ABSTRACT
This,
study focuses on employers’ expectations of secretaries in an age of ICT
driven business offices in Owerri. Four research questions were used as a guide
to the study.. The target population used for
the study was 26 employers from some
selected private and public business
offices in Owerri. The sample of the study was the same as the population
because the population was very small
in order to avoid sampling bias. In carrying out this study the survey research method, which makes use of questionnaire as the main instrument for data
collection was adopted. The data collected was analyzed using mean, mean
score of 3.00 and above was considered relevant,, while mean score of below
3.00 were considered not relevant and four-likert scale. Analysis showed that secretaries should
strive hard to fit into the current
age of ICT to, meet the expectations
of employers’. After-analyzing the data obtained it was found that; employers’ are highly selective on competent secretaries who
have good communicative skill. Based on the findings it was concluded that
since ICT innovation era poses a lot of challenges to both prospective and
practicing secretaries, the prospective secretaries should strive to develop themselves to suite the expectations of employers’
in an age of ICT driven business
offices. It was recommended that institutions of higher
learning should introduce the use of modern ICT equipment in their training
course curriculum in order to produce
well-groomed secretaries who would
keep the academic name of the institutions to high esteem.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title
page—————————————————i
Approval
page———————————————-ii
Dedication————————————————–iii
Acknowledgment——————————————-iv
Abstract—————————————————–v
Table
of content——————————————–vi
Chapter one
Background
of the study———————————-1
Statement
of the problem———————————6
Significance
of the study———————————-7
Research
questions—————————————-8
scope
of the study—————————————–9
Chapter two
Review
of related literature——————————-10
ICT
innovation———————————————10
Types
of ICT equipments———————————-12
Information
and communication technology
Office a secretary needs for performance of
her
duties——————————————————-13
Training
programmes available for secretaries———–20
Format
for training secretaries—————————-20
Functional
training models——————————–23
Types
of off-the job training——————————24
Types
of modern office environment———————25
Summary
of literature review—————————-28
Chapter three
Methodology———————————————-30
Research
design——————————————30
Area
of the study—————————————–30
Instrument
for data collection—————————31
Validity
of the instrument——————————–32
Method
of data collection——————————–33
Chapter four
Presentation
and data analysis————————–34
Discussion
of the findings——————————-40
Chapter five
Summary,
conclusion and recommendations———-42
Summary
of findings————————————42
Conclusion———————————————–43
Recommendation—————————————-44
Areas
and suggestion for further research————-45
References———————————————–46
Appendix
1———————————————–49
Appendix
II———————————————–53
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
The world of business is changing rapidly as a result of
new development in- information and communication technological offices. The business scene is moving very fast. There is remarkable departure: from traditional
office machines like manual typewriter, Grammar-phones .and other stereotypes office machines to
electronic information communication system like the computer, internet, electronic typewriter, fax
dictating machines etc.
Information
and communication technological offices can be regarded as the modern office
where all the equipment is electronic. As it is widely acknowledged secretaries
provide unseen, yet broad shoulders in which most ICT offices in Owerri Urban stands.
Secretaries are the prospective walls and gates along the corridors and within
the secret chambers of power. In this age of information and communication
technology, the role of secretaries of all
types are assuming greater significance and those secretaries with analogue
typing and shorthand skills will be
thrown off-balance Nwosu (1999).
Moreover, with regards to the employers’ expectations of secretaries, the secretaries therefore have been surrounded with challenges of varying
degrees and dimensions. She is beset with diverse challenges if she lacks the knowledge of information and communication
technology (1.CT) as it is an umbrella term that Includes any communication
device or application, including Radio, Television, Cellular phone, Computer and network, hardware and software satellite and so on Osuala
(1998).
According to the European commission, the importance of ICT lies less in the technology itself but in its ability to create greater access to information and communication. The modern age secretary in offices will not only excel in present duties but also explore and add new ideas to their work. This will therefore be interwoven with the work of every other person in the organization. The standard of work done by them will not be affected” to a great extent that the employers will attach little or no importance to the values of their secretaries expectations perhaps their ability to fit in to an age of information and communication. technology. Information and communication technological advancement therefore involve a change in the methodology of secretarial duties from manual or semi-mechanical means to purely mechanized and digitalized processes. Automation is the mechanization of secretarial and office functions, that is to say that technology involves the use of the machines, how, and when to use them. Information and communication technology means the application of automated systems in the execution of clerical and secretarial processes. Technological systems are self-sufficient in that they are self propelled and operated with a minimum of human efforts Osuala,(1998).
However,
information and communication technology is a convergence of
tools of microelectronic, telecommunication
and computers. This equipment helps o revolutionaries every aspect of secretarial functions. These machines/equipment are generally
self-operated with a minimum of human intervention.
Azuka
(1993) indicated that employers’ require from secretaries such skills as
competencies in operating micro filers, word processors, shredding machines and
so on in managing records. The place of effective information technology in
providing control over the records in standardizing procedures and equipment in
the management of records can hardly be over stressed.
Hence technology originated in the factory and later found its ways into the offices.
EMPLOYER’S EXPECTATIONS OF SECRETARIES IN AN AGE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) DRIVEN BUSINESS OFFICES IN OWERRI
