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Problems Of Female Secretaries In Business Organizations
[A CASE STUDY OF NEPA]
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A
secretary had been defined by the National secretary International
Association as executive assistance who posses a mastery of skill, who
demonstrate the ability to assume responsibility without direct
supervision, who exercises initiative and judgment and who makes
decision within the scope of assigned authority.
Stenographers and
Secretaries are office workers whose jobs primarily require stenographic
skills; namely proficiency in taking dictation with shorthand and
transcribing it on the typewriter. There are more (3,000,000 persons
employed as secretaries representing one out of every six clerical
workers.
More than 98% of secretaries and stenographers are women
(New Age Encyclopedia vol. 13). The secretarial profession came to
Nigeria as a whole with the coming of the white men (Colonial Masters).
When
the white men came to Africa, they needed to communicate with the
blacks hence they searched for and made interpreters. These interpreters
are indigenes of the various areas they visited. This enables both
parties to communicate with each other. Through this, clerks were
created by the white men and these clerks were later made secretaries
when offices were set up but with little responsibilities.
Formally
the work these secretaries where quite few but as time went on and with
Nigerian independence in particular, Nigerians took over the post from
the white men who dominate the profession.
The word secretary has a
lot to do with secrecy. The secretary must be able to keep official
secrets without reserve. The secretarial course and profession is now
regarded as a course/career for women or female gender while the men go
into other profession.
In time, more females are left in the
profession than males. As a result, about 98% of employed secretaries
and stenographers are females (New Age Encyclopedia vol. 13 page 359,
office worker).
Unfortunately, the role of the secretary is quiet
understood by most people especially in Nigeria. It is therefore follows
that most of the problems confronting the secretarial profession arose
as a result of misconception by people. They do not seem to understand
what secretarial profession entails.
Consequently, the female
secretaries in this profession are always faced with numerous problems.
These problems range from their honor and domestic responsibilities to
their jobs, their colleagues, social suspicions, sexual harassment from
male bosses, job stress, office politics, lack of recognition in the
society due to gender problems, initiation by the male counterparts as
they seem to team up with the male bosses against the woman.
However,
the married female secretaries are expected to exhibit a sense of
responsibility, show a sign of maturity, royalty and reliability in the
performance of her duty.
The problems the female secretaries does not
end there, some married female secretaries have miscarriage of their
unborn babies due to stress in their job. We all know the nature of
secretaries work is such that can keep one busy for 24 hours, so at
times some secretary/mothers with new infant will be busy working up and
down in the office by frequent visit to the boss office distraction by
phone calls and other official workers and before you know it, the
forming baby will start threatening to go out, and if the good lord is
not on their side they might loose the baby. According to Asogwu (1993)
about 40% of miscarriages are as a result of stress.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This research work is aimed at defining the PROBLEMS OF FEMALE SECRETARIES IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS A CASE OF NEPA.The problems of female secretaries envisaged in this include discrimination in employment, husband’s attitude, the secretary-boss relationship, social problems psychological problems and limited chances of advancement.The researcher collected data for this study from questionnaires, it was discovered that female secretaries are not discriminate against in employment; officia ... Continue reading---
