Bad attitudes towards work are major economic challenges confronting developing countries, Professor Roger Oppong Koranteng, Adviser and Head of Public Sector Governance at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, United Kingdom, has revealed.

He said the attitudes of some workers from Africa and other developing countries towards work and business hinder economic growth and called on factors of labour to address issues.

Prof. Koranteng said this when he presented a paper at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office progressive anti-corruption media platform: “Is the fight against corruption a mirage or reality”.

Speaking on the topic “Expanding the Frontiers of Combating Corruption in Ghana: Policy and Strategic Option,” I noted that one of the major areas that seriously affected businesses was the bad behaviour and unprofessional attitude of some employees.

He said those bad deeds had collapsed and destroyed many private and public organizations, adding that most business owners in Ghana complained about the low quality of work done, laziness, lying, stealing, and corruption amongst the work force.

He added that unprofessional behaviours had undermined social and developmental progress in society, spread through the entire economy, substantially affected the economic growth of the country, and increased unemployment and household income.

He said the public sector made no difference in terms of work ethics, noting that some workers lied, stole, and absented themselves without permission, with low work performance, and corruption.

Prof. Koranteng said that with such a mentality and attitude towards businesses and the working environment, developing the country would be a difficult task for this and future generations.

He added that calculating what the business community was losing in its attempt to protect their businesses against theft, mismanagement, and corruption doubled the country’s labour costs.

He added that behaviour was having a negative impact on attracting investment and doing business in the country and therefore urged all Ghanaians to build a positive attitude towards work and work hard like the rest of the competitive world.