Search results

The paper aims to trace the challenges that multinational companies (MNCs) face as they grow out of their national borders into foreign countries and how they attempt to transfer human resource management (HRM) policies and practices across their subsidiaries for a best-fit HRM model.

The paper uses the dilemma theory (involving two opposing values which doing one without the other creates a disadvantage but both cannot be done together) as the main analytical tool and reviews scholarly literature on MNCs’ HRM transfers for the assessment of the transfer challenges.

It is found that MNCs face a dilemma as to how to find best-fit between home-country HRM requirements and host-country demands. In the face of this dilemma, MNCs attempt to build synergy between home-country requirements and host-country demands for a best-fit HRM that is beneficial to both the parent company and their foreign subsidiaries. Despite the best-fit HRM practices to diffuse the tension, parent company has greater influence in the final synergy product which is the trade-off between home-country HRM label and host-country contextual demands, thereby advancing the dominant HRM option of the dilemma.

MNCs should be aware of the possible challenges as they internationalise and should equally be aware that though they may build a synergy (a blend of workable headquarters and subsidiary HRM), the final product will continue to favour headquarters’ HRM policies and practices.

The paper generates theoretical implications into the issues and challenges that arise with HRM transfers within multinational firms by examining how the dilemma theory sheds light on the transfer process and challenges from the dominant-contextual tension till the fight for best-fit HRM. It also contributes to the development of cycle of cross-border HRM dilemma, cross-border HRM transfer framework and Synergy-Dominant theory.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the management development (MD) programme in the Ghanaian mining industry. A legal requirement aimed at equipping national managers for eventual takeover of the management of industry from expatriates, the programme is analysed to ascertain the willingness to implement and the state of implementation by multinational companies operation in the industry.

The study employs critical discourse analysis (CDA), a problem-identification and problem-solving analytical tool to identify any obstacles suppressing the implementation and possible ways past the obstacles. Data for analysis were collected from 26 national managers from industry who were interviewed to gather views and expectations on their development.

Key findings include domination and hegemonic dynamics of expatriates through sustained power over the control of the MD process, CDA’s emancipatory power succeeds in identifying unrealised possibilities for tackling the MD problem for a social change (development of national managers) in industry, and non-implementation of the MD programme contributed by expatriates, the government of Ghana, and senior national managers.

The programme has the potential of developing national managers for eventual takeover from expatriates, but requires implementing the law to the latter, including denying foreign subsidiaries mining lease if they fail to provide the adhere to localisation plans.

The paper extends literature on management of Western multinational subsidiaries in developing countries, revealing power and control over human resource practices, and MD in their foreign subsidiaries. It also contributes to literature on suppression of indigenous employees by other indigenous employees (the “colonised elites”), contrary to what is expected from indigenous people towards the development of their colleagues.

One of the means to enhance the employability skills of tertiary graduates transiting into the job market has been the compulsory national service instituted by the Government of Ghana. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine the contribution of the mandatory national service to enhance the employability of tertiary graduates in Ghana.

The study used the longitudinal descriptive survey design to sample 375 national service personnel (2018 and 2019 batches) of 13,874 service personnel posted to the Central Region of Ghana, and 31 employers.

The study found human relation, communication and experience to enter the job market were perceived higher by tertiary graduates in Ghana. It was also found that the preferred employers amongst tertiary graduates were the government, multinational companies and public schools. Skills mismatch between the acquired skills of tertiary graduates and the skills required by employers was also found. Responsible factor identified was the posting of personnel for national service without considering their academic background and future job aspirations. Tertiary graduates transiting into the job market after the national service preferred to be employed by the government because of the lack of entrepreneurial skills.

Therefore, it was recommended that the national service secretariat post national service personnel to organisations that reflect personnel's career aspiration.

This is original research carried out by the researchers and was not sponsored by any organisation/institution.

This study examined the effect of COVID-19 on the acquisition of employable skills among national service personnel in Ghana.

The study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey design from the positivist paradigm to collect data from a sample of 2,263 out of a population of 77,962 trainees (national service personnel) posted to the public (85.1%) and the private (14.9%) sectors for the 2019/2020 service year. Sampling techniques were simple random, stratify and snowball sampling techniques and Google form softcopy questionnaire was used for data collection.

