Business Analyst - June 16

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Thursday, June 16, 2022ICTDigital representationmatters — Fostering Internetinclusion among PWDsIn today’s world, the internethas paved the way for theadvancement of humanityinto a new era. FromPolokwane to accra to nairobiand across the continent of africa,easy and meaningful access to theinternet is a driver for economicgrowth; just as roads and railwaysprovided the arteries for commerce inthe Industrial Revolution.Today’s internet infrastructure isthe circulatory system on whichmuch of modern life depends. Thecovid-19 pandemic has presented uswith new ways of doing things wheremost activities are done online.activities such as e-learning, e-commerce are at the heart of theinternet. We have moved from brickand-mortarto click and order.People with disabilities (PWDs)are a group of people with specialneeds and are faced daily with myriadchallenges that surpass differentaspects of their lives. Situating theconversation in Ghana and africa byextension. Evidence from the GhanaStatistical Service (GSS) suggests PWDsaccount for 3.7 percent of thepopulation. according to Statista, theprevalence of disability in low -and –middle-income countries (LMIC) ishigher than in high-income countries,and the data shows close to 400 millionpeople live with a form of disability inafrica.Moreover, in Ghana, internetpenetration has significantly improvedfrom 30.8 percent in 2018 to 50 percentin 2021. However, the population ofPWDs in Ghana is high as anecdotalevidence suggests, these people are stillunderrepresented in technology jobs,active participation in the civicengagement of the internet, andinternet literacy.People with disability are oftenfaced with barriers to education andtraining, stereotyping— other peoplepresume they have a lower quality oflife. all these factors limit their jobopportunities leading to poverty, socialexclusion, and restricted access tobasic social amenities. PWD’slimitations to the internet are mostlyshaped by the high cost of broadbandinternet and adoption of ICT tools dueto low-income levels among PWDs andlack of digital skills to scale up, reskilland upskill.In 2016, the United nationsidentified accessibility of the internetas a basic human right. It clearlyexplains every individual needsinformation for daily decision makingand the internet is one pivotal tool thatpromotes self-development and activeparticipation in a democratic society.Yet misconceptions, stereotypes, anddiscrimination continue to be a barrierthat limits PWDs from realizing theirpotential. With increasingtechnological innovations anddigitization drive rolled out by thegovernment:What does the digitization drivemean for people with disabilities?How do people with disabilitiesaccess the internet and leverage thatfor sustainable jobs?What is the state of ourtechnological internet services, is itinclusive for easy accessibility byPWDs?Way forwardThe Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 8 seeks to promote sustained,inclusive, and sustainable economicgrowth, full and productiveemployment, and decent work for all.In line with this, it is necessary todesign educative and trainingprograms for PWDs which are in tuneor in alignment with the everchangingaspirations, commitments,wishes, longings, exigencies, anddemands of education curricula andframeworks that will enable them toacquaint themselves with moderntrends of technology.Effective digital skills which“People with disabilityare often faced withbarriers to educationand training,stereotyping— otherpeople presume theyhave a lower qualityof life. All thesefactors limit their jobopportunities leadingto poverty, socialexclusion, andrestricted access tobasic socialamenities.consider fully equipping the individualholistically are crucial in equippingPWDs to improve on their standard ofliving and bring out innovation andingenuity. In the past, training inInformation CommunicationTechnology (ICT), internet literacy, andcapacity building by governments haveoften been without the needed spark asits sustainability has suffered hiccupsdue to administrative changes oversuccessive periods.The Institute of ICT ProfessionalsGhana since its inception in 2017 hasprovided platforms for training andmentoring, which seek to fullyembrace disability inclusion at everylevel and be part of the solution. Morecorporate bodies, institutions shouldconcertedly make efforts to ensurePWDs are digitally included.Furthermore, it is morallyimperative to be more inclusivedigitally, as the internet is foreveryone