This desire to write on this particular topic the importance of computer to a secretarial profession in business organization” grew out of the present significant rolls it plays in secretary day to day activities, secretaries therefore as the strong hold of office function should equip them selves with the computer. This project report is going to be useful and helpful to studying data processing as a major course in the universities and polytechnics. However, I have taken the pains to present this project report in a tense and simple language, so as to make it readable and comprehensive to any of the users. To achieve the aim, the researcher looked into: (a) Whether the secretaries with computer knowledge are able to save much time and increase productivity. (b) Whether the service rendered by the secretaries with computer in any organization can achieve their set out goals, objectives and aspirations. (c) Whether the assistance of the computer to our secretary’s duties would be able to increase productivities. (d) Whether the computer. Helps the secretary to perform specialized duties in the office with which they contribute to the attainment of organization goals. (e) Whether the secretaries using the computer to perform administration function in addition to their specialized secretarial functions, could be elevated to administrative posts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Approval page ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract v

Table of contents vi

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background of study 1

1.2 Statement of problem 11

1.3 Purpose of study 12

1.4 Significance of the study. 13

1.5 Research questions 13

1.6 Limitation and the scope of the study 14

1.7 Definition of the terms 14

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Literature review 16

2.2 Computer in the secretary’s office 16

2.3 Different computer training for secretary 18

2.4 Impact of computer to secretaries 21

2.5 Summary of literature review 22

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 25

3.1 Population 25

3.2 Sample for the study 26

3.3 Method of data analysis 27

3.4 Decision rule 28

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 29

4.1 Research question 1 29

4.2 Findings 29

4.3 Research question 2 30

4.4 Findings 31

4.5 Research question 3 33

4.6 Findings 34

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 35

5.1 Summary of the findings 35

5.2 Findings 35

5.3 Conclusion 37

5.4 Recommendations 38

Reference 40

Appendix 1 41

Questionnaire 42

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

A secretary is a person who has a wide knowledge into the art and science of handling office correspondence and machines. In other words, a secretary is that person who has under gone secretarial courses and having the knowledge to operate all office machine available, such as typewriter, franking machines, adding machines, duplication machines etc. he or she also received information, makes calls, receives calls either within or outsides the organization.

It is important to identify the functions of secretary performs in the modern business world; by this we would be able to appreciate the role computer plays in secretarial activities computer has been defined by many authors and computer analysis as an electronic device that has the ability of automatically accepting data, applying sequence of process to data store and automatically execute a program of instruction and supplying the result of the process. Computer evolved as results of man’s search for fast, accrual calculating devices. But if will be wrong to think that computer just arrived unto sense of secretarial profession and organization computer comes into existence between 15^th and 16teh century. The first known data processing devices consisted of the use of fingers, stones and sticks for counting on a string, Socrates on a rock and abacus as keeping devices. In addition a follow up development on the data processing was the introduction of manual computer and machinery to perform arithmetic and science operations, but with the dynamic nature of business world. Its important has been stretched beyond these spheres of operations, but business office of organizations and even to private homes.

The introduction of computers and machines to perform arithmetic operations is often attributed to blaze passels of France and Volition of Germany in the seventeenth century A.D. In order to honor blaze Pascal, the programming language was named after him, Pascal with the introduction of electronic computer since then a series of radical breakthrough, the computers based upon the order form of electronics have been replaced by a new “generation of computer based upon a new form of electronics.

IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTER

Until the evolution of computers into the sense of industries, most duties were performed manually but after the introduction of computer, most of jobs that were carried out traditionally now become computerized such computer has its own unique code computer is an important management tool for the following reasons

a. It performs operation quickly

b. It stores data compactly

c. It handles large quantities of data

d. It handles effectively the routing large scale data processing tasks, such as wages and salary calculations and billing etc.

THE INTRODUCTION OF COMPUTE TO THE SECRETARY

The computer is a wonderful tool but not a “spoon feeder” which can restructures an inefficient organization. The computer will aid secretary in processing information Note that the first thing that connects a company and its customers is the business letter or other information sent. It is the duty of the secretary to check the quality of output from the organization, with computer the secretary can actually of work without stress, produce work or which she can be proud recall information on a screen on this screen all corrections can easily be made.

THE PERFORMANCE/ROLE OF THE SECRETARY

In many organizations, managers are likely to find out that running the computer system of computer without the personal back up of a secretary has the effect of actually covering up the management mistake so there might be found a high degree of complimentarily computer according to Robert (181-8) he had observed that.

The secretary is the interface between technology and the managers …….. This does not mean that she has to have expert knowledge of the whole computer……….”

This falls in line with Cameron (1982-5) who claimed that the computer has no altered the time honored role of secretary. The same idea was expressed by Eni (1991-5) when he pointed out that: the secretary is often the company’s first contact with prospective costumers. Her effectiveness can either give the customers a good impression to call again on the company”

So from what Robert and Eni said one can see what the secretary has a very important role to play in an organization. She connects the technology in the office to the outside world which includes the customers. The most vital features of what a secretary produces are data. The most vital features of what a secretary produces in actually must be harmonized with her top event loss or corruption of data.

So a secretary should see the computer as a “catalyst by which her careers will become more explicit, it will even aid her to distinguish between responsibility and competence the computer with the secretarial performance it poses yet another set of question dealing with employee attitudes according to Benson et al (1980-1995) computer is:

When computer is brought into an organization old pasterns of interaction … are altered or entirely destroyed and new pasterns are faced upon employees and managers.

THE EFFECTS OF COMPUTER TO THE ROLE OF A SECRETARY

From the above, it is clear that when computer is first introduced in an organization there would be no double that what is done and how it is done, will change. There is high level of adaptation by users of this machine. The job of secretaries can change deistically when the computer is introduced. So it is the duty of office manager to harmonize the secretary’s role with the computer by splitting the secretary’s job into different parts as advocated by Benson et al (1980-1993)

“Typing and text editing responsibilities are allocated to the computer other responsibilities however, like filling duties are called administration support. It is not only by doing this that the secretary will be contestant with computer in management decision team and even reducing stress. Not only will she be relived but the computer unit will be effectively used with the personal back-up of the secretary skill in operating it.