CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Innovations to office technology have resulted in a drastic change in the nature composition and role of the office. Within the last few decades the office environment have been undergoing sudden and very noticeable changes as a result of technological advancing. Abozie (1995) opined that in the past, many offices were organized traditionally so that many people handle the same sheet of paper as it passes through the organization. Today, this procedure has changed and will continue to change as new technologies are introduced in the work place.

                With the advancement in office technology which is now with us, the secretary as the resource person in every organization is required to be equipped for today and tomorrow’s office so that he will not be embarrassed as he carried out his duties. The secretary will continually be faced with a lot of challenges brought about by continuous changes and conflicting situation in the office environment.

Also, she is expected to posses certain technological skills like computer competencies and work processing skills and the use of other modern office machines which would enable him to be in self employment and as well face the challenges ahead. The years ahead will not only produce secretaries who world be job seekers but also secretaries who world be job creators. This means that the years ahead would produce secretaries who would be entrepreneurs thereby contributing to the economic development of the country.

Who is a secretary

The secretary happens to be one of those individuals who make the well of the business or organization to run. To many people the secretarial profession appears to be the most misunderstood as many office workers are regarded as secretaries.

                Nwosu (1997) defined a secretary as an assistant to an executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision who displays initiative exercises judgment and make decision with the scope of his / her authority’’

The secretary is a confidential employee one who keeps secrets, and a resource person in every organization

                Nwosu, (1998) distinguished the ideal secretary by the following characteristics:

1. Certain character and personality fruits such as loyalty vigor, courtesy, dependability initiative, judgment, honesty, resourcefulness and above all, adaptability tact and common sense.

2.   Superior secretarial skills - highest efficiently in office practice and secretarial duties, typewriting, shorthand, communication skills and other business knowledge.

3. Management expert - a clear understanding of management principles and practices and including office administration, supervision, motivation accounting and general administration.  

1.2 Statement of Problem

                Secretaries contribute immensely to the overall development and realization of the organizational goals and objective. However, they encountered a lot of operational and working problems during the process. According to Ukardu (1996) the secretary finds herself with modern machines and equipment so she is often faced with the Challenges of handling the machine especially if the machines used are not the same type with the ones in her place of work.

Another problem is that of human relations, the secretary relates with numerous peoples in the course of her duties. Some secretary often find it difficult to relate well with their boss, supervisors, or subordinate staff because of lack of human relation imbibed during their fundamental training. This affects them seriously and should be redressed similarly, is the difficult of adjusting with the boss, some boss may be temperamental and difficult to please. Some secretary are faced with inability to write shorthand and transcribe their shorthand notes with accuracy they are also faced with lack of spaced in typewriting

According to Nwosu (1997), some secretaries lack the following personal qualities which are essential for success in a secretarial career: discretion and royalty, punctuality tact, and courtesy, orderliness, good memory, ability to take responsibility, enthusiasm for work, a cheerful and equable temper. These constraints are obstacles militates against the professional functions of the secretaries and this project is out to address them with view to reducing them to the barest minimum in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The major objective of this study was to determine the office skills which the secretary needs for currant and future job expectations specifically, the study sought to :

1.                   Identify the extent to which the secretary needs managerial skills as current and future expectations of the job.

2.                   Identify the extend to which the secretary needs human.

3.                   Determine the extent to which the secretary needs cognitive skills for current and future expectations of the job.

4.                   Find out the extent to which the secretary needs computer skills for current and future expectations of the job.

5.                   Identify the extent on which the secretary needs shorthand skills for current and future expectation of the job.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study is relevant because it will disclose the related office skills of the secretaries in the discharge of their functions. Similarly, it will also assist in improving the quantity of education obtained by most secretaries.

Finally, the study will make institutions of higher learning see the need to review the secretarial administration curriculum to reflect the socio - economic current changes in the economy.

1.5 Scope of Study

The secretary and needed office skills are being focused essentially on secretaries generally in their profession, and how the need to be equipped so as to fit in today and tomorrow’s office environment.

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