THE CONTRIBUTION OF SECRETARIES TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

THE CONTRIBUTION OF SECRETARIES TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

The emergence of secretarial personnel into Nigeria’s economic development can be traced to the colonial days. The British colonial administration saw the need to have Nigerians to serve them in different lower capacities as typists, messengers, court clerks, interpreters etc. To make this a reality, they introduced into Nigeria’s educational curriculum some subjects that could make students become secretaries. These subjects include Typewriting, Shorthand and Secretarial Duties among others. According to National Secretaries Association (United States of America) as cited by Ejeka (2006) “a Secretary is an assistant to an executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, who displays initiative, exercises judgment and takes decision within the scope of his/her authority”. Onosanya (1990) sees a secretary as the chief administrator of an organization or a person who performs the functions of organizing and recording the proceedings of a meeting. The title refers to professional staff skilled in shorthand and typewriting and mainly responsible to an executive.