Convergence Chronicles

Assessing Readiness for Electronic Health Record Implementation in District Hospitals: A Case Study of Ghana’s Upper West Region

2024-11-15T12:08:29+00:00

The successful implementation of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is pivotal to improving healthcare service delivery in developing countries. This study evaluates the readiness of district hospitals in Ghana’s Upper West Region to adopt EHR systems, focusing on organizational, technical, and human resource factors. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, the research sampled 395 healthcare workers and management staff from six district hospitals. The findings revealed that 74.9% of healthcare workers were ready to adopt EHR systems, while 100% of management staff expressed willingness to transition. However, significant barriers remain, particularly in technical and financial capacities. Key challenges included inadequate IT infrastructure (34.2%) and lack of standardized software (34.8%), exacerbated by financial constraints such as insufficient funding for staff (33.6%) and lack of budget planning (35.9%). A positive correlation was observed between organizational factors and worker readiness, with management support playing a crucial role in facilitating adoption. Conversely, technical and financial barriers were found to negatively impact readiness. These results underscore the need for continuous professional development, enhanced leadership, and targeted financial investment to overcome existing barriers. Addressing these challenges could not only facilitate the smooth transition to EHR systems but also significantly improve healthcare outcomes by enhancing data accuracy, efficiency, and patient care. This study advocates for a holistic, multi-faceted approach to EHR adoption, emphasizing the importance of policy-level interventions to bolster Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure.

The Role of Employee Attitudes and Job Satisfaction in Enhancing Organizational Performance in Private Universities

2024-11-11T16:46:40+00:00

This study investigates the role of employee attitudes and job satisfaction in enhancing organizational performance within private universities in the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. Recognizing that positive employee attitudes and high job satisfaction correlate strongly with productivity, retention, and service quality, the study addresses a significant research gap in the Ghanaian educational context. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 200 academic and non-academic employees across private universities. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analyses, were employed to evaluate the relationships among employee attitudes, job satisfaction, and organizational performance. Results reveal that job satisfaction has the most substantial impact on performance (β = 0.48, p < 0.01), followed by organizational commitment (β = 0.40, p < 0.01) and work engagement (β = 0.32, p < 0.01). These findings underscore the importance of fostering a supportive work environment that emphasizes intrinsic rewards such as recognition and career advancement, which emerged as critical drivers of job satisfaction. Factor analysis further confirmed that intrinsic (e.g., recognition) and extrinsic (e.g., compensation) motivators significantly influence employee attitudes and satisfaction. The study’s insights offer actionable recommendations to improve employee engagement and organizational effectiveness through targeted human resource practices in private universities in resource-limited settings. This research contributes to the scant literature on employee satisfaction within Ghana’s private educational sector, providing an empirical foundation for strategies that enhance employee well-being and institutional performance. Future studies should consider longitudinal designs and include public university settings to enable comparative analyses and a deeper understanding of satisfaction dynamics across educational environments.

Evaluating the Impact of Stress Management Interventions on Employee Performance: A Case Study of Ghana Commercial Bank

2024-11-23T16:36:55+00:00

This study investigates the impact of stress management interventions on employee performance within the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) in Cape Coast. Recognizing the increasing prevalence of workplace stress, this research evaluates the effectiveness of four key interventions: welfare programs, job redesign, psychological support, and training and development. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected through structured questionnaires from a census sample of 45 GCB employees. The Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis revealed significant relationships between each intervention and employee performance, with training and development showing the highest positive impact, followed by psychological support, job redesign, and welfare programs. The findings demonstrate that training interventions not only improve employees' skills but also enhance their psychological resilience, enabling them to manage work demands effectively. Psychological support programs were also shown to reduce stress and improve job satisfaction, highlighting the critical role of mental health resources in performance enhancement. Job redesign, by aligning roles with individual skills, effectively alleviates role-related stress, further supporting employee productivity. Welfare programs that provide flexible work conditions and health resources contribute to a supportive work environment, positively influencing overall job performance. These findings align with the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, which suggests that organizational resources can buffer the effects of work demands, reducing burnout and fostering productivity. This research fills a gap in literature by applying the JD-R model to the banking sector in Ghana, where high-stress conditions are prevalent. The study’s implications emphasize the need for Ghanaian banks to adopt a holistic approach to stress management, incorporating diverse interventions to enhance employee well-being and organizational success. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and explore employee perspectives to refine these interventions further.

The Impact of Performance Appraisal Systems on Employee Motivation and Organizational Success: A Comprehensive Review of Best Practices and Challenges

2024-11-14T12:34:15+00:00

This comprehensive review examines the impact of performance appraisal systems on employee motivation and organizational success. Performance appraisals, a pivotal component of modern human resource management, are instrumental in evaluating employee performance, guiding HR decisions, and fostering organizational growth. The review highlights the evolution of these systems from simple merit ratings to sophisticated models, such as 360-degree feedback, reflecting the complexity of performance assessment. Key findings demonstrate that robust appraisal systems significantly influence HR functions, including employee development, promotions, compensation, retention, and succession planning. Effective appraisal systems are shown to enhance employee motivation, ensure merit-based career progression, and contribute to organizational efficiency. However, the review also identifies several challenges in implementing performance appraisal systems, including biases in evaluations, inadequate training of appraisers, communication barriers, and resistance to change. These challenges can undermine the fairness and effectiveness of appraisal processes, potentially leading to employee dissatisfaction and decreased morale. The article underscores the importance of addressing these challenges by ensuring objectivity, transparency, and alignment with organizational goals. By integrating well-designed performance appraisal systems into HR practices, organizations can better align their workforce with strategic objectives, thereby enhancing overall performance and achieving long-term success. This review provides valuable insights for HR professionals seeking to optimize their performance management strategies to drive organizational success.

Exploring the Potential of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management: A Review

2024-11-11T14:04:40+00:00

Blockchain technology has emerged as a transformative solution for supply chain management, addressing critical challenges such as transparency, traceability, and efficiency. Traditional supply chains are often constrained by limited visibility, vulnerability to fraud, and inefficiencies arising from reliance on intermediaries. Blockchain’s decentralized and immutable ledger offers unique advantages by enabling real-time, tamper-proof tracking of products and transactions across the entire supply chain network. This paper reviews blockchain’s foundational characteristics and explores its diverse applications within supply chain contexts, including the enhancement of product traceability, prevention of counterfeiting, and facilitation of ethical sourcing. Through case studies like Walmart’s Food Trust initiative for food safety and Maersk’s TradeLens platform for shipping documentation, the review demonstrates blockchain’s capacity to improve data accuracy, accountability, and operational speed. Despite its potential, blockchain faces notable challenges, including technical complexity, scalability limitations, data privacy concerns, and regulatory uncertainties. The high costs and energy demand further complicate adoption, particularly for smaller enterprises. Looking forward, the integration of blockchain with emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) holds promise for predictive analytics and automated insights, advancing supply chain resilience. Addressing scalability and interoperability through layer-two scaling solutions and standardized frameworks could pave the way for broader adoption. This paper concludes with a discussion on blockchain’s future role in fostering transparent, efficient, and sustainable supply chains, contingent upon collaborative efforts across technology stakeholders, industry participants, and policymakers.