Problem Encountered By Female Secretaries In A Business Organization (A Case Study Of Dekina Local Government)

Project and Seminar Material for Business Administration and Management BAM

Abstract

This research focus on identifying the problems encountered by female secretaries in business organization as well as to identify the duties of a secretaries in an organization. Questionnaire is the instrument for gathering information 50 copies of questionnaires were distributed to respondents and all 50 retrieved and analyzed. Based on the analysis, it was discovered amongst others that economic problem and lack of career motivation and management opportunities are part of the problems encountered by female secretaries. Based on the these findings, it was recommended that business organization should avoid discrimination in their employment policy.

Table of Content

Preliminary Page(s)

Title page
Approval page
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of contents
Abstract

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Purpose of the study
1.4 Significance of the study
1.5 Research questions
1.6 Scope of the study

Chapter Two

Literature

2.1 Duties and responsibility of a secretary
2.2 Problems facing secretary in an organization
2.2.1 Divulging official secrets
2.2.2 Psychological problems
2.2.3 Husband attitude
2.2.4 Social problems
2.2.5 Career motivation and management opportunities
2.2.6 Unofficial relationship with the boss
2.2.7 Sexual harassment
2.2.8 Economic problem
2.2.9 Motivation and female secretary
2.2.10 Office relationship between male boss and female secretary

Chapter Three

Methodology

3.1 Design of the study
3.2 Area of the study
3.3 Population of the study
3.4 Samples of the study
3.5 Description of Instruments
3.6 Administration and retrieval of instrument
3.7 Method of data analysis

Chapter Four

Data Presentation and Analysis

4.1 Data presentation
4.2 Data analysis
4.3 Discussion of findings

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations

5.1 Summary of Findings
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
Reference

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

A secretary has been defined by the national secretary association as executive assistance who possesses a mastery of skill, who demonstrates the ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, who exercise initiative and judgment and who make decision without the scope of assigned authority.

Stenographer and secretaries are office worker whose jobs primarily requires stenographer skills, namely proficiency in taking dictation with shorthand and transcribing it on the typewriter.

More than 95% of secretaries and stenographers are women (Newage encyclopedia vol. 13). The secretary profession came to Nigeria as a whole with the coming of the white men (colonial masters).

When the white men came to Africa, they needed to communicate with the black hence they searched for and made interpreters. The interpreters are indigenes of the various areas they visited. This enables both parties to communicate with each other. Through this clerks were created by the white men and these set up but with little responsibilities.

Formally the work of these secretaries where quite few but as time went on and with the Nigeria Independence in particular, Nigeria took over the post from the white men who dominated the profession.

The word “secretary” must be able to keep official secrets without reserves.

The secretarial profession is now regarded as a course carrier from women of female gender while the men into other profession. The objectives of the research are to determine problem encountered by female secretary in a business organization and ways the problem can be solved.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It is the aim of everybody to be an achiever in what ever he/she does in life. People in this profession look forward to succeed, unfortunately, female in this career encounter one problem or the other and for this reason they are not place with the job. Below are some of the problems encountered by female employees in this profession.

Social suspicion
Discrimination
Sexual harassment from the boss
Intimidation by the male counterparts
Combination of the office responsibilities and that of home management.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

To identify the duties and responsibility of a secretary in Dekina Local Government Area Council (DLGA).
To ascertain the problems facing female secretaries in an organization.
To enumerate the various ways these problems can be solved.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study will no doubt help both married and unmarried female secretaries in taking their problem effectively. It will serve as a guide in the improvement of working condition and attitude toward female secretaries.

It will also help to alley fears of those intending to go into secretarial profession. This study will also offer more areas that student may wish to make further research on the problems encountered by female secretaries in an organization.

Furthermore, the study will serve as indicator to employer so as to know how their female secretaries know the working environment that will be best for maximum efficiency and the entire work of organization. Finally, it will improve the organization performance generally and give more chances for women empowerment.

More so, this will help to improve chance of advancement of the female secretaries, the study will also clear the ground on people’s view of the secretaries and curb the threat.

1.5 Research Question

Do female secretaries have equal changes of advancement with their male counterpart in DLGA?
Does your organization consider gender in their employment policy?
Does female secretaries divulge official secret in your organization?
Are female secretaries treated as inferior to their male counterpart in DLGA?
Does the secretarial work expressly affect private lives of married and unmarried female secretaries?

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study is designed to study Dekina Local Government Area and the various challenges and problems facing their female secretaries in the discharge of their duties.

Chapter Five

Summary, Recommendation and Conclusions

This chapter has brought this research work to maturity stage, and to be dealt with the following topics.

5.1 Summary of Findings

In this regard, it is believed that the result of data analysis in chapter four has given “green light” to the researcher to enter into extensive discussion on the answer obtained from the respondents in answer to the questionnaire given.

The research question was used to find out when the organization uses sex or marital status in making their employment policy.

Table 11 emphasized that there are greater number of female secretaries in the organization, 10 percent said that the number of male secretaries are less than female secretaries. This was further buttressed by the number of respondents who are 45 for 90% agreed that female secretaries are greater in number.

5.2 Conclusion

The researcher found out that 75% of the executives interviewed agreed that female secretary encountered a number of problems in their respective working place and advised them not to allow their private life to conflict with their work.

Secondly, further research could be carried out, aimed at comparing the extent of dedication to the family by female secretaries with that of other female professionals such as nursing, engineering, architects, medical doctors, traders, musicians and teachers etc.

5.3 Recommendation

In chapter four, the researchers presented the various data save for this study, the analysis pointed the problems encountered by female secretaries in business organization with the available facts and findings. The following were recommended by the researchers.

The business organization should avoid discrimination in their employment policy.
If female secretaries want time for her personal or domestic reasons, she should give her employee enough notice.
No matter the number of hours wanted by female secretaries, she should always create time for caring for the family.
She should have a dual loyalty to the organization for which she works and to her husband and also to her children.
She owns an indispensable duty to her family as well.

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