The consumption of rice has increased at an increasing rate globally with greater number of consumers deriving high calories through rice, hence the need for training of rice farmers to help increase its production to meet such high demand. This notion informed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to collaborate with Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and Government of Ghana (GoG) to train rice farmers in Ghana specifically in the Northern, Savana and North-east Regions. The ‘rain-fed lowland rice production technology training’, which was intended to increase rice production and profitability of rice farmers in the selected regions was carried out successfully within the project time frame. This study sought to evaluate the success of the training along two key objectives - ascertaining the extent to which the training has contributed to increase in rice yield (per hectare) of farmers in the selected areas and assessing the correlation between the components (land development and rice cultivation) of the training project on rice yield in the selected areas. The findings revealed the there was increase in rice farmers yield per hectare after the training and there was also a positive correlation between land development as a component of the training and rice cultivation in the selected area. The research recommend that MoFA should endeavour to replicate the JICA training on rain-fed lowland rice production technology across all rice production areas in Ghana.

Training programmes for rice farmers is believed to be an activity leading to the improvement in yield if it is well managed and implemented. Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) initiated a training programme for rice farmers in three regions in Northern Ghana. Indeed, the benefits of training could be social, cognitive, economic or both. The training was intended to help increase rice farmers yield leading to productivity and profitability. This study was set up to evaluate the extent to which the rainfed lowland rice training programme influenced changes and improvement in socio-economic status of the rice farmers. A sample of 257 out of the total population of 880 was selected across both sex for this study. The analysis showed that all participants in the training benefitted in the form of changes in their socio-economic statuses as well as cognitive improvement. Various assets were acquired from proceeds of excess rice sole after feeding their families. One asset the majority of the farmers acquired was cell phone with all the women farmers acquiring cooking utensils either for their domestic use or in preparation towards settling their daughters when they are due for marriage. It was established that the rice training programme was beneficial to farmers and therefore should be extended to cover all rice farmers in the three regions in particular and to rice farmers in Ghana in general.

Competition among businesses in today’s ever-dynamic environment places a high demand and burden on employees. These demands induce stress on employees with the consequences of individual health challenges, family breakdown, pressure on social amenities, low productivity and profitability of firms. This study was undertaken to establish the implications of job-related stress on employees’ job performance. The sample comprises all workers of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Tamale, the Northern Region of Ghana. All employees (census) were used for the study and data was collected using both primary and secondary sources. The findings revealed that stress is a normal occurrence at the workplace that affects all people, regardless of their gender or socioeconomic class, hence, the need for management to formulate a good policy directed at reducing stress among workers, and encouraging high performance among workers. This will help reduce job-related stress. Managers must be dedicated to making adjustments that will assist workers to cope with some of the known stressors. It is recommended that managers should match individual capabilities with the tasks and duties allocated to avoid both physical, emotional and psychological pressure on the employee. Management should establish a congenial and collegial atmosphere for working and operate an open-door communication policy as a management style because this will ease pressure and tension since leadership style was cited as a stressor.

Notwithstanding its importance to the success of businesses and industries, the external operating environment is hardly a subject of interest in the tourism literature. But understanding the operating environment is of major value when assessing the efficacy of tourism and its role as a vehicle for socio-economic transformation in any country. The present study, therefore, employs a qualitative design within a political economy framework to assess the current environment within which Ghana‟s tourism operates. Using unstructured in-depth interviews the study collates views from 10 senior tourism sector operatives representing both public and private sectors chosen through the purposive sampling technique. The findings suggest that the political and economic factors of the present operating environment combine to create a difficult operational theatre for both the public and private sector actors in tourism. By implication, therefore, the environment disables rather than enables the tourism trade and circumscribes its potential for expansion. To reverse the situation it is recommended that the existing organizational structures must be repositioned and also there must be a reorientation of the existing ideological and fiscal policies.

Notwithstanding its importance to the success of businesses and industries, the external operating environment is hardly a subject of interest in the tourism literature. But understanding the operating environment is of major value when assessing the efficacy of tourism and its role as a vehicle for socioeconomic transformation in any country. The present study therefore employs a qualitative design within a political economy framework to assess the current environment within which Ghana‟s tourism operates. Using unstructured in- depth interviews the study collates views from 10 senior tourism sector operatives representing both public and private sectors chosen through the purposive sampling technique. The findings suggest that the political and economic factors of the present operating environment combine to create a difficult operational theatre for both the public and private sector actors in tourism. By implication therefore, the environment disables rather than enables the tourism trade and circumscribes its potential for expansion. To reverse the situation it is recommended that the existing organizational structures must be repositioned and also there must be reorientation of the existing ideological and fiscal policies.