The study found that COVID-19 had made workplaces and work schedules very risky for trainees' acquiring employable skills in Ghana because their employers/trainers' were unable to provide adequate PPEs for trainees. Preventive measures such as mandatory leaves, reduced workload/working hours and shift system had reduced the duration for acquiring employable skills which could affect employability and aggravate graduate unemployment in Ghana. The sustainability and quality of job opportunities presented by COVID-19 to graduate trainees-farming; trading and online teaching could also not be guaranteed.

It was recommended that employers/trainers should provide adequate PPEs, introduce teleworking with the necessary tools and training for their trainees. Educational institutions should provide work-based learning methods in their curricula to enhance employable skills for national service graduates. Government's support for trainees venturing into self-employed job opportunities presented by the COVID-19 was also recommended

It was recommended that employers/trainers should provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), introduce teleworking with the necessary tools and training for their trainees. Government's support for trainees venturing into self-employed job opportunities presented by the COVID-19 was also recommended.

This paper has not been published anywhere.

The purpose of this paper is to provide varied conceptualisation of talent management and development (TMD) by building managerial talent development model that is more appropriate to the context of the Ghanaian gold mining industry.

The authors use two sets of data – foundation pillars of TMD and industry and definition of TMD. The authors first create a TMD framework by conducting constructive alternative analysis using the TMD foundation pillars that inform local talent situation, and then use the results and evaluation of industry definition of TMD to build the model.

The authors find that the model departs from the predominantly Western version of human resource management that has characterised TMD in industry. Developed from indigenous perspective, the model is more likely to be effective tool for the development of local managers in industry.

From practical viewpoint, the study has provided insight into understanding of expatriate managers to integrate locally relevant experiences, which are of meaning to trainee managers into their development for successful outcome.

This is the first study which has explored prevailing talent situation and expectations of local managers in the Ghanaian gold mining industry. The constructed model provides an innovative approach for context-specific approach to the development of its local managers to satisfy the mining sector localisation policy.

This paper aims to explore the socio-cultural factors that emerge in the implementation of integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) in Ghana, a developing country.

A qualitative research approach was used with a case study design. The data were collected from archival documents and semi-structured face-to-face interviews with participants who played a significant role in the implementation of IFMIS in the Ghanaian public sector.

The findings show that although IFMIS was considered by the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), European Union and Danish International Development Agency to be rational, technical, universal and unproblematic, the use of the system in the Ghanaian public institutions was constrained by socio-cultural factors. These factors included power struggles between various technocrats; and negative attitudes such as opportunism and rent-seeking interest towards the IFMIS.

The research is grounded in a single case study, but the findings can be theoretically generalised to information technology (IT)-based financial management system exhibiting the same characteristics.

This study offers a practical implication for governments, consultants and donor agencies.

This study provides additional insight through the application of the sociology and duality of information technology theory to study a particular IT-based public financial management initiative.

Product rebranding is increasingly popular, but brand managers are sceptical about its implications on brand loyalty (BL). Given the limited empirical literature on the subject, this study examines the interrelational effect of brand attachment (BA), brand distinctiveness (BD) and consumer attitudes (CA) towards product rebranding on brand loyalty (BL).

The study adopted the quantitative survey design and used questionnaire to gather data from 349 consumers of rebranded water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. This study integrates psychology theories into brand management research to propose and test a holistic model.

The study found a significant effect of BA on CA toward product rebranding, and CA toward product rebranding fully mediates the relationship between BA and BL. Furthermore, BD has a significant effect on BL, and further moderates the relationship between BA and BL.

This study offers a fresh theoretical foundation, conceptual clarity and understanding of how rebranding specific brand elements affect the attitudes and BL of consumers who are emotionally connected to a brand. This paper offers practical insights into the implication of product rebranding on CA, BD and BL. It reveals a holistic guidance to brand managers on how to use their unique knowledge about their consumers to create distinctive brands and emotional affection, passion and connections to their brands.