1,720,962 research outputs found
The Oliver Twists among women microcredit borrowers, intra-household decision making and power play in male dominant households in Ghana
Full text linkThe thrust of this study was to investigate the factors that motivate women microcredit borrowers in the Upper East Region of Ghana to take multiple loans from microfinance institutions. The study employed the double hurdle estimation method and the data was collected from 500 women engaged in agro-processing of whom 250 were beneficiaries of multiple loans and 250 non-beneficiaries. The results showed that the set of factors that impacted the decision to borrow are among the factors that impacted the decision to go for multiple loans from microfinance institutions though the directions of the impact were found to be different for the two decisions. Thus, the number of people in household and number of friends with loans have positive impact on the decision to borrow; however, these variables have negative impact on the decision to go for multiple loans. It was also found that women who relinquished their loans to their spouses and women who took permission from their spouses before they could borrow had less multiple loans. Again, respondents who were living below the poverty line (poor) had less multiple loans than their counterparts who were not poor. The conclusion drawn is that, intra-household decision making and power play in male dominant households prevent women from taking multiple loans no matter how beneficial these loans may be for the women and their households. In view of this, it is recommended that gender mainstreaming should be included in the services of microfinance institutions to encourage women participation in household decision making. Again microfinance institutions should devote a percentage of their loan portfolio to targeting the poor. Keywords: Oliver Twists, Women, microcredit, power-play, double-hurdle and Ghan
Women's Access to Post-Secondary Education and Structural Inequalities
Full text linkUN Sustainable Development Goal No.5 urges the attainment of gender equality and women empowerment by 2030. This has intensified the fight for gender parity and female empowerment in Africa with some successes. Despite this, changes in Ghana's educational system have not dispelled the widespread belief that men are better equipped for careers. This is especially in the technical and vocational fields. This misconception has hampered disadvantaged young women's motivation, making them less likely to pursue careers in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Entrenchments of gendered divisions in higher education and the labour market contribute to structural inequality in society. This study looks at women’s access to post-secondary education and structural inequalities. Additionally, the article updates recent changes in the ratio of female students enrolled in university programs and employment statistics in Ghana. The paper argues that although there are improvements in female enrolment numbers in post-secondary institutions, there is a need for a deliberate policy to increase female intake into tertiary institutions, especially technical universities by granting female-favoured scholarships and opening more online/distance learning platforms for degree programs as well as services to support online enrolment. Employment opportunities should favour the female for a deepening supplementary role at all levels of their participation. Besides, to encourage women gradually shift from conventional roles, it is necessary to invest in their human capital
Financial Deepening in Ghana; Does Macroeconomics Matter
Full text linkFinancial deepening plays a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, alleviating poverty, and mitigating social
inequalities. Employing the Vector Autoregressive Model (VAR), this study examines the implications of per capita gross
domestic product (GDP), interest rates, and inflation rates for financial deepening (FD) in Ghana. GDP per capita and interest
rates exhibit statistically significant impacts on FD in Ghana, whereas inflation exerts an insignificant inverse effect. The
statistically significant influence of GDP per capita and interest rates underscores their significance as robust favourable
determinants of financial sector development in Ghana. Hence, policymakers are entreated to closely monitor the behaviour of
these macroeconomic variables that positively influence financial deepening, as they play crucial roles in fostering economic
growth
An assessment of the risk mitigating factors in Ghana’s Bank Industry
No full textTo maintain financial stability, banks need to recognize, assess, and mitigate potential losses, thus making risk control critical for long-term profitability as well as avoiding unexpected losses. This research examines the risk mitigating factors and performance of Ghanaian domestic banks in terms of capital adequacy, bank size, bank efficiency, and profitability, along with their association with systemic risk in the bank sector, as measured by the Z-score: Insolvency Risk - (µROA) plus capital asset ratio (equity capital divided by sum of all assets further divided by the standard deviation-(ƠROA) with a higher score for banks as a measure of bank stability. The study further explores the relationship between this ratio and the explanatory variables for a sample of 11 banks operating in Ghana between 2010 and 2021. Analysis of the data using the fixed effects model shows that profitability and bank efficiency are significant and affect the stability of banks positively. Bank size, on the other hand, is significant but negatively affects the stability of banks. Bank profitability is critical to stabilizing and protecting the banking sector from external shocks; as a result, this study suggests that bank management apply prudent practices to profitability-driven indicators and that the banking sector regulations be congruent with macro-prudential policies
Implications of financial leverage for bank profitability in Ghana
Full text linkThe complexity of the relationship between debt and equity financing models and their impacts on bank profitability in the Ghanaian banking sector cannot be overemphasized. This study examines the impacts of the two financing models on bank profitability. Emphasis is placed on the importance of credit risk, liquidity risk, and capital adequacy when making financing decisions. To measure bank profitability, the research employs two key metrics: Risk-adjusted return on assets (RAROA) and risk-adjusted return on equity (RAROE). These metrics indicate how well banks are performing financially. An inverse relationship between bank profitability (measured by RAROA) and credit risk was among the research findings. This implies that higher credit risk negatively affects profitability. There is a direct link between capital adequacy and RAROE, inferring that as banks increase their lending activities, they need to maintain adequate capital to safeguard their profitability. We recommend a balanced financing approach, which mitigates risks associated with excessive debt while still benefiting from the advantages of asset diversification and strategic growth
Macroeconomic Policy Formulation: The Driver of Economic Welfare in Ghana
Full text linkDialogue on the effects of macroeconomic policies relative to the welfare of citizens has remained virtually unchanged since time
immemorial. These economic policy discussions have had different dimensions, from subjective to objective welfare. As a contribution to literature, this paper thoughtfully wades into this discourse with a specific reference to national policies on nominal GDP growth rate, inflation, and unemployment and how they interact to impact the welfare of citizens. It is common knowledge that macroeconomic policy decisions affect the very survival of citizens; however, it is unclear how policymakers communicate the long-term impact of these blueprints on the livelihoods of citizens to the implementing authorities. What is in the public domain are seminal reports on nominal annual rates of these macroeconomic variables, which are thought to either imply an improvement or a deterioration in the well-being of citizens. Indeed, not every gain in nominal rates, particularly GDP, can be construed as an improvement in the economic well-being of citizens. This study questions whether different approaches to designing and implementing macroeconomic policies are the reasons for the mismatch in the living standards of people around the world, or whether the free market economy, which is deficient in developing people's capabilities, is rather dictating the well-being of citizens. The vector error correction model (VECM) results
indicate that economic growth (using GDP as a proxy) has a negative effect on welfare in the long run. As such, we believe that national governments should establish and implement comprehensive and long-term macroeconomic policies capable of boosting the welfare of citizens through creating jobs of all varieties, because mere annual gains in macroeconomic indicators do not realistically reflect the economic welfare of the citizenr
Financial Deepening in Ghana; Does Macroeconomics Matter
No full textFinancial deepening plays a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, alleviating poverty, and mitigating social
inequalities. Employing the Vector Autoregressive Model (VAR), this study examines the implications of per capita gross
domestic product (GDP), interest rates, and inflation rates for financial deepening (FD) in Ghana. GDP per capita and interest
rates exhibit statistically significant impacts on FD in Ghana, whereas inflation exerts an insignificant inverse effect. The
statistically significant influence of GDP per capita and interest rates underscores their significance as robust favourable
determinants of financial sector development in Ghana. Hence, policymakers are entreated to closely monitor the behaviour of
these macroeconomic variables that positively influence financial deepening, as they play crucial roles in fostering economic
growth
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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