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A Study Of The Sociological Factors Affecting Professional Secretarial Career In Nigeria
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In
this part of the world a careful observer would discover that what we
refer to as sociological factors affecting professional secretarial
career in Nigeria has always been mistaken. The management of some
entrepreneur and institution management has failed in their duties of
providing these basic needs to their secretaries.
The world
“secretary†has been defined by A.S Hornby, in the Advanced Learners
Dictionary, as an employee or an official who deals with
correspondences, keeps records, makes arrangements, appointment and
other business affairs of the firm, society or club.
The Lexicon
Webster dictionary, an encyclopedic edition, defines secretary as one
entrusted with secrets, one who caries on another’s correspondences and
performs other routine task; an officer of an organization or business
who keeps records and assists in major decisions, a government officer
whose business is to superintendent and manage the affairs of a
particular department.
Office is of paramount importance to the
organization since it is a decision making centre and it is through the
office functions that the organization achieves its goals.
The
importance of a secretary in any organization is not to be over
–emphasized but the profession has been misconstrued due to small ill
informed masses. M. blight (1983) in duties of a professional secretary
commented on this. He said that, this argument is, in part, attributed
to the inability of employers to clearly specify job description for
professional secretaries. Again, B.O.Ekong (1984) in his article titled
problems in professional secretarial career’ hold that, ‘some employers
believe that the secretarial school merely teachers shorthand and
typewriting to its graduates therefore, did not see the reason as to
the substance of making them beneficiaries of some service conditions
and promotional benefit, with their counterparts in other fields. This
could be the reason why a secretary’s opinion is always neglected in
decision making. Although he has been employed by the boss for his
assistance, but his opinion is not always appreciated.
He
attends meeting just as minutes jotter and reporter, his opinion is not
being sought for in decision making. L.N.Mbaga (1984) in contemporary
views, said that, “a professional secretaries are held as drop outs
forced by self –induced disappointments and frustrations to specialize
in typewriting and shorthandâ€.
Due to this misconception of the
profession, less importance is attached to the secretary position. The
secretary in an organization, is seen by other members of the
organization, as merely an appendage. In most cases, he is regarded as a
shorthand/typist by a majority of people. People well informed who are
supposed to acknowledge the importance of secretaries in the society and
consequently he feels slighted.
Some employers seen not to know the
difference between the work of an office messenger and that of a
secretary. Some secretaries are expected to do the boss’s wife or other
co-workers and consequently this affects her psychologically. This was
confirmed by an interview conducted by Nicola Tyre (1984), when a lady
secretary said that at one time she had two houses to run as well as her
normal job. She went on complaining that she was used as a domestic
skinny, doing her boss’s personal errand running such as buying a
present for the wife and her weekly shopping.
These type of problems
facing secretaries in the job tend to affect their productivity and
stability, even those with genuine interest for the career one scared
away and consequently secretaries change of occupation becomes more,
than in other fields like engineering, business administration etc.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The aim of this research work was to find out how aid what type of sociological factors that affect professional secretaries in their career. Secretaries and their bosses were selected from different organizations as well as the student secretaries of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and those of the college of education both in Port-Harcourt metropolis. The instruments used in this study were questionnaire and face to face oral interview. These were administered to the samp ... Continue reading---
