Purpose This paper aims to assess the impact of infrastructure development on Ghana’s economic growth. Design/methodology/approach Using data obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, the United States’ (US) International Energy Statistics and the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Factbooks from 1980 to 2016, an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) framework is used to determine the long- and short-run impact of the selected infrastructure stock and quality indices on Ghana’s economic growth. Findings Findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between infrastructure development and economic growth. Additionally, electricity-generating capacity is identified as the infrastructure stock index that has the greatest positive impact on Ghana’s economic growth. The study reveals that electricity-distribution loss has a significant negative effect over both long- and short-run periods. Research limitations/implications Commercial petroleum export from Ghana since 2010 has been a key contributor to economic growth. Although its aggregate effect is included in the annual GDP figures adopted for the study, the authors would have wished to assess its impact on GDP as an independent standard growth determinant. However, because of a lack of available data over this study period, petroleum exports could not be adopted as an independent standard growth determinant. Additionally, an aggregated index of infrastructure stock and quality could not be derived because of the small size of data available. Hence, this study did not assess its impact on Ghana’s economic growth. Practical implications The research provides pragmatic guidance to policymakers to focus their efforts on expanding electricity-generating capacity while simultaneously taking steps to curb electricity transmission and distribution losses. These two related actions offer the greatest positive impact on infrastructure development and, as a consequence, Ghana’s economic growth. Originality/value This paper represents the first attempt to empirically study the relationship between infrastructure development and Ghana’s economic growth. A key contribution to the existing body of knowledge includes strong evidence of a positive effect of infrastructure development upon Ghana’s economic growth. Results also reveal that the greatest positive impact on economic growth is derived from electricity-generation capacity. However, the study also uncovers a negative, but statistically significant, relationship between road and economic growth.

Purpose Conditions of inadequate and asymmetric information when an agent is hired by a principal have resulted in the problems of moral hazard and adverse selection (MHAS) in public–private partnership (PPP) construction projects. The purpose of this study is to explore strategies to reduce MHAS in PPP construction projects. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires were used to elicit responses from respondents. Mean score ranking was used to rank these strategies while reliability analysis was conducted using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and level of agreement tested using Kendall’s concordance. Factor analysis grouped the strategies into eight components. Findings From the mean score ranking, monitoring; transfer of risks; screening; managing of construction risks; and increased incentives to control costs were the most significant strategies. The eight components were transparent process and contract, incentives and monitoring, screening and technical assistance, unbundling and benchmarking, funding and small liabilities, information clarification and signaling, risk and contract management and cooperation and finance factors. Practical implications The findings of this study have identified the most significant strategies to reduce MHAS on PPP construction projects to serve as a guide to PPP practitioners in reducing MHAS. Originality/value The output of this research contributes to the checklist of strategies that reduce PPP project failures arising from MHAS and contributes to the development of the agency theory.

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Employers and governments on the African continent were forced to implement flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to curtail the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) without adequate preparations. This study investigated employees' perceptions of FWAs adopted by employers in selected African countries during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey research design rooted in a quantitative approach was adopted for this study. Hence, a combination of purposive sampling and snowball technique was adopted to gather valid information on the use of FWAs, employers' support and safety precautions, information technology (IT) support and productivity in Africa during the lockdown. An online survey link was provided to respondents who were working from home in selected African countries. Data were analysed using a covariance-based structural equation modelling via SmartPLS. Findings/results:The study found that employers' support and safety precautions, as well as IT support, exert significant influence on the use of FWA in African countries. Therefore, the use of an FWA during the lockdown in selected African countries mediates the relationship between the employer and IT supports, and employees' productivity.Practical Implications: Employers' backing and IT support are fundamental for the effective implementation of FWAs and enhancement of employees' productivity in African countries.Originality/value: There is a shortage of studies on the adoption of FWAs during a pandemic in Africa. This study provides empirical evidence on the use of an FWA and its effect on employees' productivity during a pandemic in Africa.