THE DEMAND FOR SECRETARIAL SERVICE; IT'S PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

The success of any business organization depends largely on the female secretary efficiency. If it is a well known facts that records that are properly kept and manage help in the success of any organization. Therefore the role of a female secretary in the management of record cannot be over emphasized, this is because proper record management forms the basis of secretarial profession.

Organization is made-up of human and material resources. These resources are brought together in order to accomplish a set goal. The activities of an organization revolved around the female secretary, infact, no organization can do without the service/assistance of a female secretary.

The role of the female secretary in today’s office has changed greatly with the introduction of modern office technology such as computer, electronic typewriter, photographing-Marching etc There is a need for well trained female secretary to handle this high technology. Today, the position of the female secretary is more pronounced, she is an intelligent personality whose present is a must for all organization.

The National secretarial Association (international) (1990) defined a female secretary as “an assistant to an executive who possesses mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibilities without direct supervision, one who displays initiatives exercise judgment and make decisions within the scope of her authority. Another definition of female secretary is given by the World book.

Encyclopedia (1991) as “a person whose duties includes maintaining office files and records, taking dictation, typing correspondence, sorting mails, aiding visitors, answering telephone, and make travel arrangements.”

The role of a female secretary are very numerous the female secretary can be seen as one who performs a lot of tasks in an organization such as keeping, retrieving, and recording information.

Horison (1976) outline the various role of a female secretary as follows:

1. Receiving and transcribing dictation on a typewriter
2. Filing of documents for quick retrieval
3. Receiving visitors, handling calls
4. Take care of the office petty —cash book
5. Keeping your boss diary and making out his honorary
6. Supervising of your secretarial /staff
7. Attending meetings and recording minutes.

Segal (1978) describes the female secretary of the upper extremes of the role m may even deputize for her employer during his absence in the sense that she will handle the day today affairs, deferring in decision making at more important level till her boss return.

The United State Business Management (1965) describe a competent female secretary as one who is familiar with the full range of her executive responsibilities and activities her personal ambitions and the co-relation between his performance goals and organizations objectives. She is a practical person with intelligent and sound memory to handle most of the routine without supervision in accordance with the laid down principles and procedure of the organization.

The service that make female secretary to be demanded in organization. Female secretary plan and implement for the smooth running of her office, there is the need for a female secretary to plan how to utilize her subordinates and the use of office machines at the appropriate time, preparation of cinerary in order to know the movement of her boss. For instance, what need to be done , as the boss will be traveling to Lagos net week on a four days tour? How will his air ticket be booked in advance and accommodation? Which of the driver will take him to the airport? His schedule of time has to be arranged. Otherwise he would be stranded in his tour and also female secretary serves as public relation office, because of the nature of her office female secretary prepare and organized things to be discuss in a meeting for any organization to achieve its aims and objective, must acquire the service of the female secretary.

Tarr (1973) said that “planning is to direct a project in a way that will produce maximum useful work output form a minimum number of staff.” This implies that planning is the direction of a business affair for the attainment of set goals.

The demand for secretarial service in pubic and private organizations cannot be over emphasized, it is against the background that this study is carried out in Bank of the North (BON), Union Bank of Nigerian Plc (UBN), Nigerian telecommunication (Nitel), New Nigerian development Company (NNDC) all in Kaduna metropolis about prospects and problems of demand for secretarial service Gem (1984) defined prospect as an “expectations, chance for success, view or over look. Also Harbby (1991) describe problems as ‘things that are difficult to deal with or understand “ in essence, what has proved difficult to solved or deal with understanding in the secretarial services.

1.2 Statement Of The Problems

Some organization predicts that, as we are moving towards paperless office, the work of a female secretary will be less demanding. Some even thought that the female secretary lack modern skill and cannot fit in the offices to day where modern technology foster, because they do not have the modern training in computers.

Most organization under-estimate the services/ role played by the female secretary in an organization.

On the other hand, most of the female secretaries do not know the demand of their profession in an organization.

Moreover, female secretary have limited level of promotion which serve as a master obstacle in their career.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

The purpose of the study is to find out the prospects and problems of female secretaries in some selected organizations in Kaduna metropolis, They are as follows:

1. To evaluate the problems in which female secretary is facing in an organization.
2. To identify the various prospects of a female secretary in an organization
3. To identify the various roles/service of a female secretary in an organization
4. To investigate what factors preen female secretary form having promotional opportunities unlike his colleagues in other professions.
5. To find out the effect of modern technology planning and smooth running of office services.

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:

• Why are there problems and prospects for female dsecretarial services in an organization?
• What are the various roles play by female secretary in an organization?
• What are factors that hinders female secretary’s promotional opportunities?
• How does the modern office technology aids the planning and smooth running of the organization?

1.6 Significance Of The Study

Due to the important position, the secretaries occupy in an organization make her indispensable. This study becomes imperative, and would be useful to the following:

i. Employers of Labour

This study will be of great benefit to employer of labour who requires the service of secretaries. This is because they will be fully aware of the services of female secretary in the demand for secretaries profession in office.

ii. Practice Secretaries

This research work will be useful to the praising secretaries as it will widen their knowledge to secretarial function in relation to demand for secretarial services which make possible achievement of organizational goals.

iii. Students

This study will help to enlightened students that are now under going the course of secretarial studies to know the demand of secretarial services in organization.

iv. The Secretarial Studies Department

This study will be beneficial to the secretarial studies department as it will serve as a reference material to both secretaries and lecturers so as to ensure that the demand for secretarial profession by the female secretary being a vital duty y of secretaries is not omitted in the school yearly curriculum.

v. Future Researchers

This study will be benefit to the future researchers; this is because the study will serve as a relevant material on researchers conducting a related study.

1.7 Delimitation

This research is limited in the demand for secretaries who have obtained ordinary National Diploma (OND), Higher national Diploma (HND), certificate and personal assistant who have attended suitable secretarial training. Also this research work is based on Bank of the North (BON), Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN), Nigerian Telecommunication (Nitel), New Nigerian Development company Limited (NNDC) here in Kaduna metropolis.

1.8 Definition Of Terms

In this research work the following term used, and intended to adopted the meaning given below:

Organization:

Act or way of organizing large group of people such as a business company.

Female secretary:

A person employed to deal either correspondence keeping records and handle clerical or secretarial business form.

Office:

A place where clerical activities takes place.

Curriculum:

Course of study in the schools, colleges, polytechnics, and university.

Boss:

Person who controls or give orders to workmen.

Record:

Written subjects of material interest within and outside the organization.