THE EFFECT OF WORKING CONDITION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SECRETARIES IN AN ORGANIZATION

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    Introduction

1.1    Background of the Study

Any organization that wishes to succeed in achieving it aims and objectives has to maintain a good working condition so as to achieve its goals. This is so because the intrinsic and extrinsic factors the intrinsic factor is the incentives attached to one’s job that is what influences the secretary within the job, and this include achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility promotion and possibility for personal growth, while extrinsic are the environmental condition attached to one’s work element that contribute or motivated the secretary e.g. interpersonal relationship with colleagues and subordinates.

Management itself realizes that there are certain fundamental needs that must be satisfied it secretary’s due to function at their best, workers look for organization, firms, companies and institutions that offer jobs that provides satisfaction and sense of accomplishment it is in view of this background that the researchers intends to carry out this research work with the view of making employees improve their working condition as to get the best out of their employees.

Secretaries are needed in every type of office, be it advertising and public education, law and medicine, manufacturing and industries, publishing and schools, insurance and bank etc they also work for politicians, writers and judges.

It is an indisputable fact that the secretary is backbone of any organization, many achievements have been made by the management of the workforce of which the secretary is no exception.

Secretary is derived from the latin word ‘secretaries’ meaning something know to one or few and kept secret or hidden from the view or knowledge of others, simply puts, a secretary is a keeper of secrets. He / she is a person who works in an office, working for another person, dealing with letters and telephone calls, typing, keeping records, arranging meeting with people secretary cannot be efficient and effective if he / she is working under poor condition.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

This research work is focused on the effect of working conditions on workers productivities, the working condition of any organization plays an important role on the workers because the productivity of an organization depends largely on them, lack of good working condition in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic factors leads to an great decline in productivity.

It is observed that many organizations are yet to realize the benefit of good working condition and consequently, this is greatly affecting their employees particularly the realization of this fact that prompted the researchers to go into a study of this nature.

1.3    Purpose of the Study

The general objectives of this study is to ascertain the effect of working condition on secretary’s productivity in an organization. However, the specific objectives is to:

• Find out the effect of working condition on the company’s productivity
• Identify the effect of good working condition on the secretary’s performance
• Investigate the level of good working condition for secretaries
• Find out the working condition affect strategies for improving working condition for secretaries

1.4    Research Questions

The following questions are framed in order to give solutions to the problems under study:

• What are the effect of working condition on the company’s productivity
• What are the effects of good working condition on the secretary’s performance
• What ways do organization provide good working condition for their secretaries
• What are the ways of improving working condition for secretaries

1.5    Significance of the Study

          This study will be of benefit to the categories of people’s

• Employer’s of Secretary: This study is hoped to be of importance to employer as it would enable them have an insight of an ideal working condition necessary for higher productivity.
• Secretaries: This study will be of benefit to practicing secretaries, as it would reveal the essence of good working condition thereby making them perform at their best.
• Office Technology and management Studies: This write up will also be of benefit to office technology and management students in preparing them for their own research works
• Future Researchers: It is hoped that future researchers would use the findings as data for future project works.

1.6    Scope/Delimitation

The study will be carried out in four selected organizations within Kaduna metropolis and in view of their size and popularity:

• Nigeria Telecommunication Limited
• National Board for Technical Education
• Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company
• Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna

In carrying out a study of this nature, it is expected to cover many areas in secretarial field, but for the purpose of this study emphasis would only be placed on the following:

• A secretary
• Role played by secretary in an organization
• The importance of a secretary
• The meaning of working condition
• Organizations role in the improvement of working condition
• Factors that enhance secretary’s productivity
• Effects of working condition on secretary’s productivity

1.7    Definition of Terms

          Productivity: This is being able to produce or to be fertile

Adequate: Satisfactory or sufficient requirements

Condition: The thing that must occur if something is to exist

Extrinsic: The environmental condition attached to one’s work

Haphazardly: Without order on plan

Intrinsic: The incentive attached to one’s job

Performance: To do work or to achieve

Organization: Organized body, persons or systems

Secretary: Assistant to an executive employed to help ideal with correspondence and routine office work

Validity: State of being legal

Worker: Members of the working class

Promotion: Act of been given a higher position or rank

Executive: Person or group in a business or commercial organization with administrative or managerial power

Data: Facts, things certainly known and from which conclusions may be drawn