Functional managers oversee specific departments, ensuring alignment with overall goals in Ghana’s banking sector, where specialization supports compliance with regulations like the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930). Below are short notes on the specified areas, incorporating practical insights from institutions like Ecobank Ghana.

i. Accounting and Financial Management (5 Marks):
This area involves recording, analyzing, and reporting financial transactions to ensure accuracy, compliance, and informed decision-making. Managers handle budgeting, auditing, and financial forecasting. In Ghana, this is critical for BoG reporting under the Capital Requirements Directive, preventing issues like those in the 2017 collapses of Capital Bank due to poor financial oversight. For example, at GCB Bank, financial managers monitor liquidity ratios to align with BoG’s Liquidity Risk Management Guidelines, ensuring profitability and regulatory adherence through tools like IFRS-compliant statements.

ii. Support Functional Management Areas (5 Marks):
These encompass auxiliary functions like human resources (HR), IT, and administration that enable core operations. HR manages recruitment and training; IT handles cybersecurity; administration oversees facilities. In Ghanaian banks, support areas ensure resilience, as per BoG’s Cyber and Information Security Directive 2020. For instance, Stanbic Bank Ghana’s IT support mitigated cyber risks during digital expansion, while HR supports employee empowerment post-DDEP, fostering a stable workforce.

iii. Marketing Management (5 Marks):
This focuses on promoting products, understanding customer needs, and building brand loyalty through strategies like market research, advertising, and customer segmentation. In banking, it drives deposit mobilization and loan uptake. Aligned with BoG’s sustainable banking principles, marketing managers at Access Bank Ghana use digital campaigns to target fintech-savvy youth, enhancing market share while complying with ethical advertising under the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019.

iv. General Management and Organizational Behaviour (10 Marks):
General management integrates all functions to achieve organizational goals, involving planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Organizational behaviour studies how individuals and groups interact, influencing motivation, leadership, and culture. In Ghana, general managers ensure holistic compliance, e.g., with BoG’s Corporate Governance Directive 2018, to avoid governance failures like UT Bank’s. Practically, at Ecobank Ghana, general managers apply behavioural insights for team motivation via performance incentives, promoting ethical practices and adaptability post-2022 DDEP. Key aspects include decision-making (e.g., risk assessments), leadership styles (transformational for change), and conflict resolution, all grounded in Basel III adaptations for operational resilience.