The Roles of Data Preservation in Enhancing the Efficiency of Secretarial Function in Selected Banks
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this research work is to:
- Identify the various methods for preserving data in banks in Enugu metropolis
- The constraints faced by secretaries in using these methods
- The roles of these methods in enhancing the efficiency of secretarial functions.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
CONCEPTUAL REVIEW
The Concept Secretary
The word secretary simply means a person who works in an office and manages the organization. Although a secretary is perceived more as a personal assistant or administrative assistant, the professional secretary is one of the most essential human resources in a business organization because he helps make the wheel of the organization to turn. Secretaries provide the unseen services which make the organizations to prosper. Secretaries according to Ahukannah and Ekelegbe (2008) are classified into four categories:
- Professional Secretary: This is the secretary by reason of training, ethics, orientation and skills. He must be an expert in shorthand writing, typewriting and use of computer and ability to deal with office routine activities. This category (in other words termed as confidential secretary) is the researcher area of concern.
- The Honorary Secretary: This is the one who is in charge of the correspondence, data and other business affairs of a society, club and other associations. He is not a professional secretary because he has not acquired the necessary skills/training.
- Private Secretary: This is an employee who deals with correspondence, keep record and files in the office.
- Corporate/Company Secretary: Companies established under the Companies Act 1990 are normally required by the statute to engage the services of a Company Secretary. He/ She takes charge of the administration of the company, as well as functions as secretary to the board of directors. Registrars of government establishment such as polytechnics, universities et cetera are the secretaries of their various institutions who take charge of general administration as well as cover the meetings of their various councils and produce the minutes.
A secretary is a person, whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of professional ethics and communication and organizational skills. Wordnet (2008) defines secretary as a person who assists a member of staff or top management level, and who undertakes a lot of administrative tasks for the smooth running of the office. This definition was confirmed by wikipedia (2008) where a secretary is seen as a person employed to write orders, letters, dispatch public or private papers, record and the like, an official scribe, one who attends to correspondence and transacts other business for an association, a public body, or an individual.
A secretary is an indispensable element in achieving organizational goals. He serves as a memory bank in his organization, scrutinizes visitors so as to give the executive enough time to do some other office activities, keep record so as to prevent embracement and the lost of important document which could consequently have a negative effect to the organization.
The Functions of a Secretary
A thorough review of the duties and roles perform by secretaries requires a classification or categorization of these functions. This classification allows a better understanding of the job the secretaries perform.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
The study is focused on the roles of data preservation in enhancing the efficiency of secretarial function in selected banks in Enugu ,metropolis. All cadre of secretaries in selected banks forms the populations for the study. The selected Banks are Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Africa Continental Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria plc, and United bank for Africa.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of thirty-six (36) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only thirty (30) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 30 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Discussion of results
This study is focused on the roles of data preservation in enhancing the efficiency of secretarial function in selected banks in Enugu ,metropolis. The selected Banks are Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Africa Continental Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria plc, and United bank for Africa. The study ascertained factors that posed as problems while secretaries are using these technological methods of data preservation.
The study adopted a survey research design and with the aid of convenient sampling method, the researcher enrolled 32 participants for the study who are secretaries in the four selected banks in Enugu Metropolis. Well structured questionnaire was issued to the respondent of which a total of 30 responses were received and validated for the study. Data was analyzed frequencies and tables using simple percentage, mean and standard deviation.
Findings from the study revealed some types of method through which secretaries save data in banks ranging from floppy disk, hard disc, flash drives, google drive and iCloud backups respectively. The results of the study established that if the secretary is knowledgeable in the operation of modern office technology it guarantees their optimum usage which inevitably affects the secretary’s activities and output. This suggests that optimum use of modern office technology/equipment depends on the level of knowledge and skills of the secretary who operates the facility. Knowledgeable and skillful secretaries are therefore prerequisites for deriving maximum benefit and value from office technology/equipment. The performance of the secretary is enhanced since office technology ensures that timelines are met and errors minimized, if not completely eliminated, as far as document processing and records management are concerned.
