A STUDY OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIAL CAREER IN NIGERIA

A STUDY OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIAL CAREER IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research work was to find out how aid what type of sociological factors that affect professional secretaries in their career. Secretaries and their bosses were selected from different organizations as well as the student secretaries of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and those of the college of education both in Port-Harcourt metropolis. The instruments used in this study were questionnaire and face to face oral interview. These were administered to the sample population. Questionnaires were administered to 150 student secretaries in which 130 responded. The result of the study observed that practicing secretaries dissatisfaction stems form the non recognition of their career as management team, no job prospects lack of rapid promotion. The career has being considered as inferior to other professions as well as being perceived as predominantly female profession. This is as a result of their non contributory attitude to decision making on the organization. This research work has five chapters. Chapter one contains a general discussion of the meaning of a secretary and the important role they play in an organization and what people feel we are in the society. Chapter two is discussing about the problems facing secretary in their offices. They are used as domestic skivvies and are regarded as shorthand typist. The main problems of the secretaries remains the perceived lack of status, we have always been perceived as just supported unequal treatment to secretaries compared to other professionals. Chapter three deals with the design of the study/research methodology, the methods used in collecting relevant date was administering questionnaires and conducting oral or face to face interviews on relevant persons, that is, secretaries and their senior manager as well as student secretaries.  It was conducted in two higher Institutions, rivers state university of science and technology and rivers state College of education both in Port-Harcourt and in various organization. In data analysis a total of 330 questionnaires were administered to working secretaries, senior managers and student secretaries but out of this number 274 of them responded.     Finally, the summary of findings, conclusion on the research and recommendations made by the researcher are all in chapter five. It was also discovered that non recognition of the secretaries as management team has contributed the secretaries job dissatisfaction. But with the advert of the new breed of secretaries who are given better education and the first exploration of the career by men, the  impression about the career will eventually die a natural death and will be left to history 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In this part of the world a careful observer would discover that what we refer to as sociological factors affecting professional secretarial career in Nigeria has always been mistaken. The management of some entrepreneur and  institution management has failed in their duties of providing these basic needs to their secretaries.

The world “secretary” has been defined by A.S Hornby, in the Advanced Learners Dictionary, as an employee or an official who deals with correspondences, keeps records, makes arrangements, appointment and other business affairs of the firm, society or club.

The Lexicon Webster dictionary, an encyclopedic  edition, defines secretary as one entrusted with secrets, one who caries on another’s correspondences and performs other routine task; an officer of an organization or business who keeps records and assists in major decisions, a government officer whose business is to superintendent and manage the affairs of a particular department.

A STUDY OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIAL CAREER IN NIGERIA