ABSTRACT

The study is on Effectiveness of Secretary on adequate training with modern equipment.

The need for secretaries to be trained with modern equipment’s in the world today is aimed at achieving the organizational goals.

The study examined closely with a view to identify the methods of training, types of training, objectives, needs, analysis, impact and assessing the result of training and development.

In carrying out the study, detailed explanations were made and the research work is divided into five chapters.

Historical background, statement of problem, justification for the study, significance study and research questions were dealt with in chapter one.

Chapter two was on literature review to confirm the variables of the study.

Chapter three contains the design used which several instruments such as questionnaires were used for collection of data.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

People working in the offices in the past find it so today and working was so being due to the fact that certain modern amenities used in the offices today to and office workers were not in place.  As a result of this, the zeal to work in the normal trend so as to achieve the set goals by the organisation was not there.

The effectiveness of any organisation defends on the soundness of its workers.  As a result of this, the zeal to work in the office today has become quite interesting, motivating and enthausiatic because the modern office is well equipped.  The introduction of various modern machines which have greatly helped both the private and public enterprises to increase employees productivity. At this dispensation training of a secretary with modern equipment will enhance efficiency and effective performance of a secretary when discharging their legimate duly.

Training with modern equipment is very important expenses of manpower and resources development, whose relevance can never be over – emphasizes.  It becomes very necessary to train secretary with modern equipment so as to force the present and future challenges in dispensation of his legitimate duly.

Effective human resources development programme should be able to develop a secretary in the organisation for the purpose of improving productivities.

Actually development is a long term and more embracing programme that are meant to meet anticipated changes and the needs of an organisation as a whole. It utilizes a systematic organised procedure by which managerial personnel learn conceptual and theoretical knowledge for general purposes and it also aims at adding to the mills of workers, improving their knowledge and altering their attitude.  Thus training is a systematic development of knowledge, skills and attitude required by an individual to perform a specific or a given task.  It is a short – term process utilizing a systematic and organised procedure by which non-managerial personnel keeps technical knowledge and skills for a definite purpose (A. A. Lawal (1992:310)

          All secretaries no matter the level of their education, previous training and experiences, still need to undergo training with modern equipment within and outside the organisation in which they are employed.  Since secretaries have responsibilities and are connected towards attaining the goals of the organisation, there is need for them to be trained and re-trained.

A properly planned procedure of meeting the training and development needs of secretaries need to be put in place irrespective of the type of job each secretary carries out.  Specialised training touching the diversions of the job is a responsibility, which the management has to perform.  For training and development to be successful and resending, secretaries must desire to be trained with automated machines and be willing to improve on their performance.  Once a properly and systematic procedure have been put in place, secretaries should avail themselves with such opportunities because this will definitely increase their feeling of self esteem and value to the organisation to which they belong and this prepares them to future requirements and more responsibilities.

The objective of any training programme is to master the activities and behaviour of jobs.  No matter the type of training programmes given to secretaries, they all have an overwhelming effect not only on the improvement of secretaries alone but also rewarding advantages to the organisation, that is practice, policies, rules and so on, which affect them and the organisation.

Secretaries should be able to develop the abilities to learn and adapt themselves to new work methods, work contents and work relationships, suffice this to say that these benefits to be derived from training an indispensable investment in human resources management which no organisation should ignore.

The need for training with modern equipment have come to an increasingly high demand considering the part and roles in plays in the growth in organisation as a means of maintaining acceptable level of performance recently, large organisation have been changing partly or entirely in several aspects.  Office services and methods are becoming complex and the output expected daily is also very high.  As a result of the above engaging, maintaining and retaining qualifies secretaries to cope with this increasing demand of the office is the interest of every organisation.  Thus office automation becomes a challenging opportunity involving machines and the harassing of natural resources so receive human beings from the problem of heavy physical till Business nowadays demand advanced secretaries skills in area of business communication, operation of office recalled machines and organizing ability.

The functions of the business offices have become increasing complex.  In addition to technical skills and abilities, successful office workers must exercise sound judgement awnd creative insight (Oni 1999.18) Technical skills alone are therefore no longer enough for employment.  The new breed of secretaries must be prepared to face the challenge of the changing technological complexities of organisation.  They must prepared to charts their professional course if the secretarial professional status is to stand the test of time.

The unprecedented rapid technological changes and automation in existing skills and job are sufficient to prove that training and re-training are indispensable in the fast moving business world mathis (1990:370).

1.2   STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

          This study is expected to reveal all the problems of ineffective training programmes with modern equipments in some selected organizations.  It has been observed that a lot of people have negative attention being given to training and development of secretaries by some business executives.  Most of then show more interest and spend more time and money on other professions and other aspects of work in the organisation, which they consider more important.

