activities in some respect, generally these activities are directed more at the stakeholder group “society” distantly followed by shareholder group. The authors also find from their target respondents that not so much attention is given to issues relating to the stakeholder group “the environment”. The results also suggest variations exist in the direction of CSR practices by these firms.

Practical implications

Managers of telecommunication firms in Ghana seem to balance the interest of stakeholders by focussing on society rather than prioritizing these stakeholders.

Originality/value

This study contributes to CSR studies highlighting the perception of employees on their companies' CSR practices while comparing practices amongst telecommunications firms. This would help management of these firms to map out strategies to direct their CSR activities based on stakeholder prioritization.

Details

Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-1168

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 July 2023

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Theodora Aba Abekah Koomson and George Nana Agyekum Donkor

This paper aims to review corporate fraud, as a concept, and the emerging research trends in corporate fraud research from 1957 to 2022 using bibliometric analysis techniques.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review corporate fraud, as a concept, and the emerging research trends in corporate fraud research from 1957 to 2022 using bibliometric analysis techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 7,750 publications from the Scopus database were first assessed using performance analysis to explore the descriptive nature of the bibliographic data, and subsequently, citation, co-citation, co-occurrence and bibliographic coupling analyses were conducted using the VOSviewer software.

Findings

The results indicate there has been increasing growth in fraud research over the years, especially since the global corporate scandals of 2008. Although fraud is a global issue, the results suggest that most extant studies originate from developed economies, with a high level of collaboration amongst scholars in these countries. In addition, the co-occurrence analysis indicates that research into corporate fraud has largely focused on its determinants and corruption. The determinants identified are further clustered in the paper as individual, organizational and national-level factors.

Practical implications

The findings should inform practitioners and policymakers of the state of knowledge on corporate fraud which could be useful in developing strategies and policies to mitigate its occurrence.

Social implications

The study points to the need for research collaborations among scholars in developing economies to increase investigations into the occurrences of fraud.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to holistically assess the intellectual structure of corporate fraud studies from its inception and the trends over time.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 May 2021

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Mary-Ann Bart-Plange, Theodora Aba Abekah Koomson and Miriam Arthur

This paper aims to explore the relationship among personality traits, tax morale and tax evasion intention of students. Using the five-factor model of personality ratings, this…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the relationship among personality traits, tax morale and tax evasion intention of students. Using the five-factor model of personality ratings, this study hypothesizes that agreeableness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion and neuroticism are good predictors of both tax morale and tax evasion intentions of individuals. Further, this paper argues that tax morale correlates negatively with tax evasion intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey method was adopted and questionnaires were developed to elicit responses for the study. The study hypotheses were tested structurally using the partial least square-structural equation modelling technique.

Findings

The results of the study demonstrate the existence of a positive and statistically significant relationship between three dimensions of the personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience) and tax morale. Consistent with the expectation, the study also finds tax morale to be significant and negatively associated with tax evasion intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study concludes from the findings that improving the tax morale of individuals could be an important way by which tax authorities can improve voluntary tax compliance and reduce the incidence of tax evasion by individuals.

Originality/value

The study uses all the dimensions of the five-factor model to examine the tax evasion intention of individuals. It also contributes to the theoretical literature by highlighting the mediating role of tax morale in the relationship between personality traits and tax evasion intention from an African perspective.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2022

Octavia Ama Serwaa Otchere, Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu and Rita Amoah Bekoe

The purpose of this study is to examine the key predictors of whistleblowing intention of accountants within the organization. By relying on the benefit-to-cost differential…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the key predictors of whistleblowing intention of accountants within the organization. By relying on the benefit-to-cost differential theory, this study examines the influence of professional skepticism, cognitive styles and perceived organizational support on whistleblowing intentions while controlling for the effect of some demographic variables on the estimated results. Further, the authors ascertain whether the threat of retaliation moderates the relationship between professional skepticism and whistleblowing intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was obtained from professional accountants licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana by means of self-administered questionnaires. The partial least square-structural equation modeling technique was used to test for the hypothesized relationships in this study.

Findings

The results of this study suggest the intention to report wrongdoing within the organization is influenced by individuals’ level of professional skepticism, cognitive style and the perception that they will have the backing of their organization in reporting wrongdoing. Moreover, the authors also find females and individuals who have advanced in age to have greater motivation to report wrongdoing in the organization.

Originality/value

This study contributes to whistleblowing literature by highlighting the effect of professional skepticism on whistleblowing intentions. Also, this study provides empirical support for the applicability of the benefit-to-cost differential theory to the whistleblowing literature.

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2023

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Teddy Ossei Kwakye and Henry Duah

This study investigates how students' propensity towards indebtedness affects their savings behaviour. Additionally, the study examines the moderating role of financial literacy…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates how students' propensity towards indebtedness affects their savings behaviour. Additionally, the study examines the moderating role of financial literacy in the relationship between propensity towards indebtedness and savings behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were administered to undergraduate students from the University of Ghana Business School. A total of 370 valid responses were used in the empirical analysis. The hypothesised relationships were tested using partial least square – structural equation modelling.

Findings

The structural model results suggest that students' propensity towards indebtedness is negatively related to their savings behaviour. Further, the results demonstrate that financial literacy moderates the negative association between students' propensity towards debt and savings behaviour.

Originality/value

This study highlights students' propensity towards indebtedness and how it impacts their savings behaviour.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

1 – 10 of 21