1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Generally, the office no doubt makes an important contribution to economic and social life of any nation or society. Hence any complex industrial society would rapidly come to a stand-still if the office is not there. This efficient organization must provide its management with efficient and sufficient information, planning control and financial services.
It is limit to expenditure on administrative services. If everyone were engaged in office work there would be imbalances between productive activities and administration. The correct balance must be struck between the resources devoted to directly to productive activities so as to sustain rapid economic development of that nation.
Little Mill Standing ford and Appleby (1986) remarked that administration is that part of the management process concerned with the institution and carrying out of procedures by which the programme is held down and communicated the progress of activities is regulated and checked against target and plans.
Essentially the purpose of the office is to provide services of communication and records. This can be amplified under five headings as follows receiving information recording information giving information arranging information and safeguarding of asset.
Office can make only these vital contributions if there is both efficient office services by general management and department manager. (that is the production manager, the marketing manager the secretary and others).
Today the office is becoming such a complex place and more demanding that the executive finds it difficult to cope with the task. In other words she needs someone that would help her accomplish her tasks hence the need for a secretary. On the whole a secretary today is part and parcel of the executive and so is very indispensable. She is the person who assists the executive by displaying an export skill (imitative tact judgment and others) in performing her office function without close supervision by the executive. Thus she should posses the ability to relieve the executive of designated administrative detail when the need arises.
The role of a secretary in office administration and management to a large extent depends on the type of office she work in the post occupied by the boss and her qualification (s). The secretary deals with the boss staff visitors and all paper works.
This study is therefore an attempt to identify and analyze the role of a secretary in office administration management using ministry of finance, Enugu state as the reference point.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Secretaries play multiple roles in any organization. They are the life wire of establishment or business outfit. By virtue of their position and the performance of their job, there exists some imminent problem. Such problems are likely to influence the role of secretaries.
- Lack of respect and recognition to secretaries from employers of labour who look down on secretarial administration and regarded those who practice it as never-do-wells
- Inadequate modern equipment used by secretaries hinders their efficiency and effectiveness of their jobs.
- Secretaries are not apportioned to use or manipulate the required equipment necessary for their profession thereby making them not fit for their profession
- Secretaries are always regarded as a professional servant to the executive
- Some bosses use their secretaries as scope goat and dehumanize them before their visitors because such bosses see the secretaries as supporting staff who he believed cannot stand on their own.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to identify the role of a secretary in office administration and management. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to:
- Find out if modern facilities needed by secretaries in organization adequate;
- Determine the factors militating enough for their roles in their organization;
- Find out the role of secretaries in office administration and management; and
- Ascertain the played by government in uplifting the state of secretaries in their employ.
1.4 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What are the roles of secretaries in office administration and management?
- To what extent have government at various tiers succeeded in uplifting the states of secretaries in their employ?
- What are the factors militating against the effective performance of the secretaries function in any organization
- To what extent have secretaries been remunerated for their role in their various organizations?
- To what extent are the facilities needed by the secretaries in the organization adequate?
1.5 Significant of the Study
It is only when the result of any research is effectively used that the time and resources invested on it can be justified. Thus the result of this study would be of great importance for effective discharge of secretarial functions in all the office of ministry of finance. At least all the secretaries would be recognized hence their roles.
Office administration and management is a crucial issue as no organization can function without a properly managed office. The result would extent to the public services and business houses all over the country, as the role of a secretary would be adequately known and discharge.
This study would equally be of immense benefit to those students who wish to take secretarial administration as a profession.
It is hoped that the result of this research would educate the general public as to who a secretary is and the importance attached to the profession. Equally it would educate the secretary in understanding more about herself her role prospects constraints and chosen profession.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study delved into the role of secretaries in office administration and management. It focus mainly on the ministry of finance Enugu.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:
- 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.
- 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).
- Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents:
A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.
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