A Survey On The Image Making Functions Of Professional Secretarials In Government Parastatals

A SURVEY ON THE IMAGE MAKING FUNCTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIALS IN GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS

ABSTRACT

          This research study is aimed at examining the professional secretary and their role as it pertains to image making in any government with emphasize to N.E.P.A.

          The study is also aimed at examining if professional secretaries have role to play as it pertains to image making and also to identify ways of improving on this aspect of their duties.

          The study also has the responsibility of determining if professional secretaries are involved with the responsibility of image making within any of the government parastatals or establishment.

          The researcher used the survey method in the execution of the study in order to enable him generate different forms of views and opinions as it pertains to the study.

          Related literature in the area of secretaries studies, public relations, mass communications and other fields of humanities and social sciences were reviewed as a guide to enable the researcher actualize the goals of the research study.

          The simple random sampling method was used in the selection of the sample size of the study.

          A total of thirteen (13) researcher questionnaires were obtained in the questionnaire which the researcher used during the study.

          The result of the study showed that the secretary has a role to play in the area of image making within the organization.

          That image making is very essential to the survival of every establishment.

The study also showed that with adequate training, the professional secretary would improve more in the area of image management.

          Finally, it was identified that the duty of image making should not be left for the professional secretary alone rather it should be a combined effort of every member of the organization.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1     INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          The success and failure of any business organization can largely be caused by so many factors such as

Attitude of works

Working environment

Lack of finance

Lack of good corporate image

Lack of public relation and its principles are some of the factors that can easily cause this problem of failure in an organization.

          It is a very known fact that the aim of most business organizations is channeled towards profit maximization. However the truth is that in order to achieve this, quite a lot of factors must be put in their rightful places. One of these factors as have been pointed out is the organization’s image. Any organization be it public or privately owned has the big task of maintaining a good and positive image for their organization.

          Thus, the term image making could be said to be; Any deliberate and sustainable efforts made by the organization towards improving the perception of the publics both internal and external towards the organization, its products, its services, its workers, identities and that is related to the organization.

          From the definition above, one can say that image making within the organization is not a simple matter to deal with. Another point is of the fact that the responsibility of improving the image of any organization does not only rest within the shoulders of the management team. Every individual within the organization owes it as a responsibility to contribute in no small measure towards improving the image of the organization.

          Secretaries in any organization are one particular set of workers that has a major role to play including image making. This is based on the fact on that day to day basis they are the people that usually come in contact with the public and this has a great role to play in the area of image making.

          A secretary according to National Association of the United State of American is defined as “An Executive Assistance who possesses mastery of office skills, demonstrates the ability to assume responsibility without supervision, exercises initiative and judgment and makes decision within the scope of assigned with the responsibility of taking notes, and taking dictations in shorthand it has rather, been pointed out that a secretary is bestowed with the task of assuming managerial and administrative responsibilities without much supervision.          

          Thus it would be right to state at this point that a secretary or secretaries to a very large extent have parts to play in the image making process of any organization.

          The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) is one of the organizations. Bestowed with the responsibility of giving and maintaining electric power supply in the country, NEPA on constant period come in contact with public criticisms and public condemnation due to constant power failure and epileptic power supply. 

          It is therefore in realization to the above mentioned factors that the researcher wants to make a survey study of the image making function of professional secretaries a case study of National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).

1.2     STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

          The problem of this study concern image making functions in the office as a professional secretaries one personal and business attitude in performance of handle mail, constructing and tying letters the cofidelity and diplomacy in handling inquire telephone callers and visitors.

          Image making is an essential parts of modern day business management. In areas where this is not been taken into proper consideration, it spells doom on the existence and survival of the business organization be it private or public.

          Over the years, the world business environment has passed through series of changes ranging from the days of self – sufficient farming down to the present era of scientific and technological advancement.

          It is very important to note that today’s business world cannot be discussed without mentioning the staff and management and the roles and contribution of secretaries.

          If is always said that first impression always matter in every human dealings in like manner, the first impression given by a secretary to a visitor always leave a foot print on the mind of the visitors.

          The problem is that it has not been known whether any aspect of the secretaries functions concern the public relation.

          This research work therefore attempted to find out if there are aspects of the secretarial functions that concern image making functions.

1.3     PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

1.                 Find out the duties of professional secretaries in NEPA. Enugu metropolis.

2.                 Find out if their duties relate to image making function as that performed by (RROS).

3.                 Find out if these secretaries perform these functions effectively and efficiently.

4.                 Find out if these secretaries are adequately trained for their job.

5.                 Find out factors that can either hamper or improve the image making functions of secretaries in NEPA Enugu metropolis.

1.4     DELIMITATION/ SCOPE OF THE STUDY

          This research is concentrated on finding out only the image making functions of professional secretaries in NEPA Enugu metropolis.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

          Answers were provided to the following research questions

1.                 What are the duties of the professional secretaries in NEPA?

2.                 What aspects of these duties concern image making functions?

3.                 Do professional secretaries perform these functions creditably?

4.                 Are these secretaries trained to perform these duties?

5.                 What are the factors that can help professional secretaries to improve on their duty of image making?

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