Abstract
The research study investigated the role of secretaries in computerized offices, with particular reference to commercial banks in Enugu urban Afri-Bank Plc Enugu was mainly used for the study. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected Afribank in Enugu State. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up managers, customer care officers, marketers and auditors were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
The word secretary is derived from the Latin word “secretus” which literally means “keeper of secrets’. As far back as 1887, Lord Eshere word who defined a secretary as “ a mere servant” his position is that he has to do what he is told and no person can assume he has any authority to represent anything at all. Thus the above definition was however made when the values of secretarial profession has yet been recognized. At this time, secretarial functions were limited to only typing with manual typewriter, writing with shorthand and filling of documents
As years pass by, the educated status of secretaries as enhanced and their responsibility in the organization became clearly defined. In 1982, Margaret Kuntz define secretary in a magazine “Today’s Secretary” as an executive who possesses a mastery of office skill, demonstration the ability to assume responsibility and makes decisions within the scope of assigned authority. Today secretary ship is a very vital and indispensable cancer needed for the smooth and efficient running of the day-to-day business of any organization. Their functions are limitless, not only do the secretary type, but they do that with the electric typewriter, computer and so many other sophisticated office equipment. A good secretary is a public relation officer and an administrative head. She is the image maker. In other words, the reflecting glass of the organization. Most executive secretaries handle only highly confidential matters while jobs of less confidential nature are passed down to her subordinates. Moreover, even before the advent of computers, many speculations were made as regards the replacement of the secretaries by the computers since computer perform all office work at a very amazing speed, but this has been disproved because the secretary has to tell the computer what to do and when to do it.
Before the word computer is used when referring to a person who arithmetic procedures such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division is extraordinary. During that period man use pebbles, grains of corn, fingers and toes as well as smaller objects
The numerous problems encountered by man, what dealing with large number was, the necessity which gave to the invention of a computer. The Abacus was adopted and modified by the Chinese and the Japanese about 2600 B.C
- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The major problem of secretarial profession is that people see it as a profession that had no definite sequence, a procedure for the job
They feel that the secretary is often interrupted by telephone call, visitors, colleagues, and subordinates and even the boss may call her to receive one assignment or the other that the effect on secretary efficiency and productivity in the organization are cut down
However, there has been a lot of speculation and inscription that the invention of computer in organization has posed a lot of problem to secretaries in all ramification and therefore seen as possible replacement of secretaries in organization using it (computer).
Secretaries in the part of the world are under rated. People see them as a profession by unintelligent people. The common occupied belief is that anybody who uses the typewriter takes dictation a secretary. Since the majority of the so called secretaries are typist with little or no secretarial education and training, the general belief is that the duties of a secretary do not go beyond taking dictation and typing correspondence, she is seen as having little or no contribution to make towards the attainment of organizational goals. Presently, most offices are equipped with modern technological equipments. Many business organizations which do not have the financial capacity to produce most of the equipments see themselves odd in the pool of modern organization. Making use of the new equipment maximally enhances the productivity and efficient of workers
It is expected that those machines and equipments should have special handling before they improve performance. What has not been known at the present is whether modern secretaries know how to operate these machines successfully, appreciated productivity. It has also not been known weather secretaries play special role in Afri-bank Plc we use the office equipment and whether secretaries play any special roles in willing them. The research work therefore sought the role and the roles and the roles of professional secretaries in commercial banks in Enugu Urban
- PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to
- Find out the role which secretaries perform in Afri bank
- Find out if secretaries are trained to perform these roles
- Find out if they encounter any obstacle from performing such roles
- Find out secretaries in Afri-Bank Plc who uses modern office equipment
- Find out if the use of modern office equipments enhances secretaries productivity
1.3 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;
H0: there are no role secretary’s plays in Afri bank
H1: there are role secretary’s plays in Afri bank
H02: the use of modern office equipment does not enhances secretaries productivity
H2: the use of modern office equipment enhances secretary’s productivity
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of the study of the roles of secretaries in Afri-bank Plc shall be useful to the practicing secretaries in appreciation of their ideal functions as secretaries. The findings shall also be useful to student’s secretaries in tertiary institutions to preview the task ahead of them. The study shall be of immense benefit to chief executives of business organization in appraising the responsibilities to their secretaries. The study shall also be beneficial to curriculum designers at the tertiary load in determining the real training to be given to student’s secretaries
SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study covers the role of professional secretaries in commercial bank. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;
- a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
- b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
- c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Role – According to Oxford Advance learner’s dictionary of English language, role is a function which a person or hiring typical is expected to have. In this project role is use to see somebody in an organization.
PROFESSIONAL – According to Oxford advance learner’s dictionary language, profession is a type of job that needs special training skill, especially one that needs a high level of education. In this project, it is used to weigh role of secretaries and their performance in an organization.
SECRETARIES– According to advanced learners dictionary of English Language is a person who works in an office, working for another person dealing with letters and telephones call, typing, keeping records, arranging meetings with people. In this project, secretary is a person that carries out the duties of administration.
AFRIBANK PLC– Afri bank Plc is one of the commercial bank in the Enugu state of Nigeria. It is the bank significantly chosen for the study.
1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows
Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.
