PurposeBank tellers have been ignored in stress research. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction, and gender difference among bank tellers in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachUsing a cross-sectional survey approach, the authors used questionnaires to collect data from bank tellers in Ghana. Valid questionnaires were retrieved from 112 tellers across four banks. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson r-test, standard multiple regression and independent t-test.FindingsThe results revealed that tellers are more likely to exhibit counterproductive behaviours such as job dissatisfaction due to work-related stress. The results further showed that gender is not a strong determinant of job satisfaction and occupational stress among the bank tellers. Thus, both male and female tellers can have similar stress perceptions and experiences. Also, both male and female tellers can be satisfied with their jobs.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings must be interpreted with caution because cross-sectional surveys are often criticised for causality issues. The causality issue here is that the use of cross-sectional data did not allow the study to examine any changes in some of the constructs examined with time. Also, the results are occupation, industry and country-specific.Practical implicationsTo reduce counterproductive behaviours due to occupational stress, human resource managers and line managers of the banks urgently need to train bank tellers on stress management. Emotional intelligence training is also necessary for bank tellers to obtain the needed resources and competencies to deal with daily stress.Social implicationsA stressful work environment negatively affects employee and organisational productivity and performance. The socioeconomic consequences of occupational stress are expensive for organisations, economies and society. The indirect effect of stress on employees' families and friends are often ignored by organisations.Originality/valueThe transactional stress theory has been applied towards an understanding of occupational stress and job satisfaction among bank tellers. The examination and establishment of particular relationships between occupational stress, job satisfaction and gender difference are significant for human resource managers and other line managers.

Purpose – Previous scholarly studies have concluded that entrepreneurial orientation (EO) positively relates to firm performance and that relationship is dependent on several contingencies. The purpose of this paper is to show how managers’ passion for work and the external environment (i.e. environmental dynamism) within which firms operate interactively impact on EO-firm performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach – This theoretically derived research model is empirically validated using survey data from 250 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in Ghana. Findings – The study’s empirical findings indicate that passion for work strengthens the EO-performance relationship in dynamic market environments. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional design of the study does not permit causal inferences to be made regarding the variables examined. Future studies may use longitudinal design to examine the causal links of the variables. Practical implications – The study’s findings provide managers with a deeper understanding of how to achieve superior product firm performance, especially when firms are entrepreneurially oriented. The understanding of this issue can promote the development and maintenance of further entrepreneurial ventures in developing economies. Originality/value – The paper has a strong theoretical value because to the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the moderating role of passion for work on the relationship between EO and firm performance in dynamic environments.

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The state of employee health and safety in the shipping and the manufacturing industries in most developing economies remains largely unexamined. The purpose of this study was to examine employee health and safety practices in the shipping and manufacturing industries. The results from the quantitative analysis indicated that employees in the shipping and the manufacturing industries are prone to employee health and safety hazards. The findings suggest that management and employees demonstrated negative attitudes towards employee health and safety practices in the industries. Results also showed that the shipping industry had more employee health and safety initiatives than the manufacturing industry. The results further revealed that the age, gender and levels of education of employees do not influence employees' attitudes toward health and safety practices. The qualitative analysis also revealed that low productivity and high medical and insurance bills were associated with ineffective employee health and safety practices while effective health and safety practices led to high profitability and high productivity. Further, inadequate health and safety education and promotion as well as ineffective regulatory bodies were the major national challenges to health and safety practices. Moreover, non-compliance behaviours of employees as well as inadequate managerial support remained the industrial challenges to health and safety practices. In conclusion, industries must consider employee health and safety as their internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of transformational and transactional leadership styles and their related dimensions on safety citizenship behaviors (SCBs) in the power distribution sector (PDS) in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach As a cross-sectional survey approach, questionnaires were used to collect data from managers of power distribution centers. Valid questionnaires were retrieved from 197 managers across four power distribution centers. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson correlation analysis and standard multiple regression analysis. Findings The results revealed that both transformational and transactional leaders have a positive influence on SCBs. The results also showed that some of the dimensions of transformational and transactional leadership styles cannot strongly predict SCBs in the PDS. Research limitations/implications The study was limited by the use of cross-sectional data which did not allow the study to examine any changes in some of the constructs examined with time. The results are occupation-, industry- and country-specific. Practical implications Several management implications are discussed, such as managers recognizing that both leadership behaviors can be the basis for SCBs and for mitigating the socioeconomic consequences of unsafe employee behaviors. Originality/value The paper’s principal theoretical contribution is the application of social exchange theory toward an understanding of SCBs in a high-risk sector. Energy sector reforms in developing countries are inconceivable without safety consideration.