1.1 Introduction
The secretary is part of the management team since she is completely involved in the affairs of the office and in making and implementation of business plans. She deals with letter drafting and typing, filing processing and storing of information as well as disseminating information. With the office automation such as electronic typewriter Word process, computer, telephone, fax machine, internet, e-mail, photocopier and calculating machines at her disposal, her job is sure to progress swiftly and a boost to attaining productivity in the organization where she works.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background to the Study
By the mid 20th Century, humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the atmosphere of the earth for the first time and explore space. According to Merriam-Webster (2007) technology is making usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. The word technology comes from Greek, the term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: example include construction technology and information technology.
Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes product unwanted by-products known as pollution and deplete natural resources, the determinants of the earth and its environment. Various implementations of technologies influences the value of a society and news technology often rises new ethical questions examples include the rise of efficiency in term of human productivity, a term originally approved to machines and the challenge of traditional norms.
With the changing world of technology this day, it is important to say that modern technology has come to stay, and it plays significant role in the improvement of the secretary's job which in turns enhances productivity in all aspect. However Eric Schalzbery (2004) in his views says that with the high rate of technological development in this “global village” era, the secretary has come to terms with the reality of having her job greatly enriched and completes business activities going on in modern office. The secretary plays important role in ensuring the proper utilization of these machines for greater productivity.
In the past, most office work had been carried out manually although them the volume of office work had been small and there was less sophistication in the industrial art, hence there was no significant demand for modern technology. But today, when one looks at the basic tasks. In an office, whether it be writing, calculating, filling, sorting or analysis, it is found that office machines cam be used to do the job better and faster which leads to great achievements and professionalism in the field. There has never been greater need for efficiency in business than there is today.
The raw material of an office is information, and the responsibility of an office is lit that of a clearing house, receiving and sending out information, processing storing facts in various forms. Therefore, the ever increasing size of business organizations has increased the development of new techniques in office management. Since the secretary is a medium through which the organization actions and policies are conveyed to the public. In readable and disenable form, it is wise that she is exposed to office machines and understand their proper usage so that she can efficiently carryout the routine job of the office. By so doing the organization concern can benefit highly form the services of the secretary.
Therefore, in Osun State Polytechnic where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Impact of Office Technology on Secretarial Profession.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that even though modern technology is regarded as important and of high value in ensuring quality work output in an office, as well as bringing about productivity. It is equally believed that these machines can cause job displacement. This is the fear that many employees suffer from when new machines are being purchased for use by their organization. The machines are cost effective. Some organizations do not really apply the use of some of the modern machines and this lead to poor performance, this is because they seem not to attach great importance to these machines and most secretaries are ignorant of their uses.
Duniya (2011) observed that due to the introduction of sophisticated technological (electronic) office equipment into today's office and the role secretaries need to play in ensuring accuracy and efficiency in their jobs, the secretaries need to meet the challenges by acquiring new skills and competencies for efficient operations in the electronic office. There is continuous advancement in technology which has affected the secretarial profession in terms of the quality, speed and accuracy of works performed.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Impact of Office Technology on Secretarial Profession using Osun State Polytechnic as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the concept of modern technology and its effect on the secretary's profession.
- To examine whether modern technology causes job displacement of secretaries in organizations.
- To determine whether the modern machines enhances the secretary's efficiency.
- To determine whether the secretaries utilize the office machines for productivity in every aspect.
1.5 Research Questions
In order to achieve the objectives of this study a number of questions would be explored. Consistent with the topic and objectives the following questions will guide the study;
- Does modern machine enhance the secretary's efficiency, performance and productivity?
- What effect does modern technology have on the secretary's job in an organization?
- How has these modern machines caused job displacement of secretaries in organization's today?
- How well do secretaries utilize the office machines for productivity in their places of work?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant impact in the introduction of office technologies on secretaries' productivity
- H1: There is a significant impact in the introduction of office technologies on secretaries' productivity
Hypothesis Two
- H0: There is no significant effect of office modern technology on the secretary's job in Osun State Polytechnic
- H1: There is a significant effect of office modern technology on the secretary's job in Osun State Polytechnic
1.7 Significance of the Study
The research believes that this study will be of immense benefit to the following categories of people.
- Secretaries: This study will be useful to practicing secretaries. It will help broaden their knowledge about modern machines because they are the people who actually make most use of these machines in the offices, it will help motivate them in wanting to make use of the modern machines.
- Employers of labour: This study will enable employers of labour to have more knowledge about the modern machines and will give them a focus in acquiring these machines for use by their secretaries for greater productivity in their business activities.
- Future Researchers: This study will serve as a guide to the future researchers who will need to study and expand on the same topic. It will serve as data or source of information.
- Employees: This study will enable the employees to make use of the modern machines to communicate smoothly. Two people can chat via a computer when they are both connected. It brings secretaries all over the world into contact with each other.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the Impact of Office Technology on Secretarial Profession using Osun state polytechnic, Iree in Nigeria.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Modern machines: These refers to the usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organizing in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function.
Productivity: This is the ability to produce things of economic value. The art of being fruitful.
Manually: Work done with high degree of human labour
Efficiency: The ability to perform duties well to produce the desired or satisfactory result.
Sophistication: Having to do things with latest improvement and refinements e.g modern machines.
Implementation: To carry out a plan into action.
Displacement: To put a person out of his usual position and be replaced by a machine.
Policies: Plan of action made by Business Company to meet aims and objectives.
Secretary: An individual employed to keep the records of the meetings of organizations and to write or answer letters on this behalf.
Professional secretary: A person employed to be in charge of the clerical, organizational and administrative functions of the organization
Government: A political authority who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country or area.
Government Parastatals: A group of people established to perform a function usually associated with a government and under its direct control.
1.11 Organization of the Study
This study is organized into five chapters.
- Chapter one of thesis discusses the overview of the study, problem definition, research question, research objectives, significance of the study.
- Chapter two presents all the relevant literature review on waste management and its related concepts.
- Chapter three addresses the identification of the most suitable research methodology for this research and
- Chapter four presents a data analysis of findings gathered from the field.
- Finally, chapter five presents the summary of findings, conclusion, and made relevant recommendations.
