ABSTRACT
This, study focuses on employers’ expectations of secretaries in an age of ICT driven business offices in Owerri. Four research questions were used as a guide to the study.. The target population used for the study was 26 employers from some selected private and public business offices in Owerri. The sample of the study was the same as the population because the population was very small in order to avoid sampling bias. In carrying out this study the survey research method, which makes use of questionnaire as the main instrument for data collection was adopted. The data collected was analyzed using mean, mean score of 3.00 and above was considered relevant,, while mean score of below 3.00 were considered not relevant and four-likert scale. Analysis showed that secretaries should strive hard to fit into the current age of ICT to, meet the expectations of employers’. After-analyzing the data obtained it was found that; employers’ are highly selective on competent secretaries who have good communicative skill. Based on the findings it was concluded that since ICT innovation era poses a lot of challenges to both prospective and practicing secretaries, the prospective secretaries should strive to develop themselves to suite the expectations of employers’ in an age of ICT driven business offices. It was recommended that institutions of higher learning should introduce the use of modern ICT equipment in their training course curriculum in order to produce well-groomed secretaries who would keep the academic name of the institutions to high esteem.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page—————————————————i
Approval page———————————————-ii
Dedication————————————————–iii
Acknowledgment——————————————-iv
Abstract—————————————————–v
Table of content——————————————–vi
Chapter one
Background of the study———————————-1
Statement of the problem———————————6
Significance of the study———————————-7
Research questions—————————————-8
scope of the study—————————————–9
Chapter two
Review of related literature——————————-10
ICT innovation———————————————10
Types of ICT equipments———————————-12
Information and communication technology
Office a secretary needs for performance of her
duties——————————————————-13
Training programmes available for secretaries———–20
Format for training secretaries—————————-20
Functional training models——————————–23
Types of off-the job training——————————24
Types of modern office environment———————25
Summary of literature review—————————-28
Chapter three
Methodology———————————————-30
Research design——————————————30
Area of the study—————————————–30
Instrument for data collection—————————31
Validity of the instrument——————————–32
Method of data collection——————————–33
Chapter four
Presentation and data analysis————————–34
Discussion of the findings——————————-40
Chapter five
Summary, conclusion and recommendations———-42
Summary of findings————————————42
Conclusion———————————————–43
Recommendation—————————————-44
Areas and suggestion for further research————-45
References———————————————–46
Appendix 1———————————————–49
Appendix
II———————————————–53
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
The world of business is changing rapidly as a result of new development in- information and communication technological offices. The business scene is moving very fast. There is remarkable departure: from traditional office machines like manual typewriter, Grammar-phones .and other stereotypes office machines to electronic information communication system like the computer, internet, electronic typewriter, fax dictating machines etc.
Information and communication technological offices can be regarded as the modern office where all the equipment is electronic. As it is widely acknowledged secretaries provide unseen, yet broad shoulders in which most ICT offices in Owerri Urban stands. Secretaries are the prospective walls and gates along the corridors and within the secret chambers of power. In this age of information and communication technology, the role of secretaries of all types are assuming greater significance and those secretaries with analogue typing and shorthand skills will be thrown off-balance Nwosu (1999).
Moreover, with regards to the employers’ expectations of secretaries, the secretaries therefore have been surrounded with challenges of varying degrees and dimensions. She is beset with diverse challenges if she lacks the knowledge of information and communication technology (1.CT) as it is an umbrella term that Includes any communication device or application, including Radio, Television, Cellular phone, Computer and network, hardware and software satellite and so on Osuala (1998).
According to the European commission, the importance of ICT lies less in the technology itself but in its ability to create greater access to information and communication. The modern age secretary in offices will not only excel in present duties but also explore and add new ideas to their work. This will therefore be interwoven with the work of every other person in the organization. The standard of work done by them will not be affected” to a great extent that the employers will attach little or no importance to the values of their secretaries expectations perhaps their ability to fit in to an age of information and communication. technology. Information and communication technological advancement therefore involve a change in the methodology of secretarial duties from manual or semi-mechanical means to purely mechanized and digitalized processes. Automation is the mechanization of secretarial and office functions, that is to say that technology involves the use of the machines, how, and when to use them. Information and communication technology means the application of automated systems in the execution of clerical and secretarial processes. Technological systems are self-sufficient in that they are self propelled and operated with a minimum of human efforts Osuala,(1998).
However, information and communication technology is a convergence of tools of microelectronic, telecommunication and computers. This equipment helps o revolutionaries every aspect of secretarial functions. These machines/equipment are generally self-operated with a minimum of human intervention.
Azuka (1993) indicated that employers’ require from secretaries such skills as competencies in operating micro filers, word processors, shredding machines and so on in managing records. The place of effective information technology in providing control over the records in standardizing procedures and equipment in the management of records can hardly be over stressed.
Hence technology originated in the factory and later found its ways into the offices.
