COVID-19 lockdown defiance, public `indiscipline', and criminalisation of vulnerable populations in Ghana

Behavioural economics has provided much source of inspiration for public policy in the COVID-19 era. Such is evidently the state of discussion in Ghana, where Ghanaians' so-called stubborn resistance to positive behavioural change is increasingly the target of public and popular criticisms. This paper argues that further to legitimising the police violence and extrajudicial sanctions meted out to `undisciplined' violators of the restrictions, the indiscipline narrative leaps too quickly from an account of the personal morality/attitudes of Ghanaians to the collective action of mass-defiance of the restrictions without taking adequate account of the range of structural constraints that made it difficult for the majority of the people to comply with the restrictions. The mass defiance of the restrictions is best understood in the context of the unequal outcomes of the broader policy processes and practices, and the historical-institutional power dynamics around them that put some people in criminogenic situations in the country. It is important that media and policy analyses of public defiance of the restrictions and social problems in the country generally move beyond the simplistic notion of indiscipline to dissect how deliberate bias against the needs of the majority operates, and is institutionalised in policy and practice in ways that undermine their commitment to rules and regulations.

COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and environmental turbulence in architectural, engineering and construction project delivery space

Purpose: Firms in the architectural, engineering, construction and operations (AECO) sector continue undertaking projects in a disruptive environment due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to explore environmental turbulence in the AECO project delivery space and suggest mechanisms for enhancing resilience against future pandemics. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts the quantitative approach by administering 110 survey questionnaires to participants comprising project managers, site engineers, quantity surveyors, contractors and subcontractors. Findings: The study identifies 24 COVID-19 disruptions linked to environmental turbulence categorised as scheduling, performance and productivity, project budget, supply chain, resource allocation and technological and regulatory. The study suggested resilient mechanisms for surviving in future pandemics. Originality/value: This study enhances the understanding of environmental turbulence from the perspective of COVID-19 disruptions in AECO project delivery, while the implementation of the resilient mechanisms improves capability of AECO firms against future pandemics. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Perceptions of flexible work arrangements in selected African countries during the coronavirus pandemic

Purpose: 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.