ABSTRACT
Information
Technology that is formally known as modern office machines are widely been
used in our offices today. It is usually
been used in order to facilitate office work and reduces labour cost. The aim of this study is to determine the
extent the Information Technology (IT) has helped the secretary in the
dissemination/execution of his or her daily routine works.
Prior
to the technological development in offices, clerical works were done
manually. But today the invention of
some equipment such as word processor, computer, electronic typewriter,
facsimile transceiver, accounting machines and telephone etc.
The
purpose of this study is to investigate into the secretarial profession in
order to find out the effects, which the
use of these modern office equipment have on the job performance of the
secretary. And in order to determine
these, I designed questionnaires, which were distributed to secretaries and
their boss. After analyzing their
responses, I found out among others that modern office machine enhances the
efficiency of the secretary.
I
also found out that secretaries were satisfied with their job because they are
now using modern office equipment. Based
on my findings, I recommended that business organizations that are still making
use of obsolete gadgets should replace them with the modern office machines in
order to enhance the job performance of their secretaries. I also recommended that institution of higher
learning should procure this modern equipment to be used in the training
prospective secretaries.
The
scope of this research work is limited to some business organizations in
Port-Harcourt metropolis, Rivers
State.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Title page ii
Approval page iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Abstract vii
Table of content viii
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction 1
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Statement of the problem 5
1.3 Purpose of the study 6
1.4 Significance of the study 6
1.5 Limitation of the study 7
1.6 Research questions 8
1.7 Definition of terms 9
CHAPTER TWO
Review
Of Related Literature 12
2.1
The impact of
information Technology
devices on the job performance,
efficiency
and satisfaction of secretaries. 12
2.2
Review of some
information Tech. Machine
in an organization. 17
2.3
The place of the
secretary in the face of
the advancement in technology. 22
2.4
Summary of literature
review. 25
CHAPTER THREE
Research
Methodology 27
3.1 Area of study 28
3.2 Population of study 28
3.3 Scope and sample techniques 28
3.4 Description of researcher instrument 29
3.5 Instruments of validation 30
3.6 Administration and collection of research instrument 31
3.7 Decision Rule 31
CHAPTER FOUR
Presentation and
analysis of data 32
4.1 Qualifications
of respondents 32
4.2 Level of working experience 33
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary, implications and problems for future study,
conclusion and recommendations 49
5.1 Summary of findings 49
5.2 Conclusion 51
5.3 Recommendations 51
5.4 Limitation of the study 53
5.5 Implication of the study 53
5.6 Problem of further studies 54
References 55
Questionnaire 58
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
According
to the topic, the key word Secretary comes from Latin word “Secretâ€. Originally, it means one entrusted with the
secrets and confidences of a superior.
Personal Secretary, being a skilled and specialized type of employee in
an establishment is entrusted with some aspects of organizational functions in
the unit including dealing with people, correspondence and other business
matters, especially private or confidential matters.
Secretarial
profession had started as far back as 1920. Prior to the advent of
Technological facilities improvement, such as computer, word processor, and
Electric
typewriter etc. Secretaries used reed pen in taking shorthand dictations,
processing minutes and letters, that rather makes their job boring and less
interesting.
During
the industrial revolution at the turn of the century, businesses offices faced
a paper-work crisis. And Secretary
solved the crisis by adapting well to new technologies such as adding and
calculating machines, telephone and electric typewriter. Today, secretaries who are also known as
administrative assistants, office co-coordinators, executive assistants etc, are
using computers, Internet and other advance office technologies to perform
vital “Information management†functions in the modern office.
Secretaries
no longer simply type correspondence for the boss. But now, they often write that correspondence
as well as plan meeting, organize data using spreadsheet and database
management.
In
1960’s the Information Technology came into existence, and it is a set of
standards covering all processes involved in the development of an integrated
computer database management.
Information
system, that are used today by the secretaries in the normal execution of their
routine works.
The evolution of Information
Technology (IT) was traced back to the age of Abacus Computer by the Egyptians
around, 3,000 BC. It was used for the
systematic calculation of the arithmetic and numeric operations. At the sometime “the Boroughs Machine†has been developed to hold business
information.
Later, Charles Babge developed a
machine known as “Analog Computerâ€, this device have provision for input data,
storing information, performing arithmetic operations and printing out results.
