THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON SECRETARIAL PROFESSION

The country if not the whole universe is on the brink of immense technology, and this phenomenon has get in far reaching effect on almost all spheres of human endeavour. Different people have perceptions of what impact the modern technology via the Internet is playing to address the issues of performance of the secretarial profession in the new millennium. To be precise, many scholars have dealt on this topic but the researchers of the project work have tried to portray actually what the impact of the internet is regarding the performance of secretarial profession.

The internet according to Cerf, [1996] president of the internet society ‘is a specific collaboration of independently managed networks that allow users at disparate heterogeneous computer networks to communicate with each other across organizational and geographical boundaries.  Its main function in any social system may be identified as information, education, entertainers, discussion, communication and integration.  Therefore, the Internet as an information superhighway has been aroused to perform all these immeasurable impact for the rest of the world.

One cannot talk about information and access without making regular reference to the information technologies and their convergence particularly the INTERNET. Information and communication technology are rapidly changing the way we work and live, most especially regarding the way the office is handled.  We see a world of network.  That is bringing new opportunities and options to people at work, at home and on the move directly stating how our society live, work, learn, play and how our society evolves. In the secretarial profession, information and communication are the very essence of the content and that is what the internet is all about.

Information derives its value from the meaning that an entity [a human being] assigns to data.  It therefore becomes a performed in an organization. The question now is, how far can this form of inexhaustible resource carry the users with special internet on the secretarial profession. The machines used in the secretarial profession are involved effectively to perform the work in business media, the mass media, the information gathering media, and the likes, have seen the different faces of typewriters, mail exchange, computers, cellular, fax, telephone and other technological information gathering system

Stressing more on the meaning of the internet and how it works Rutherford F. July 22 1997, described the internet as ‘a global collection of many different types of computers and computer networks that are linked together. The secretarial profession, people who are conversant with the services that the personal computer renders will no doubt find the internet fascinating job-made-easy and enjoyable. But many people cannot purchase or acquire this precious information superhighway, what risks are involved.  Who are supposed to use this inexhaustible resource? The aim of the study is to know the impact of internet more on information and communication in secretarial profession.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

People say or believe that the internet has no impact on secretarial profession.  That secretaries do not need the internet at all.  They also say that secretaries only need the typewriter to carry out their duties.  They also say that if secretaries include the use of the internet in their profession, that work will be tedious. According to Sir Walter Ford, the duty of the secretary is to take down records, minutes of the meetings and typing of orders by the above authorities and it involves the use of the typewriter. Vin Pluto [1990] says thus, ‘the internet is used by high senior officials and those trained personnel and as such the secretaries do not fit into this cadre’. Peter Roberts in his opinion says, ‘the internet and the secretary are not compatible’. So for this very reasons, we have decided to carry out this research work so as to find out the actual impact the internet has on the secretarial profession.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

In view of the above problem, this research work is therefore designed to the following;

1.  To find out the impact of internet on the secretarial profession.

2.  To ascertain, the impact of the internet, on the lives of individual secretaries.

3.  To ascertain, if the use of internet facilities, is a monotonous task to the secretary.

4.  To ascertain if there are problems being caused by the internet in the secretarial profession.

5.  To give remedies and solutions to such problems if any.

1.4      SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The geographical area covered by the researchers  in Enugu metropolis selected Government parastatals in Enugu State are used as samples on which judging the impact of the internet to the secretarial profession will be based.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.  What are the effects of Internet on the secretarial profession?

2.  What impact does the internet have on a secretary

3.  Does the frequent task of operating a computer everyday bore a secretary?

1.6      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is important that secretaries should at times take critical look outside their private areas of concentration and state the latest system of improving their techniques at their field of specialization. The study is not only important to the secretary but will also serve as a green light to the entertainment world, education, communication and media practitioners on how to restructure their programmes to suit their receiving audience. It will moreover help the secretary to be abreast with the events taking place within and outside the country.