Project Materials

STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF SECRETARIAL PROFESSION IN THE ERA OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. The Background of the Study 

The workplace is only one area where rapid change has been occurring for decades. This is because technology has progressed. To make swift decisions, any office in today’s business world—whether it’s the government, industry, or any other human endeavor—requires facts and correct information.

The secretary and other office workers have certain expectations of the company they work for. Machines and equipment, as well as humans, can provide this assistance.

Secretaries used to type up memos and letters dictated by managers in the past. To cut down on secretarial support and increase staff productivity, several companies have turned to word processing centres, personal computers, and email (Ezoem, 1995; Osuala, 2004).

The traditional functions of secretaries in corporate settings, such as transcribing spoken instructions into text, answering phones, and processing mail, have undergone significant transformations due to technological advancements.

The internet and other forms of modern office technology have greatly improved the efficiency and accessibility of secretarial tasks and information (Edwin, 2008). Telex, e-mail, fax, and phone messages are now more convenient than ever.

The secretary also has access to a variety of office equipment, including printers, photocopiers, duplicators, and dictation machines. Nowadays, more and more things are becoming easier to do thanks to advancements in computer and information technology.

Word processing, which allows users to create and edit documents like memos, letters, and reports; databases, which allow users or secretaries to work with extensive lists of data; and spreadsheet programs, which deal with numerical data and tables (Dulek and Fielden, 1999).

Access to goods and services on a global scale has been greatly increased thanks to secretaries’ access to a plethora of technologically advanced office gadgets that streamline their work, increase efficiency, and boost productivity (Wofersohn, 2001). These days, secretaries can get more done with the help of a variety of office devices and equipment.

One example of a modern machine is the electronic typewriter, which has mostly supplanted the manual variety. Companies nowadays often supply their employees with high-tech office equipment, including word processors with military-grade capabilities, PCs, and other such devices.

Secretary tools often include electronic pocket organisers and computer communication devices (Lucas, 1997). Office operations and techniques have been transformed by new technological equipment such as computers, electronic mail/commerce, voice mail, and the Internet.

On the other hand, being a professional secretary isn’t enough to keep up with the changes brought about by technological obstacles. The secretary needs up-to-date training in order to accomplish organisational objectives in a way that is responsive to change, innovative, and resistant to traditional practices. Many occupations have been impacted by IT in recent times.

Technology has completely flipped the script on secretarial jobs. It has given secretaries the means to move beyond data entry and into the position of company strategist (Appah and Emeh, 2011). The secretary, according to a number of other writers, must be prepared to handle the rigours of a contemporary workplace.

One of the most important ministries in the Ghanaian government is the ministry of education. The overarching objective of the Ministry is to ensure that all Ghanaians, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have access to high-quality education that is both relevant and affordable.

This will allow them to gain the skills they need to become economically and socially independent, alleviating poverty in the process. Quite a few secretaries have been hired by the ministry to handle administrative tasks so that it can accomplish its overarching goals. The purpose of this research is to look at secretaries’ productivity levels in relation to current office technology.

1.2. Statement Of The Problem

There is little question that a secretary’s job description will evolve in an automated office. Additional education and experience for secretaries is likely to be necessary for these expanded responsibilities. Aromolaran (2003) found the following to be the importance of automation in the corporate world:

i.) Establishing a clear route for advancement for the secretary.

ii) The secretary now has a significant position on the organisational ladder as a result of automation.

iii) It establishes regular tasks and responsibilities for the secretary.

iv.) The secretary no longer has to spend as much time manually editing, proofreading, and duplicating documents because of automation.

Long ago, Cameron (1982) noted that small organisations sometimes wait 10–15 years after new equipment hits the market before implementing it. Private commercial organisations in emerging nations find this especially peculiar.

It is a common practice for some companies to require secretaries to use manual typewriters in this day and age. Secretaries are sure to be underproductive when given inefficient and ineffective instruments to do their jobs.

In addition, Duniya (2011) noted that secretaries need to acquire new skills and competencies for efficient operations in the electronic office in order to meet the challenges posed by the introduction of technologically advanced office equipment and the need to ensure accuracy and efficiency in secretarial work. The secretarial profession has been impacted by the ever-increasing speed, accuracy, and quality of technological advancements.

Students’ views on the impact of office technology on secretaries’ efficiency at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Nigeria, are the motivation for this research.

1.3 Purpose and Aims Of the Study 

The study’s overarching goal is to determine how the use of contemporary office technology has affected the productivity of secretaries working out of the Ministry of Education’s main office. The following are the specific goals that the research is trying to accomplish.

Examining Osun State Polytechnic’s inventory of modern office equipment

The purpose of this study is to examine how widely used these modern office tools are at Osun State Polytechnic.

In order to find out how productive the secretaries are at Osun State Polytechnic

1.4 Research Questions

The goals of this study necessitate the investigation of several questions. The research will be guided by the following questions, which are in line with the subject and goals:

I was wondering what the latest office tech at Osun State Polytechnic is.

How many different kinds of cutting-edge office technology does Osun State Polytechnic offer?

At Osun State Polytechnic, how is productivity defined and evaluated?

Is secretaries’ output affected by the advent of new office technology?

1.5 The Scope of the Study

The case study takes place at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, which is located in the Accra metropolitan area’s ministry enclave. Within this framework, the research looks at how students view technology and how it affects secretaries’ efficiency.

1.6 significance Of The Study

Research on the relationship between secretaries’ use of modern office technologies and their productivity in African countries, and Nigeria in particular, is still in its infancy. The goal of this research is to help shed light on the topic at hand.

From a practical standpoint, the study’s findings will identify critical productivity factors and serve as a standard for evaluating the efficacy of new office technology implementations.

The results of this study will encourage other scholars to go deeper into the topic, laying the groundwork for a wealth of new knowledge.

1.7 Scope of the Study

There are five sections to this research. In the first chapter of the thesis, the study’s significance, research question, research aims, and problem definition are discussed. The literature study on waste management and related ideas is presented in Chapter 2.

Finding the best research approach is the focus of Chapter 3, and Analysing the data from the field is the subject of Chapter 4. The facts, conclusions, and recommendations are summarised in chapter five.