In 1970’s, the fist small computers
known as “minis†and “Midis†were available which used floppy disks, Unix for
storage of information and display of information that has been stored in the
system. These mini Computers include IBM
PC, Electric typewriter, Word processor and Apple computers. This information technology development had
improved communication, unlike before whereby information were delivered
through post office, which consumed a lot of time. But today with aid of information technology
you can reach somebody anywhere in a matter of a minute without much stress.
In those days, there was nothing like
inter-com telephones that can linked various units or departments in an
organization in order to save personal secretaries time and energy spent in
running errands within the organization.
As against the traditional office, the modern office has a lot of
activities to perform with help of modern office machines.
Moreover, these information technology
gadgets act as an important tool in secretary’s job and minimize likely fraud,
which could arise from numerous mathematical calculations done in the
office. And the result to a greater
output than that of a secretary using manual equipment.
This development in Information
technology has improved he effectiveness of secretaries in attaining their
objectives in various organizations.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
The
problem of this study is to determine the extent the modern office equipment has
helped the secretary in the performance of her duties.
In
solving this problem, the researcher would investigate the following areas:
a.
The job satisfaction
the secretary derives from the use of this modern office equipment in
performing her duties.
b.
The quality and
accuracy of work done using the equipment.
c.
The amount of time
needed to perform a task using the equipment.
d.
Reduction of cost
brought about by the installation of these modern office machines.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.
The purpose of
information technology (IT) is to improve and control communication flow within
an organization and outside the organization.
2.
To find whether these
machines actually improve their productivity.
3.
To find out whether the
training received at school by secretaries is adequate to enable them perform
in an automated office.
4.
To determine the level
of experience of the secretary.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The trends in use of Modern machines
and growing urge of everybody to known and experience, to enjoy the distinctive
features of a technological society are rapid.
This had instigated the researcher to have vested interest in this topic
so as to find. Out how satisfied the secretaries that are using these modern
office machines are and how efficient they use them in their work places to
reduce their manual operations and physical activities in offices.
The outcome of
this study will be beneficial to the following:
1.
To secretaries, because
it will create tremendous impact on their duties.
2.
To the suppliers of
this modern office machines, as this will fetch them money, if their product’s
performance creditable.
3.
To prospective
secretaries who are yet to join the labour force to become aware of the
importance of possessing a mastery of skill of Information technology
equipment.
4.
To the readers of this
work especially to students because it will be a source of added knowledge to
them.
1.5
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
researcher restricted her work on the impact of information Technology on the
secretarial profession, to some Business Organizations in Port-Harcourt
Metropolis. Such as
1.
Exmark Technologies Ltd
2.
First Bank PLC
3.
Standard Trust Bank PLC
4.
National institute of
information technology center (NIIT)
5.
Secretariat
office Port
Harcourt.
1.6
RESEARCH QUESTION
The following
questions were designed by the researcher to make her reach precise conclusion.
1.
Do information
technology machines aid secretary in performance of her jobs?
2.
Does information
technology influence secretarial job?
3.
Are the orientations
and training acquired by the secretaries enough, to enable them use these
information technology equipment efficiently and effectively?
4.
Do information
technology machines replace the work of secretaries in an organization?
5.
Do secretaries derive
job satisfaction from the use of these modern office gadgets?
6.
Does the use of
information technology equipment enhance the secretary’s job output?
7.
Do companies or
organizations benefit from the use of information technology equipment?
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
In respect of
this study, the following terms are defined and explained in order to
understand the full meanings by the reader:
a.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: These are the more mechanized machines that
have been using in the modern offices, e.g. word processor, computer services
and other electronic machines that required at least less human efforts.
b.
DATA BASE: It refers to a group of related records and
files. Libraries mostly keep database to
help them manage their collection of books.
A computer-based allows you use a database more efficiently than you would
have imagined using paper records.
c.
INTERNET:
The Internet, which is a worldwide network that are interconnected.
It provides the following on-line
services:
Electronic
Mail (e-mail) – Allows you to send and receive
messages to and from any computer connected locally or internationally to the
Internet via a service provider.
World
Wide Web (www) – This is graphical interface based
on the multimedia framework that makes it possible to have text, picture, video
and sound on the pages to be accessed.
Surveying the Web can be a pleasurable experience when visiting the
sites of companies and even individual on the net, discovering new ideas and
meeting new friends.
EVOLUTION: This process of developing into a different
form. Something that works out gradually. The development of some modern offices
machines have under gone many ages before the era of this technology which we
are in today, i.e. from the age of Digital to Analog computer.
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