Abstract
The aim of this study is to find out how sociological factors affect professional secretaries in their career. The career has being considered as inferior to other professions as well as being perceived as predominantly female profession. This is as a result of their non-contributory attitude to decision making on the organization. The objective of this study is to investigate the causes of non-recognition of secretaries and their profession or career compared to other professions in our society.
Data were collected through preparation of questions (questionnaires) which were given to secretaries in the selected organizations used as case study. About 60 secretaries across the selected organizations were respondents through which primary data is gotten. Further data was obtained from document sources such as textbooks, magazines, newspapers, seminar paper, journals, and publication from private, public professional and academic libraries. The researcher went to the selected public organizations namely (Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as well as some members of the Nigerian Institute for Professional Secretaries), where questionnaires were distributed to the respondents which were completed and collected after 2-3 days. After collection of the questionnaire, the information obtained were analyzed.
The findings shows that there are 3 major sociological factors affecting professional secretarial career, namely; Religion, Ethnicity and Education.
More than any other factors, these 3 factors affect and destabilize secretaries, thereby threatening their professional career. This has largely lead to wrong impressions about the career. The management of both private and public organizations should however make sure that the sociological factors affecting secretarial career are well addressed, which will eventually lead to motivation at work.
TABLE CONTENTS
Chapter one
Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of problem
1.3 Objectives of study
1.4 The significance of the study
1.5 Scope of the study
1.6 Research questions
1.7 Delimitation of the study
1.8 Definitions of terms or operational definitions
Chapter two
Review of literature
2.1 Secretary: its origin, qualities and functions
2.2 Business attributes and functions of a secretary
2.3 The professional secretary in any business organisation
2.4 Professionalism in secretarial practice
2.5 Secretarial profession in Nigeria today
2.6 The challenges of secretarial profession in Nigeria today
2.7 The advantages of today’s secretaries over yesterday’s ones
Chapter three
Research methodology
3.1 Research methodology
3.2 Design of study
3.3 Area of study
3.4 Population of the study
3.5 Data collection
3.6 Validation of the instrument
3.7 Distribution and retrieval of the instrument
3.8 Methods of data analysis
3.9 Decision rule
Chapter four
Data presentation and analysis
4.1 Data analysis
4.2 Answering research questions
Chapter five
Summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations
5.1 Summary of findings
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
References
Appendix I
Appendix II
List of tables
Table 1- Distribution and collection of questionnaire
Table 2 – Distribution of secretaries by gender
Table 3 – Distribution of secretaries by age
Table 4 – Educational background of secretaries
Table 5 – Distribution of secretaries by ranks
Table 6 – What sort of problems do you encounter in the office and from your employer?
Table 7 – How does the challenges destabilize you in the secretarial career?
Table 8 – what is your view on the way secretaries are generally treated?
Table 9 – in your own opinion, how can these problems be solved?
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The secretarial profession is the alter ego of the executive and is also seen as the life wire of the organization. In recent past, secretarial profession was not highly regarded irrespective of the indispensability of its service to the survival and growth of any organisation or society.
A secretary, or personal assistant is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication, or organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit of more than one. In other situations a secretary is an officer of a society or organization who deals with correspondence, admits new members, and organizes official meetings and events. Robert and Henry (2011).
Secretary is the one entrusted with secrets, one who carries 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, as defined by Lexicon Webster dictionary (1987).
The Secretarial profession requires sound expertise in training, specialized education and moral conduct. Despite these, professional secretaries are faced with some problems amongst which is the sociological factors.
However, if carefully observed, the sociological factors affecting professional secretarial career in Nigeria has always been mistaken. These basic needs have eluded secretaries, as managements institutions have failed in their responsibilities.
The importance of a secretary in any organization cannot be over–emphasized but the profession has been misconstrued due to a small fraction of ill-informed masses, which was commented on in duties of a professional secretary by M. Blight (1983), stating that this can be attributed to the inability of employers to clearly specify job description for professional secretaries.
In an article titled problems in professional secretarial career’, B.O. Ekong (1984) stated that some fraction of employers view the secretaries as mere typewriters and 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.
In some cases, secretary basically attends meeting just as minutes jotter and reporter, without having any opinion or decision making in the meeting. In a contemporary views, Mbaga (1984) said that, “a professional secretaries are held as drop outs forced by self–induced disappointments and frustrations to specialize in typewriting and shorthand”. Secretary is seen by other members of the organization and society at large as a mere appendage.
Less importance have characterized secretarial positions which is largely due to misconception about the profession. Even the well-educated who are supposed to acknowledge the importance of secretaries in the society also feel same about the profession.