INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) BASED OFFICE SKILLS REQUIRED BY SECRETARIES FOR EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION

1.1 Introduction

A secretary is an assistant to an executive officer or a manager, the secretary who is trained to type and perform many office duties. The secretary possesses personal and business attributes. The secretary guards his professional ethics of confidentiality, good appearance and absolute loyalty (Onifade, 2010). The work of the secretary is characterized by handling and processing of information. In this paper, Office Technology Management refers to the management of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities by secretaries in the execution of their tasks. Secretarial practices in the public and private sectors have witnessed several changes with regard to the roles and tasks of the secretary (Akpormi & Ordu, 2009).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

The introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is promoting efficiency in all areas of human activities. Individuals, groups and governments all over the world are taking the advantage of this opportunity to transform the activities of various sectors through the development of new skills. Information and Communication Technology has been identified as a major factor for effective service delivery in public sector, including the local governments. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the face of offices and consequently made business environments to wear a new look. This is particularly noticeable in the area of office administration and management (Agomuo, 2005).

The author stated that information and communication gadgets, equipment and facilities improve the manner in which message is preserved, recalled, shared and relayed for information and communication purposes. Agomuo further stated that the electronic systems are now available for the performance of many functions that were formerly done manually in offices. This makes for greater effectiveness and efficiency in the performance of office activities. New digital machines and electronic equipment now make for faster, neater, more accurate and more reliable outputs. Most activities of office managers and their assistants are now based on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which promotes organizational efficiency.

As a result of new ideas caused by Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the world has become a global village. Ofurum and Ogbonna (2008), in their view stated that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the combination of computing, telecommunication and video techniques for the purpose of acquiring, processing, storing, and disseminating vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information. These basic objectives of ICT are made possible through the computing, telecommunication and video techniques. The computing techniques provide the capacity for processing and storing of information; the telecommunicating techniques provides the capacity for communicating the information to users; and the video techniques provides the capability for high quality display of images.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT), according to Igbinoba (2005), refers to the use of skill in combining information and communication process and devices to obtain, analyse, store, recall and transmit accurate information from one place to another. In this study, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are tools used for processing, transmitting or communicating data and information electronically. The effective use of ICT requires some peculiar skills that are essential to any activity.

The role played by the secretary in the organisation is very important as regards to the progress of that organisation were the secretary works. Therefore, the need for technological and human support for the secretary from the organisation where he/she work is much desirable. The efficient and effective performance of the secretary in the organisation depends on the optimal utilization of the office technologies as well as the knowledge and skills, of manipulating the available office technologies. The emergence of modern office ICTs has reduced the tedious tasks of repeating tasks several times. There petitious nature of production, reproduction, storage and retrieval of information has been removed by the presence of the ICT (Fry et. al., 2009).

The professional secretaries employed by the local government administration are fundamentally responsible for the processing, storage, retrieval and reporting of the information. There are no organisations that can succeed without secretaries working as part of the administration and management. Incidentally, the secretaries in the local governments (rural and urban) seem to lack basic ICT-based office skills. The preliminary investigation conducted shows that secretaries are not familiar with the word processing, database management, desktop publishing, office communication and reprographic skills.

It was observed from the preliminary investigation that most of the secretaries are still performing office activities manually. These have caused delays in processing of information, keeping information, arranging information, giving information and protecting information. The years of experience of the secretaries with regards to the level of ICT-based office skills possessed need to be determined for effective administration of the local governments in any location.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Based Office Skills Required by Secretaries for Effective Administration.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the secretaries employed by the local government administration are fundamentally responsible for the processing, storage, retrieval and reporting of the information. These important office functions were hitherto performed manually by secretaries are now to be performed through Information and Communication Technologies based in more organisations. However, the reports on loss of data of various kinds in local government system in Nigeria, brings to question on the extent to which ICT is used by the secretaries for processing, storing, retrieving and communicating information in the local governments.

