Radford University College

ECommerce is an emerging commerce market where organisations and individuals sell and, buy goods and services through the internet using computer and smart devices. This research is to assess the low consumer trust in online trading and how to strengthen it to make consumers confident in eCommerce market. Lack of consumer trust in eCommerce stems from a consumer not receiving neither the goods nor is reimbursed immediately a virtual transaction goes bad, as this negatively impacts his / her trust. Survey design through Questionnaire was employed to collect primary data from the Accra-Tema metropolis in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana, which is popularly noted for intense eCommerce trading activities. Results from the research summarized the effective structure an eCommerce market should have - a certificate of practice and safety measures on the website, standard interface, user friendly website, and an authentic customer feedback system of accountability and equity to build trust that inform purchasing decisions. Furthermore, e-consumers should report problems to e-vendors immediately they occur, and e-vendors must follow up and rectify them ASAP. Finally, transaction problems should immediately be resolved once occurred and reported, e-vendors should encourage e-consumers to continue trading by sending them company and loyalty promotions continuously, and e-consumers should reciprocate / acknowledge the gesture of love from e-vendors for lasting consumer trustworthiness in virtual business transactions.

Background and Objective: Colistin resistance is a major threat to the treatment of multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections. The scarcity of alternative antibiotics and the rapid evolution of resistant bacteria make this a critical problem that needs to be addressed urgently. This study aimed at phenotypic detection of colistin resistance by enterobacteria in humans. Materials and Methods: As 135 stool samples were collected from patients presenting with diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid. Bacterial isolation was first done to identify the WHO-priority pathogens involved greatly in bacterial drug resistance. The bacterial isolates were screened against several dilutions of colistin sulfate antibiotics and the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for each isolate. Results: Klebsiella species (62%) and Morganella morgani (16%) were the most prevalent enterobacteria isolated, with Escherichia coli (2%) being one of the least prevalent organisms isolated. As 86% of all isolates were resistant to colistin, while 14% were sensitive. There was no significant difference in the susceptibility pattern of the isolates based on age, gender, or sample collection location. Conclusion: The prevalence of colistin resistance amongst isolates from the gastrointestinal tract causing diarrheal infections is high. This study is an early warning sign highlighting the emergence of colistin resistance in Ghana.

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) seeks to create alignment between human resource management (HRM) practices and business strategy (strategy fit); linking HR strategies, policies, and practices within the functional units of the HR department (intra-functional fit); maintaining the status of the HRM department within corporate strategic plan (HR-roles-position fit); and alignment of HRM functions with all other departments (cross-functional fit). This study investigates the effects of SHRM on organizational performance. Data was collected from 314 employees in tertiary educational institutions in Ghana. A conceptual model was developed and a set of hypotheses were proposed. The results found that cross-functional fit has a significant effect on both financial and operational performance. However, the results found no significant effect of strategy fit, role-position fit, and intra-functional fit on financial and operational performance. Therefore, tertiary educational institutions should develop cross-functional fit to improve their financial and operational performance.

The impact of strategic human resource management on employee commitment in educational institutions is yet to be properly documented. This study investigated the impact of SHRM (strategic fit, role-position fit, intra-functional fit, and cross-functional fit) on employee commitment. Employing a survey research approach, data were collected from 314 employees in tertiary educational institutions in a developing country. A conceptual model was developed and hypotheses were proposed. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling technique, the proposed model explained 40% of employees' affective commitment, about 3% of employees' continuance commitment, and about 7% of employees' normative commitment. The cross-functional fit had the most significant effect on affective commitment. The result also revealed that not all SHRM practices could produce a positive significant effect on employee commitment. This study proposed a conceptual model and contributed to the formulation of HR policy and guidelines in tertiary institutions for improving employee commitment.

Taxation is the major source of revenue for the Ghanaian economy. Taxation is defined as the levying of compulsory contributions by public authorities having tax jurisdiction, to defray the cost of their activities. The researcher seeks to assess its effectiveness on the economic development of the country. He also reviews the tax collection system in Ghana. The research shows that the percentage of tax revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Ghana from 1990 to 2016 is 14.56%. This is deemed inadequate to contribute immensely to the fortunes of the country. Majority of tax evaders are in the informal sector that forms 70% of the nation’s output. In spite of the huge size of the informal sector, they contribute only 16.7% of the tax revenue. The researcher also compares direct and indirect taxes in Ghana and their apparent effect on the socio-economic lives of the people. It is evident from the research that the country is over relying on indirect taxes to the detriment of the poor in the society, thereby defeating the canon of taxation about equality.

The bacteriological characteristics of rainwater harvested from a typical rooftop were progressively studied for a period of nine (9) months. The study area, Oyoko, is a rural community considered as a typical farming area and located about 30 km from Kumasi, the capital city of Ashanti Region of Ghana. The collected rainwater samples were analyzed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and salmonella. The entire E. coli counts varied from 0-60 CFU/100 ml and were absent on 39 observations out of total of 84 observations (replicate samples), representing 46.4%. Whiles the entire salmonella counts ranged from 0-78 CFU/100ml and only 10 observations out of the 84 were absent, which represents 11.9%. Both E. coli and salmonella showed higher concentration during early stages of continuous rainfall but, progressively reduced during later part of rainfall. The main cause of this phenomenon can be attributed to the deposition and accumulation of pollutant materials on the rooftop and catchment areas typically during the dry seasons as a result of wind-blown dirt particles and other environmental pollutants. The high bacteriological constituents in the early-stage harvested rainwater consequently have some proven significant health implications from their direct consumption. It is therefore imperative for the community to know the best time interval to harvest their rainwater as rainfall progresses, and also know any health implications associated with the harvested rainwater that goes into their storage tanks for consumption through progressive monitoring of the quality.

A study was undertaken to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in the ground water from landfill leachiest in Chantan, a suburb of Accra. Six wells were excavated from the Dump site and the concentrations for heavy metal such as copper, chromium, arsenic and zinc were monitored using wet digestion technique. HCl and HNO 3 were used followed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The heavy metals were quantified using external calibration with standards. Copper had the highest mean concentration of 1.410 mg/l in water from well three (3). This is above the maximum admissible and desirable limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), an international organization. Chromium recorded the minimum mean concentration of 0.002 mg/l and this was found in wells ( Generally, the study revealed that 83.3 % of water samples had mean concentrations below the WHO maximum admissible and desirable limit.