ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIES IN COMMERCIAL BANKS (A Case Study Of Ecobank Plc In Enugu Urban)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 
The word secretary is derived from the Latin word “secretus” which literally means “keeper of secrets’. As far back as 1887, Lord Eshere word who defined a secretary as “ a mere servant” his position is that he has to do what he is told and no person can assume he has any authority to represent anything at all. Thus the above definition was however made when the values of secretarial profession has yet been recognized. At this time, secretarial functions were limited to only typing with manual typewriter, writing with shorthand and filling of documents 
As years pass by, the educated status of secretaries as enhanced and their responsibility in the organization became clearly defined. In 1982, Margaret Kuntz define secretary in a magazine “Today’s Secretary” as an executive who possesses a mastery of office skill, demonstration the ability to assume responsibility and makes decisions within the scope of assigned authority 
Today secretary ship is a very vital and indispensable cancer needed for the smooth and efficient running of the day-to-day business of any organization. Their functions are limitless, not only do the secretary type, but they do that with the electric typewriter, computer and so many other sophisticated office equipment
A good secretary is a public relation officer and an administrative head. She is the image maker. In other words, the reflecting glass of the organization. Most executive secretaries handle only highly confidential matters while jobs of less confidential nature are passed down to her subordinates.
Moreover, even before the advent of computers, many speculations were made as regards the replacement of the secretaries by the computers since computer perform all office work at a very amazing speed, but this has been disproved because the secretary has to tell the computer what to do and when to do it. 
Before the word computer is used when referring to a person who arithmetic procedures such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division is extraordinary 
During that period man use pebbles, grains of corn, fingers and toes as well as smaller objects 
The numerous problems encountered by man, what dealing with large number was, the necessity which gave to the invention of a computer. The Abacus was adopted and modified by the Chinese and the Japanese about 2600 B.C

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM                                                     
The major problem of secretarial profession is that people see it as a profession that had no definite sequence, a procedure for the job 
They feel that the secretary is often interrupted by telephone call, visitors, colleagues, and subordinates and even the boss may call her to receive one assignment or the other that the effect on secretary efficiency and productivity in the organization are cut down 
However, there has been a lot of speculation and inscription that the invention of computer in organization has posed a lot of problem to secretaries in all ramification and therefore seen as possible replacement of secretaries in organization using it (computer) . 
Secretaries in the part of the world is under rated. People see them as a profession by unintelligent people. The common occupied belief is that anybody who uses the typewriter takes dictation a secretary. Since the majority of the so called secretaries are typist with little or no secretarial education and training, the general belief is that the duties of a secretary do not go beyond taking dictation and typing correspondence, she is seen as having little or no contribution to make towards the attainment of organizational goals. 
Presently, most offices are equipped with modern technological equipments. Many business organization which do not have the financial capacity to produce most of the equipments see themselves odd in the pool of modern organization. Making use of the new equipment maximally enhances the productivity and efficient of workers 
It is expected that those machines and equipments should have special handling before they improve performance. What has not been known at the present is whether modern secretaries know how to operate these machines successfully, appreciated productivity. 
It has also not been known weather secretaries play special role in Afri-bank Plc we use the office equipment and whether secretaries play any special roles in willing them
The research work therefore sought the role and the roles and the roles of professional secretaries in commercial banks in Enugu Urban

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 
The purpose of the study is to 
i. Find out the role which secretaries perform in Afri bank
ii. Find out if secretaries are trained to perform these roles 
iii. Find out if they encounter any obstacle from performing such roles 
iv. Find out secretaries in Afri-Bank Plc who uses modern office equipment 
v. Find out if the use of modern office equipments enhances secretaries productivity

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 
The findings of the study of the roles of secretaries in Afri-bank Plc shall be useful to the practicing secretaries in appreciation of their ideal functions as secretaries. The findings shall also be useful to students secretaries in tertiary institutions to preview the task ahead of them. The study shall be of immense benefit to chief executives of business organization in appraising the responsibilities to their secretaries. The study shall also be beneficial to curriculum designers at the tertiary load in determining the real training to be given to student’s secretaries

1.5 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY 
This research concentrated only on findings and the roles of secretaries in a computerized office. The study was conducted in Afri-bank Plc.

1.6 ASSUMPTION OF THE STUDY 
The researcher assumes that if secretaries are trained peoples, they will also perform their role well. The researcher also assume that if organization procure modern office equipment, the performance of societies shall improve

1.7 RESEARCH QUESTION 
1. What roles to secretaries perform in commercial banks 
2. To what extent are the secretaries in Afri-Bank Plc trained to perform their roles
3. What problem do the securities encountered from performing the role 
4. To what extent does the use of modern office equipment helps secretaries in performing these roles 
5. Do secretaries in Afri-bank Plc use modern office equipment.

1.8 DEFINITION 
Role – According to Oxford Advance learner’s dictionary of English language, role is a function which a person or hiring typical is expected to have. In this project role is use to seen somebody in an organization. 
PROFESSIONAL – According to Oxford advance learner’s dictionary language, profession is a type of job that need special training skill, especially one that needs a high level of education. In this project, it is used to weigh role of secretaries and their performance in an organization. 
SECRETARIES- According to advanced learners dictionary of English Language is a person who works in an office, working for another person dealing with letters and telephones call, typing, keeping records, arranging meetings with people. In this project, secretary is a person that carry out the duties of administration. 
ECOBANK PLC- Afri bank Plc is one of the commercial bank in the Enugu state of Nigeria . It is the bank significantly chosen for the study.

1.9 IMPLICATION OF THE STUDY 
The introduction of office automation has verify greater information and a lot of changes in office operation. 
Office Automation simply means the use of computer in carrying out variety of operation such as word process, data process relation and natural accounts and other salary operation. 
The need of this study is to know the role of professional secretary in an automated secretaries office. This study implies that business organizations that are computerized will still require the services of secretary if most of the functions of secretary will not take over by the computer.
They study also implies most of the job of all if they exclude through the computer. The services of secretaries may not b e require. Therefore study of arouse if secretary in the computerized office w have variety of implication of curriculum designed and educational policy making to assist to take care of student which shall in nature to the world of works.