1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The development of modern office equipment has brought closer the “electronic” Office which is the term used in describing the way modern office is developing the development of modern office equipment has made it possible for workers to be versatile in their career. Additionally, ethnological challenge has brought about Job changes in organization structure (Abdullahi 2002).
Anyautonhu (1987) opined that the use of modern office equipment in the highly industrialized countries has made so much progress in the world of business that people now evaluate its true impact on the secretary in particular and workers in generally. Increasing use of modern office equipment trends to create some uncertainties and insecurity on the part of the workers.
As a result, there is this fear of human labour displacement in the minds of the workers which can create unemployment to many people especially those with little knowledge of manipulating these machines.
Within the last two decades many achievements were recorded in the area of technological office work which would have been too cumbersome without the use of these office technologies. Now job opportunities are generate to everybody for the secretary wishing to match the challenge.
Anionwu (1993) is of the opinion that as new machines and equipment are developed new skill and knowledge are required by the secretary for the operation of these modern facilities. The development and installation of modern equipment have made possible an office processing revolution by offering everyone means every of sending and retrieving information quickly and cheaply. Within an organization throughout the world, office work generally is about handling and processing of information despite the write use of the telephone and computers. Office work has also been associated with paper pusher (Burn, 1985) the modern office machine according to Ohakwe and Chukwumezie (2002) are those tools or instruments that are use to perform office functions. These machines are of immense importance to every worker and to the organization of all sizes. This implies that with the of modern office equipment every establishment aims at enhancing productive onward movement towards achieving great effectiveness and efficiency in organization objective.
However, with the current pace in the development of technology worldwide, modern office equipment is experiencing a dramatic evolution. This has actually been made possible because of the introduction of telephone which has gone revolutionized from analogue of digital. Cowless to modern cellular system.
Today, the functions of secretaries have shifted from the use of traditional equipment such as manual typewriters to statistical ones like electronic typewriter, computer, photo copies fast machine, word processor and telephone computer. Analysis system (RAS) and computer information management, Dictating and recording also affect secretary performance. Alozie (1995) opines that in the past many offices were organized traditionally so that many people handling the same sheet of paper as it passes through the organization. Today, this procedure has changed and will continue to changes as new technologies are introduced in the working places.
Nwosu (1996) also remarked that office work would have been very cumbersome and indeed unattained without those modern equipment Elendu (1988) noted that modern office equipment from the most important tools which when put into proper use bring about efficiency in work.
Okafor (1987) stated that for rearly three decades secretaries performance has been portrayed as the application of skills of business operation, he further stated that recent development have called for an indeed dictated the need for a new orientation on the impact of modern office equipment in secretary's performance following the above assertions one can say that the secretary has been identify as key factor in the fulfillment of organizational goals, keeper of secrets and resources person in every organization sincere effort should be made to provide her with adequate modern equipment, this will enable her cope with challenges passed by the global emphasis on office machines it was rightly observed by some authors that modern office equipment has led to highly skill secretaries which in effect have resulted to the increased in competence and efficiency in productivity of the secretaries achievement in an organization.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Technology has brought a lot of change in the globe today and one of the major problems facing secretarial duties in today's office the increasing cost of securing required modern office equipment that could aid then to perform on their duties more effectively efficiently and be result oriented it is also factual that most of the secretaries find it difficult to be dynamic in skill acquisition and new knowledge to handle these fast changing equipment.
The cost of training and retraining of secretaries of the increase in both public and private sector. Another problematic issue which the researcher intends findings out is the effects which these modern equipment have created on secretarial duties. Sometime, the organization finds it difficult to procure some of these machines as result of easy damage or lack of availableilitiy of spare parts to put them in order, more so, inadequate finding of some establishment make it difficult for such organization to operate it difficult, for such organization not operate under the use of modern office equipment in the office there by making the secretarial duties to be seen irrelevant.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
Generally, the purpose of this study is to know the effects which modern office equipment create on secretaries duties in today's office. This is to enable the prospective and practicing secretaries to know the basic effects of skills required on handling office equipment during the cause of the study and in the changing office environment. It is also aimed at reveling the secretarial duties and the dynamic nature of the office equipment due to constant flux in technology.
- Identify the modern office equipment used by the secretaries.
- identify the secretarial duties in today's office.
- Identify the skills required of secretary to handle these modern equipments.
- Identify the effects of these equipment in secretarial functions.
1.4 Research Questions
A lot of problems are associated with carryout secretarial obligation as a result of constant innovation in science and technology. To this end, the researcher brought out the following research questions to identify the effect of modern office equipment on secretarial duties these questions are as follows:
- What are the modern Office equipment used by the secretary in the performance of his/her duties?
- What are the responsibilities of a secretary in a modern office?
- What are the needed machine operating skill required of secretary in today's office?
- What are the inherent effects deviced of the use of modern office equipment by secretaries?
1.5 Significance of the Study
A study like this will not only be of great advantage to student but to institutions to identify the impact of modern office machines used in training prospective secretaries. This study is beneficial to the government establishment because they can take sound decision from information gathered from work. The information's obtained will help update curriculum, increase there ego.
This study will also enable student acquires the skill to operate those equipment with the help of these study, institutions will now find way to remedy the problems of modern office equipment either with business organization involve in the use of modern office equipment.
Finally, the result of this research work therefore, will establish the fact if secretaries are given the chance to make use of this modern office equipment this will greatly increase the productivity of the secretaries achievement in an organization.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study is delimited in scope to the impact of modern office equipment on the secretaries performance in selected government establishments in Owerri metropolis such selected organization are:
- Imo State environment transformation commission (ENTRACO)
- Imo State Independence Electoral Commission (IMSIEC)
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