RELEVANCE OF CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARIES TO ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The fortunes of an organization inevitably determines the position of confidential secretaries to build a nation. People do not know how confidential secretaries fit into the common struggle to organization development. It is clear to them that the engineers who manufacture our cars are contributing to the organization development. it is equally clear that the teachers who impact all forms of skill and knowledge are also contributing to the organizational growth. But what is not clear to them is the contribution of confidential secretaries to the organizational development. This misnomer is unfortunate.
In the olden days the title “confidential secretaries” according to Pryse B. Elizabeth was understood to mean “someone ,usually a female who took down notes for male executives in shorthand and transcribed them on a typewriter from the definition of the of the confidential secretary above, one can easily deduce from this fact that the position the secretary occupied in the minds of people in those day was very narrow perspective and she was also seen as somebody who could never render any tangible services to the organization apart from the notes taking and transcription aspects”
To be candid and to a great extent, it was true that the duties of the secretary barely extended more than what has just been discussed. When the typewriter was first introduced in the past, any female who could handle or manipulate it effectively was herself called a “typist”. That was not all, many people as well saw the confidential secretary from a myopic point of view and thought she was just there to run errands for her employers to take down dictation and produce mail able document if these were true, then the confidential secretary was nothing short of an errand employee or a mere typist. However, with the increasing pressure in the industrial sectors she found herself in a web of great challenges. The competition was fierce both locally and internationally.
As a result of technological economical and social advancement in all sectors the confidential secretary becomes laden with many responsibilities which range from organizing of a small office for the employer, carrying out the task of officer manager to obtaining the services of junior staff keeping cash books as well as the arrangement and cleanliness of the office is concerned
Apart from those responsibilities, the confidential secretary had to be loyal decreed , tactful and also maintain complete confidentially.