The Ashesi Case Studies Series is an initiative launched by the Ashesi Business Administration (BA) Department with the aim of promoting the use of local, Ghanaian cases in business courses. As it currently stands, most of the resources (especially textbooks) used in higher education across the continent of Africa are imported, mainly from non-African nations (specifically, the United States and the United Kingdom). There is a serious dearth of locally produced, good quality teaching and learning resources that are focused on local African contexts, resulting in many business school students learning more about companies and business practices from around the world, and hardly from our own socioeconomic contexts and realities.
Case studies allow the application of concepts to real-life situations, and demonstrates the realities that exist in an organization. It gives students a view of the complexities faced by organizations, and allows the instructor to step back and allow students to explore and learn on their own, making learning a discovery process. It is for this reason that the Ashesi Case Study Series was initiated to conduct Ghanaian case studies to be used in classrooms in Ghana and around the world. The objective is to highlight businesses with local operations and try to understand the path they have taken and the keys to their success. Though it starts in Ghana, its aim is to galvanize similar initiatives in other African countries.
The BA Department decided to start this important project with Unique Trust Holdings (UT), recognizing the success of UT in the face of many challenges, and considering it as a story worth telling around the world. UT is a Ghanaian company that has excelled with a unique business model and rapid growth. With a strong appreciation for the essence of this project, the Directors, Management and Staff of UT have agreed to open their doors to the team of faculty and student researchers from Ashesi to document the UT story in a case study. This agreement was sealed with a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the Adabraka Head Offices of UT on the 3rd day of March, 2011 by the CEO of UT, Mr. Prince Amoabeng, and the COO, Captain Budu-Koomson, along with Dr. Esi Ansah, the Head of the BA Department, and Mr. Ebenezer Simpson, a Finance and Investment lecturer. UT staff and Ashesi student representatives were present at the event.
The CEO, Mr. Prince Kofi Amoabeng and Captain Budu-Koomson, who signed on behalf of UT affirmed the need for locally-produced, good quality teaching and learning resources in our classrooms and applauded Ashesi’s initiative in this area. He also acknowledged that UT was very happy to serve as the pilot for this ‘nouveau’ project and looks forward to the outcome. The key contact persons for the project are Ms. Kuukua Nyarko, the Project Coordinator for the BA Department, and Mrs. Edem Yankson, the Head of HR for UT Holdings. The research team will gather information from March till June, and the maiden case study is expected to be completed by August of 2011.