Lack of computer to collate and coordinate data needed to facilitate revenue generation. The cases of frauds, disclosing of different information, insecurity of financial personnel that is the tax collectors, licensing officials among others, political and administrative data as well as the delays experienced by staff and other stakeholders over the sending time and receipt of local government messages, circulars and memos add to the doubt on whether ICT facilities are used for local government activities or not. The preliminary study carried out in local government councils in Abia State by the researcher revealed more cases of lost circulars, memos and other documents.

In addition, office activities in local governments were observed to be handled manually, although many of the offices have some ICT equipment and facilities. The scenario suggests that the secretaries may not have the required ICT-based skills for working in the offices. Based on this, it is therefore, pertinent for this study to determine the ICT based office skills required by secretaries in local governments in Abia State for effectiveness in their functions.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Based Office Skills Required by Secretaries for Effective Administration. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To determine the word processing skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State;
2. To find out the desktop publishing skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State;
3. To examine the office communication skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State;
4. TO determine the reprographic skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia; and
5. To identify the database management skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What are the word processing skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State?
• What are the database management skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State?
• What are the desktop publishing skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State?
• What are the office communication skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State?
• What are the reprographic skills required by secretaries for effective administration of Local Governments in Abia State?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

• H₀1: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of administrative secretaries and professional secretaries on the word processing skills required by the secretaries for effective administration of local governments.
• H₀2: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of administrative secretaries and professional secretaries on the database management skills required by secretaries for effective administration of local governments.
• H₀3: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of administrative secretaries and professional secretaries on desktop publishing skills required by secretaries based on their years of experienced for effective administration of local governments.
• H₀4: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of administrative secretaries and professional secretaries in urban and rural areas of local governments.
• H₀5: There is no significant difference among the mean ratings of administrative secretaries and professional secretaries on age differences.

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1.7 Significance of Study

The significance of the findings of the study will be of immense benefit to the secretaries and the administrators and or employees of local government councils, curriculum planners and programme developers including National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Universities Commission (NUC), and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), National Manpower Board (NMB), and Federal and State Ministries of Education.

The findings of the study when published will be of benefits to secretaries irrespective of where they work. The employed and the potential secretaries would through the findings from the various ICT-based office skills of this study become aware of the expectations and demands the profession places on them based on emerging technologies. The secretaries would become aware of their areas of deficiency, the type and level of training required of them.

An understanding of the findings would help the secretaries to enroll for private training and continuous learning, and apply for management sponsorship for further training on word processing, database management, desktop publishing, office communication and reprographic skills.

The findings of the study when published will also help the administrators of local governments to identify the areas where the secretaries require ICT-based training. The findings of this study would also enable the administrators of local government areas to organize database management, word processing, reprographic, desktop publishing and office communication skills training programmes for secretary and other local government staff for effective administration of the local governments.

The result of the study would help the local government administrators to identify the necessary ICT facilities to be provided for secretaries for effective practice and administration of local government offices.

Furthermore, the findings of the study will enable Federal and State Ministries of Education to know the areas of needs in terms of providing of facilities, re-training of secretaries and curriculum review among others. An understanding of the findings will help the Federal and State Ministries in charge of local government administration to organize regular training programme for secretaries in local governments and to provide ICT facilities in the local governments.

Finally, the findings will also assist the Ministries of Education and Administrators in the recruitment of secretaries that are ICT - based office skills compliant in the local governments. The knowledge of the findings will help the administrators to recruit secretaries that possess the needed ICT skills for effective administration of the local government and to sponsor the already employed secretaries for workshop, seminars conferences on ICT skills required for office administration.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Based Office Skills Required by Secretaries for Effective Administration. The study will be limited to local governments in Abia State, Nigeria. Abia State is a State in South-Eastern Nigeria.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this research work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
4. Lack of Initial Cooperation from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Information and Communication Technology:

It is also referred to ICT which entails the use of skill in combining information and communication process and devices to obtain, analyze, store, recall and transmit accurate information from one place to another (Igbinoba, 2005).

Student:

A person formally engaged in learning, especially one enrolled in a school or college; pupil.

Computer Literacy:

It is the ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with a range of skills covering levels from elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving.