CHALLENGES OF SECRETARIAL PRACTICE IN THE CONTEMPORARY OFFICE MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The term ‘Secretarial Practice’ has been used to include knowledge, skills, procedure and methods of work to be performed by a confidential secretary or secretarial personnel (Veon, 2011). Persons with secretarial skills find employment in all types of offices e.g., govt., public or private, different types of agencies etc. located in big and small cities. The application of modern technology advancements has brought a revolution and greater effectiveness in day to day working of the offices. Due to this, procedures have become more streamlined and office work has become more interesting and challenging.
The professional secretary international defined a secretary as an executive assistant who has mastery of office skills, demonstrative the ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, exercise initiatives and judgment and makes decisions within the scope of assigned authority, from this definition we can see that although various office works are secretaries. Secretaries have more responsibility for their work. A professional secretary performs tasks similar to executive or administrative assistants. Generally, a professional secretary coordinates the daily routines of an office and organizes the office schedules and paper work.
According to Agoola and Ademiluyi (2004) a secretary’s duties require analysis of the situation, judgement, technical knowledge and creativity, and because a secretary’s responsibilities are more complex than entry level responsibilities, additional on the job experience and educational is required. The number and type of activities secretaries are assigned depend on whether they are generalists (multifunction secretaries) or specialists (such as legal or word processing secretaries.
Secretaries use many different talents and work with many different people. According to Basher (2007 an office professional, the secretary has the responsibility to organize the work flow so that the employer will feel that everything is under control, with all projects completed when needed. Modern professional secretaries are now referred to as office managers by some people because of their activities, education, skill acquisition, knowledge and even expectations from their bosses, customers, clients, and even the general public. Whether called a secretary. A manager or a personal assistant, a professional secretary is no more the man or woman sitting behind the typewriter, taking shorthand dictations and attending to visitors.
Office management is now more concerned with office occupations or the exhibitions or use of skills, aptitudes and attitudes and knowledge for carrying out successfully the functions of the office, (Ikelegbe, 2011).
1.2 Statement of the problem
As earlier stated, change and advancement in technology, leading to a re- sharpening of organizational setting poses a big challenge to today and future secretaries.
While it is true that efficient secretaries have nothing to be scared of however secretaries can be truly fit for specialized positions, thereby misplacing untrained secretaries who do not go through the rigors of secretarial skills. The possibility of this would be discussed in the course of the study.

1.3 Research Questions
In an attempt to arrive at a reasonable conclusion, the following research questions were put forward to be analysed.
1. What are the challenges encountered by secretarial practitioners on records keeping in contemporary office management?
2. What are the challenges encountered by secretarial practitioners on human relations in contemporary office management?
3. What are the challenges encountered by secretarial practitioners on ICT in contemporary office management?
4. What are the challenges encountered by secretarial practitioners on utilization of modern office technologies in contemporary office management?
1.4 Purpose of the study
The purpose of the paper is to identify the challenges of secretarial practice in the contemporary office management. This gives people a general view that a secretary can be anybody, especially with the advancement in technology. This project is chosen with the intent of explaining convincingly that secretary is a specially trained individual, in and for secretarial duties researcher intends to establish the motion that there are challenges in the secretarial practice in the contemporary office management.
1.5 Significance of the study
For everyone in this noble profession just as secretarial skills (Shorthand, typewriting and Computer) are very vital subjects in the subject selection of secretarial practice.
This study will help secretaries to acknowledge their weakness and make necessary amendments to improve their performance in contemporary office. Moreover, this write up will serve as a reference material to other researchers who in one way or the other may wish to carry out a similar topic in the future.
1.6 Scope of the study
This study is restricted to the challenges of secretarial practice in the contemporary office management. The only source of primary data collection is Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
Hence, the findings may not be a total and absolute reflection of what is obtains in other institutions. Therefore, its findings may not be generalised.
1.7 Limitation of the study
Due to the short span of academic session, researchers encountered problem of getting in touch with secretarial practice of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
Inadequate funds also added to the limitation of this project work, taking cognizance of cost of stationeries and transportation in the country.
1.8 Definitions of Terms
1. Modern Office: According to Komolafe (2010), modern offices are equipped with technologically sophisticated gadgets that inform accuracy and efficiency of work output. A modern office has up-to-date computers and office equipment and may also have furniture that is ergonomic in design.
2. Secretarial Practice: Secretarial practice has been used to include the knowledge and skills a secretary should have and the procedures or methods of work through which he/she has to conduct his operation
3. Secretary: A person who undertakes office duties/functions. An employee who does clerical and administrative work in an office for a person or organization.
4. Management: Management is the achievement of objectives through people. It is the effective utilization of scarce human and material resources to achieve goals in a conducive environment (Sanni, 2005).
5. Office: Is a place where clerical activities are carried out or a nerve centre of an organisation.

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction
In this chapter, the researcher reviewed works of other authorities relevant to this study. It is organized under the following sub-headings: History of secretarial profession, who is a secretary, roles and responsibilities of a secretary in the contemporary office management, functions of a secretary in the contemporary office management, challenges facing secretary in the contemporary office management and how a secretary can overcome challenges in the contemporary office management.
2.1 History of Secretarial Profession
Literature on the history of the secretarial profession shows that nobody knows when secretaries originated, but that the roman’s were first to employ men as scribes who took down dictation. Men dominated secretarial jobs until the late 1880s. However, in the 1930s women started to dominate the profession. In Nigeria, there were few secretaries In the early 1900s because there were no government established training institutions. Organizations employed typists and stenographers as secretaries. These ‘secretaries’ trained in road- side secretarial institutes. These institutes did not have qualified instructors and adequate machines. Therefore, those who employed them were sceptical about their administrative competence, thus limiting their activities to routine or chore office jobs. In the late 1900s, the state and federal Training Centres in Lagos and Kaduna, The state government later established staff Development Centres, Admission requirements into these centres were low. Later, polytechnics were established by both state and federal governments in order to have better trained secretaries. At present, we have a few universities with a secretarial Administration department where secretaries are trained. The polytechnics are still regarded as the best place to train secretaries. Secretaries command high respect and they easily get jobs. They are versatile because all organizations need them. In the early days of producing secretaries in Nigeria, people we regarded those who went to commercial secondary modern or commercial secondary schools as dullards. The public regarded those whop went to secondary grammar school as highly intelligent – those who would become doctors, lawyers, engineers, e.t.c. Things have interestingly reversed as commercial or business courses are becoming more versatile than the science course. We now find doctors and other professionals who write accounting examinations.
2.2 Who is a secretary?
Agboola and Ademiluyi (2004) define a secretary as an assistant to an executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision who displays initiatives. Exercise judgement, and makes decisions within the scope of his/her authority.
Frank (2001), also defined a secretary as an executive assistance who possess a mastery of office skills, who demonstrate ability to assume responsibilities without direct supervision, she may also exercise initiative and judgement and makes decisions within the scope of assigned authority, she must be a good organizer, a worker encyclopaedia, a problem solver, a counsellor, a well educated and cultured, a develop a good memory, have unlimited common sense and boundless initiative.
Ekwue (2009), define a secretary as the executive assistance or the junior partner of the executive. They went further to say that a secretary does not only transcribe rapidly a well panned dictation. In addition to routine work, the secretary also makes minute of a meeting with no difficulty and takes telephone messages with accuracy and ease. She is also expected to compose letters, carry out research for and prepare materials for reports a well as act as a representative of the executive in attending to the public and the business colleagues in his absence.
Eze (2002) expresses that a secretary is a warm, endlessly helpful and understanding individual whose sole aim is to elevate initiatives, handles and complete a project.
2.3 Roles and Responsibilities of a Secretary in a Contemporary Office
Though a supportive function requires a large amount of initiative, tact and resourcefulness to succeed. Apart from the traditional responsibilities such a typing, taking dictations and transcribing, managing records, receiving, storing and retrieving information or operating the computer , attending meetings, answering telephone calls, he/ she now carries out research, prepares the manager’s itenary , makes travel bookings and hotel reservations, supervises the junior workers, and makes some decisions using his initiatives. He should be able to answer some questions on behalf of the boss.
