INFLUENCE OF WORD-PROCESSING AND SHORTHAND SKILLS ON PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIES’ FUNCTIONS IN MODERN OFFICES IN NORTH- WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to determine the Influence of Word-Processing and Shorthand Skills on professional secretaries functions in modern offices in North West of Nigeria. The major objective was to determine the influence of word-processing and shorthand skills on professional secretaries functions in modern office in North West, Nigeria. Four specific objectives, four research questions were drawn and corresponding four null hypotheses were formulated. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study.

The population was 246 made up of 90 Directors and 156 professional secretaries‟ drawn from the Federal Ministries of the six states selected for the study. One hundred and sixty-nine (169) respondents were purposively selected as sample for the study. Questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. Frequency and percentages were used to analyze the demographic data, while weighted mean was used to answer the four research questions. Simple Linear Regression was also used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that word-processing and shorthand skills have significant influence on professional secretaries‟ functions in modern offices in North West, Nigeria.

Among other findings was that shorthand skills have significant influence on professional secretaries‟ communication skill in modern offices in North-West. The study concluded that with the introduction of modern technological equipment in modern offices in North-West, professional secretaries‟ with word-processing and shorthand skills still functions effectively in the modern offices in North-West, Nigeria. It was recommended among others, that seminars and workshops should be organized by different organizations to enlighten the public especially the executives, employers of labour and even professionals on the importance of word-processing and shorthand skills, and to correct the misconception by the public that shorthand skill is of no significance to professional secretaries‟ functions, despite the introduction of modern technological equipment.

INFLUENCE OF WORD-PROCESSING AND SHORTHAND SKILLS ON PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIES’ FUNCTIONS IN MODERN OFFICES IN NORTH- WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE, NIGERIA