Let employees feel sense of ownership — Coconut Grove Regency CEO

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Ralph Ayitey, has underscored the importance of fostering a sense of ownership among employees to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of businesses.

That, he said, was because a worker-centric culture empowered staff to go above and beyond their basic responsibilities, leading to increased productivity, loyalty and innovation within the organisation.

“I want to encourage all employers that it's very important to let the employees feel a part of the business. No matter their level, they must feel a part of the business. They must feel that sense of ownership. Because without that sense of ownership, you realise that commitment is not there,” he explained 

Event

Mr Ayitey made the remarks in an interview with the Daily Graphic after a walk organised by the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel on Thursday, May 1, 2025, to mark Workers’ Day.

The event, which underscored the hotel’s commitment to employee welfare, was well-coordinated with support from an ambulance team from the Accra Medical Centre, a brass band that kept spirits high throughout the walk and uniformed police officers who ensured safety and directed vehicular traffic.

The walk was followed by an energetic aerobics session, bringing staff together in a vibrant display of unity, health consciousness and appreciation.

He emphasised that the exercise was one that staff across all the hotel’s vatious locations in the country embarked on annually. 

Coconut Grove’s model

Mr Ayitey emphasised the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel’s commitment to enhancing employee welfare, underscoring the company’s belief that its staff were essential to its success.

He outlined several policies in place to ensure the well-being of employees, including meeting social security and tax obligations, a monthly “best worker” award with cash rewards, health initiatives such as exercise and fitness encouragement and social support during personal milestones such as births or unfortunate deaths.

He said the company also ensured employees were well-clothed, with uniforms made from Made-in-Ghana fabric and provided meals for staff on duty.

Furthermore, Ayitey highlighted the strong sense of community and low attrition rate at Coconut Grove, attributing this to their inclusive work environment, where all staff feel like an integral part of the business.

“We have a very flat operational system.

So, you find that either shareholders or directors, etc., they can comfortably communicate with anybody on anything.

It’s not a strict, hierarchical system that if you don't talk to so-and-so person, you can't talk to such a person,” he explained. 

Mr Ayitey encouraged other businesses to follow suit and create a culture of ownership and long-term sustainability.

Longevity

The Coconut Grove CEO expressed deep concern over the short lifespan of local businesses in the country, lamenting that less than 15 per cent of the country’s 1.9 million businesses survived beyond 30 years—a statistic he described as “very, very unfortunate.”

He emphasised that such a trend was detrimental to national economic development as sustainable economic growth required succession plans fueled by long-term vision and success.

Mr Ayitey challenged local entrepreneurs to adopt a generational mindset, urging them to look beyond immediate profits and build enterprises that can endure for 50, even 100 years, like legacy companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Barclays Bank and Guinness, which was founded as far back as 1759.

He cited Coconut Grove Hotels as a proud exception, celebrating its achievement of surpassing the 30-year milestone and affirming that, in his view, “we are just about starting—the best is yet to come.”