Odiaua (2010) identifies the secretary’s responsibilities to include: taking dictation and transcribing it into correspondence which is at once dispatch to its business destination. He highlights of some forms of these correspondences to include; letters memos, circulars orders, quotations, and acceptance, contractual terms, and conditions, invitations. Therefore the secretary must be regarded with some respect with reference to these onerous functions that impinge on the success of the organization.
However, it is important to note that the secretary was coined from the Latin word ‘secretaries’ meaning something know only to one or a few and kept secret or hidden from the view of others. Ademiluyi and Agboola (2001) describe a confidential secretary as a person ‘who deals with correspondence of confidential nature, while defining a personal secretary, a person employed to deal with correspondence or duties of personal nature. All she had to acquire, were typewriting skills from 40wam to 60wam and shorthand speed from 80 to 120wam.
A secretary should be someone who, not only have attained enough skill in shorthand and typewriting but who have received sufficient general education coupled with adequate general knowledge that will facilitate the performance of her duties.
Conclusively, the most important characteristics expected from secretary by employers are the right attitude to work, like; tactfulness, initiates, loyalty. Careful, grooming, pleasant voice, self control, neatness, reliability, understand, trustworthiness, healthy life and good memory. Ademiluyi and Abooola have also been rather meticulous in listing some of the duties expected of secretaries of the old:
i. Taking dictation and transcribing on the typewriter
ii. Dispatching letters
iii. Filling Document
iv. Reading and Sorting out mails
v. Answering telephone and making calls
vi. Receiving Message
vii. Making appointments for the boss and Keeping record of them.
viii. Ordering supplies for the office
x. Acting as memory aid to the boss
xi. Composing Letters and helping to prepare reports.
These lists, intimidating as it may appear at first glance can be summarized in one sentence. Information processing and human relations. Ademiluyi and Agboola (2001) conclude “a secretary is expected to easy the burden of the boss whose work and heavy responsibilities make heavy demand upon him”.
2.4 Functions of a Secretary
2.4.1 Administrative Functions of Secretary
An administrative functions of a secretary involves organizing and controlling the organisational activities in order to achieve the objectives of the organization. It also includes supervision of junior staff and ensuring that schedules of work are being accomplished, directives and assigned tasks completed within the time span, and ensuring that all the materials needed for performing any particular job are available at the right time.
Ekwue (2009) advanced that a secretary must perform a variety of secretarial and office management duties, composes, types and files letters and inter-office memos, receives calls and interviews persons calling in office and makes referrals, prepares departmental records and disciplinary notices. Performing any or all of the mentioned duties depicts that a secretary is involved in an administrative function.
Odiaua (2010) agreed with Ekwue (2009) on these duties but also included some duties like maintaining files and personal records, reviews, organises and maintains files, monitors attendance including sick leave, annual leave and vacation leave, compiles and records data for computer files, develops and implements new departmental forms, recommends and implements changes in correspondence sent to public. All this as identified by Odiaua, save time for the executive/boss and makes job easier. For secretary to effectively perform these duties, he must be conversant with the policy of the
organisation.
The N.B.T.E (2004) developed a course unit which trains the O.T.M students theoretically and practically in these roles and named it “Career Development” at the N.D level, and Professional Career Development at H.N.D level with general objectives of equipping the students with knowledge and skills necessary for entry into an office career, and specific objectives of: understanding the growing demand for office workers; knowing modern business office; understanding the roles of office workers; understanding job responsibilities of office workers and knowing how to prepare for office work. The course units were designed to have 50% theoretical hours and 50% practical hours.
2.4.2 Personnel Functions of a Secretary
The personnel roles of a secretary include membership of interview panels for junior staff and assigning job schedules to staff. It also involves receiving, sorting and distributing mails within the organisation, composing replies to correspondences on behalf of the executive, identifying and solving routine and non-routine problems by applying professional skills and techniques in order to develop the variety of ideas and modify situations (Shuaibu, 2009).
Secretary relieves his employer the task of determining the organisational staff strength due to the fact that he controls skills inventory, he does manpower forecasting (junior staff) and arrange for the staff selection and assign job schedules. Bashar (2007) stated that skill inventory by a secretary are the