and should not be thepreserve of the privileged and selectedfew. Thus, software developers andcontent writers must design digitalexperiences tailored to meet theneeds of people with physicaldisabilities, speech difficulties,hearing impairments, cognitiveimpairments, and blindness.Government departments and agenciesmust develop, design, and curatewebsites with a wider range ofexperiences that comply withinternational web accessibility beststandards, ensuring these websites areeasily accessible by PWDs.as the pandemic continues to drag,it has revealed a consequential digitaldivide and online safety for PWDs.Digital platforms have becomecommonplace, and as such, bestpolicies and practices must beincorporated. The policies should beinclusive and accommodative of thedigital needs of PWDs in Ghana.adjusting to a post-covid-19 worldpresents an opportunity forgovernments to reassess policies toincrease the inclusion of persons withdisabilities. In framing andformulation of such policies,legislations, and regulations,consulting with people withdisabilities is critical, as their needs areheard.To conclude, Ghana cannot be leftbehind in the comity of nations,especially as the digital economy is setto replace the traditional economy.Leveraging on the internet is a driverfor economic growth and development,bridging the already inequality in oursociety. Internet inclusion matters.Digital representation for all is key fornational development.The Author is a Member, Institutefor ICT Professionals Ghana)
Thursday, Tuesday, June March 16, 2022 1, 2022ENTERPRENEURWhy worker loyaltyis at a breaking pointBy Josie CoxPeople are nolonger prepared toreturn to prepandemicways ofworking. If pressedto do so, many maychoose to quitinstead.aS vaccination ratesaround the world tickup, giving employersthe impetus to recallpeople to the office,businesses are confronting anuncomfortable reality: employees’needs and preferences havechanged. Many are no longerprepared to return to the way ofworking that was conventionalbefore the pandemic. If pressed todo exactly that, millions arechoosing to quit instead.This trend has gathered somuch momentum that academicsare now speaking of a fundamentalshift in power dynamics away fromemployers and toward workers. Ifbusinesses want to retain the loyaltalent they need to stay competitive,experts argue they must listen tothe needs of the labour market andadapt quickly.The lessons from lossalmuth McDowall, professorand assistant dean of thedepartment of organisationalpsychology at London’s BirkbeckUniversity, explains that lossesduring the last 18 months haveproven transformational.“We’ve all experienced loss...losing loved ones, losing ourfreedom, losing human contact,”she says. “Many of us also had tojuggle home-working with full-timecaring, as children were off school.”These life events felt sosignificant, says McDowall, thatthey caused us to revisit ourpriorities and sent many of us on aquest for work that feels purposeful– for a job that comes with somegreater form of meaning.after a year of remote work,some are challenging pre-pandemicwork conventions, like the need tobe present in offices (Credit: Getty)Simultaneously, having seenwhat is possible under extremecircumstances, many workers feelmore prepared now than ever beforeto challenge assumptions aroundwhat an ideal worker looks like, andwhat the parameters and norms ofthe working world should be.The effects of this momentousrethink are starting to show. Ina survey of more than 2,000people in the UK and Irelandconducted in March, more than athird of respondents said they werelooking to change roles in the nextsix to 12 months, or once theeconomy had strengthened. Theresearchers concluded businessesnot actively catering to the evolvingneeds and demands of employeesrisked “sleepwalking towards atalent exodus”.In the US, meanwhile, dataindicate that such an exodus isalready under way. a record 4million people quit their jobs inapril alone. Since then, theresignation rate has eased, butremains elevated.a loyalty inflection pointanthony Klotz, an associateprofessor of management at Texasa&M University’s Mays BusinessSchool, coined the term “GreatResignation” in May. observing thatthere were close to 6 million fewerresignations in the US during 2020than there were in 2019, Klotzcorrectly predicted that, as thepandemic subsides, the “would-bequitters” who “sheltered in place” in2020 were likely to act on their plansto leave their employers.