          Since every organization strives to achieve set goals and objectives, this is dependent on the caliber of manpower in such organisation and secretaries are part organizations manpower and we get things done completely through them.  In live manner, the grade or standard of people engage by an organization effectiveness and increased productivity can be achieve if the manpower in this is exposed to relevant training with modern equipment.  It is a common phenomenon to note that many organizations fail in their attempts to obtain organization of outs due to lack of effective manpower development programmes.

          Despite the demands of office automation on secretarial position, it has been observed that some secretaries are still deficient in the use of modern and sophisticated machines such as, internet, computers, word processor, electronic typewriter, fax, photocopier and so on.  As such in the places of work they waste valuable time in processing information which are needed for effective management decision making.  Also situations where organization fail to install modern facilities for the use of secretaries in order to enhance secretaries efficiency and effectiveness which forms integral part of the organisation’s drive to achieve set objectives.

          The study, therefore, tries to address the issue of organizations effectiveness with a view of finding out the significant of training a secretary with modern equipment in a organisation.

1.3   JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY

This study aims at studying the effectiveness of secretary on adequate training with modern equipment in some selected organizations in Lagos metropolis.  The most important asset of any organisation is its employees and the knowledge and skill they posses.  Since the office environment is changing and people are changing with it.  This has made management more conscious of its expectations from its staffs resulting in its demand for increase in producing. This change is brought about training with office automated to enhance productivity in some skilled business organizations within Lagos metropolis.

          The researcher also intended to find out the relevance and important of training with various office machine/equipment to the everyday working life of the secretary.

          Also, aimed at serving as a useful reference material for present and future researchers who may wish to carryout similar study on effective utilization of modern equipment as it affect productivities.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study will bring to the knowledge of business executives the importance of training with modern equipment as it enhance productivity of secretaries in some selected organizations.  Also, it will suggest possible ways of changing the attitude and increasing the skills of secretaries towards productivity, thus reducing inefficiency at all levels.  This study will not only provide a spring board for further researchers and investigations but more significantly, prices to generate solution to the problem identifies.  In the light of the above, this research work would yield concrete suggestion on.

(a)          Standardized policy used in rationalizing programmes.

(b)         Well articulated and clearly defined training programmes for secretaries at all levels and;

(c)          Bringing stabilization of the organizational operation in such a way that it will not affect its labour force that is, such as the period secretaries are undergoing training.

1.6   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

(1)     Is there any relationship between modern office equipment and the performance of the secretary in the office?

(2)     Is there any relationship between the introduction of office automation and training of the secretaries?

(3)     Does any relationship exist between the effects of office automation and the job performance of secretaries in the organisation.

(4)     Is there any relationship between modern equipment and the slow and repeated jos of secretary

(5)     What are the effects of training of secretaries on job performance.

(6)     Is there any job satisfaction in secretarial profession?

(7)     What are the effect of motivation on secretary performances?

(8)     What are the possible ways of improving the performance of secretary?

(9)     Does the exposure of further training have any effect on the ability of a secretary to face future challenges.

1.7   HYPOTHESES

(1)     Ho:    There is significance relationship between training secretary’s with modern equipment and productivity.

Hi:     There is a significance relationship between training a secretary with modern equipment and productivity.

(2)     Ho:    That some selected organisation does not pay adequate attention to the training of secretaries.

Hi:     That some selected organisation pays adequate attention to the training of a secretary.

(3)     Ho:    That secretaries wouldn’t perform better if they are trained with modern equipment particularly computer.

          Hi:     That secretaries would perform better if they are traines with modern equipment like computers.

(4)     Ho:    That secretaries would not improve their performance if they were given better remuneration.

          Hi:     That secretaries would improve their performance if they were given better remuneration.

1.8   DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

The following terms are used in the study and the definitions accorded to them are hereby given:

Training:            This is a preparation for occupation or for specific skills.  It is narrower in conception than development.  Training is job-oriented, and it has present and future implications on job success.

Provision:           The rate at which goods are produced and services rendered and the amount produces compared with the work, time materials and money invested to produce them.

Organisation:   This is an association of people (management and staff) working together towards the achievement of set goals or objectives.

Secretaries:      This is an employee in an office working for another person, dealing with letters, typing, filling and mailing appointments and arrangements.

Office automation:    Involves the installation, utilization and application of modern office mechanic and equipment which carryout specific functions so as to reduce or minimize manual human operation and to increase efficiency, effectiveness and productivity to the user office personnel such as the secretary.

Modern Office: A place where, administrative, clerical and information processing activities of an organisation are performed with the use of modern office machines and equipment in order to save raw human energy and to enhance efficiency of the administrative support personal such as the secretary.  It is the office environment found in today’s business would that call for training of secretaries with the modern equipment, which is being brought about as a result of automation meaning advancement in technology.

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