“What we’re seeing now is aclear decrease in organisationalan organisation,you don’t just wantto capture people’sbodies, ““Asbut youwant to capturetheir hearts too.And it’s that bitthat’s going toprove tough.”commitment due to a confluence offactors,” he says. Echoing McDowall,he says that employees have gaineda new perspective on what’s trulyimportant to them – “the pandemicbrought death to our doorstep andthat causes people to reflect” — butthere are also other importantreasons why loyalties have wavered.“Work takes up a huge part ofwho we are. During the pandemic,identities changed. People spentmore time with their families, somemight’ve thought more aboutentrepreneurial ventures, sidehustles or other pastimes away fromtheir day job,” he says. “It’s quitepossible that many people no longerdefine themselves as much throughtheir jobs as they used to.” That,Klotz elaborates, “means that theyare less emotionally attached totheir employer”.Flexibility over finance?another element contributingto employees’ dwindlingcommitment is the decision bysome companies to require workersto return to the office in person, asin Marie’s case. In particular, thefinance sector has come under firefor ordering workers back.In May, Jamie Dimon, the CEoof JPMorgan Chase & Co., which isamerica’s largest bank, sparked abacklash when he said that workingfrom home simply does not work forthose who want “to hustle”. and inJune, Morgan Stanley CEo JamesGorman said that if most employeeswere not back to work at the bank'sManhattan headquarters inSeptember, he would be "verydisappointed".Globally, the culture of bankingis still rooted in face timeand presenteeism. Most financialorganisations champion the valueof in-person meetings to pitch forbusiness and hash out deals,meaning that remote arrangementswere always only going to betemporary. But in light of employeesbecoming more discerning, thismight have to change too.Regardless of the sectors,explains Klotz, companies that areordering staff back into the officefull time with no exceptions aregoing to have to find a way to “pitchthat in an appealing way”. To staycompetitive, businesses like banksand tech companies – some ofwhich have adopted a remoteculture indefinitely but many ofwhich have not – must understandthat, while digital nomadism andremote work were not widelyavailable before the pandemic, theywill be from now on.neither Klotz nor almuthMcDowall necessarily anticipate anindustry-wide talent drain tomaterialise – mostly because there issuch a broad spectrum of howindividual organisations look to bestructuring their post-pandemicworkplaces in any given sector – butthey both agree that businesses willlose good employees if they are notcareful.“Work arrangements is a brandnew and important criteria that[employees] will care about goingforward,” says Klotz. “People willwant to choose the workarrangement that is best forwhatever stage of life they’re in, andcompanies will have to take thatinto account when determininghow they operate.”a recent PwC survey found thatemployees increasingly want to becompensated for their work not justwith money, but with flexibility.“[We’ve also] found that youngerworkers are more likely than olderemployees to accept smaller payincreases for non-monetarybenefits, including extensivemental health benefits, unlimitedsick time, flexible work hours andremote work options,” saysBhushan Sethi, who jointly leadsPwC's global people andorganisation practice. In the wake ofthe pandemic, he adds, “theseincentives can be the differencebetween a candidate accepting thejob or not”.The empowered employeeStories like Marie’s cast a grimlight on the process of readjusting toa post-pandemic work world, butthere is overarching evidence thatCovid-19 has been a catalyst for goodwhen it comes to the power thatemployees in the labour market canyield.Indeed, Klotz argues that we areactually in the process of witnessingthe dawn of the “era of theempowered employee”.In the US, the number ofunemployed people has comfortablyexceeded the number of availablejobs for most of the last two decades,but currently the two measures arealmost at level pegging, somethingthat economists describe asan exceptionally tight labourmarket.“Honestly, I can hardly recall atime when the job market was somuch in the employee’s favour andthat’s definitely a good thing,” saysKlotz. “Wages have to go up.Companies have to adapt. But it maywell be a slow period ofexperimentation.”“as an organisation, you don’tjust want to capture people’s bodies,but you want to capture their heartstoo. and it’s that bit that’s going toprove tough.”
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