From the data analysis, it was observed that majority of the secretaries in the various banks use computerized method of data preservation, while a few use the electromechanical method and a few others use manual methods of data preservation.
On the aspect of what to be done to improve data preservation method in their bank, it was found out that majority of the respondents were of the opinion that the computerized method should be installed in their banks despite the problems they face, many were of the opinion that the installation of the computerized method will increase productivity and enhance secretarial function in their respective banks. A few respondents suggest the installation of electromechanical method (use of microfilming) as this is useful for the preservation of certain data for transfer of data between various branches of their banks. Some respondents were of the view that the manual method should be improved upon instead of discouraged as an organization cannot completely ignore the use of files and cabinets for the preservation of certain data, where their original copies and normal size need to be retained for future references.
It was observed that computer users enjoy the benefit of preserving more data at a time, their method takes less space, there is security, it is more interesting and efficient, it is equally faster to use. For electromechanical user (microfilming) they responded that it saves space, secure, less expensive and more permanent for it cannot be easily distorted or damaged. It was equally observed that manual users enjoy the benefit of maintaining original copy of their preserved data, their system is easily to access, it is less expensive and no special training is required to know how to operate it.
All respondent from the four banks feel that proper handling of data preservation could enhance efficient performance of secretarial function. For computer users, they said that it increases their output, there is security, it saves space and time spent on looking for preserved data, there is ease in storing and retrieving preserved data. Manual users felts that if their data preservation is properly handled, it would lead to good arrangement of files and tidy environment in the office.
Conclusions
Information technology is the strength (heart) of modern business organization as banking operations are not exclusive. Without adopting information technology, businesses will have serious limitations and consequences in the future and will imply the danger of lagging behind socially and economically with all the implications that this entails.while one of the core duties of the secretary is recording keeping and data preservation, there is need for today banking sector to ensure that their secretaries exhibit professionalism and efficiency in record management and data preservation. The study revealed further that modern office technology/equipment contributes to the rise in productivity levels of the organizations. It is not far fetched to infer from the foregoing that office technology provides the secretary with additional opportunity for automatic fine-tuning of concrete documents or transmission of information devoid of ambiguities. Where the technology is effective, it may result in saving the secretary from fatigue that may arise from excessive exertion of physical and mental effort associated with performing secretarial duties manually.
Implications of results
It is an indisputable fact that there is at present a wide spread of technological revolution in ways and means of rendering office services. For the fact that secretaries are the back bone of business organizations, this revolution seems to have affected them more than any other group. The result of this study would have a significant implication on banking industry as it would introduce the to the risk associated with data preservation through modern technologies hence it is up to the management to ensure that the secretaries employed are knowledgeable in ICT and has core skill in record management using modern data savers to avoid them loosing important organizational data on the platter of incompetency. In view of the findings and conclusion made above, the following are recommended for the enhancement of secretaries efficiency is their secretarial functions in the banking sector in Enugu metropolis. The findings recommended thus:
i. Since the preservation of data is an important aspect of the secretarial function it is recommended that the computerized method of data preservation be introduced and installed in the banks as it is the most efficient method of data preservation.
ii. Despite the high cost that is attributed to the computerized method of data preservation, it is still recommended for use as its advantages outweigh its disadvantages it becomes less expensive on the long run as access cannot be made to reserved data except where the secretary is careless, it is faster and more challenging and more interesting, these increases the efficiency of secretarial functions.
iii. Regarding training, adequate training programmes should be made available for secretaries to enlighten then on the use of the computer since the computer is what is vogue in the age of technology. The training programme should be organized to suit the need of the secretaries. If well organized the disadvantages of computerized method will be greatly reduced as secretaries will enjoy their job, and maintain high performance when they get used to the system being introduced to them. It will equally boost their moral as they will feel that they are part of the organization, it will equally reduce laxity on their part.There is no problems in training and retraining as knowledge cannot be got in one day or in a short space of time, so the researcher recommends that secretaries should be patient and painstakingly learn whatever newer and more developed method of data preservation being introduced to them. It is for their benefits
iv. Regarding the challenging aspect of the computerized method of data preservation the secretarial function is general is a challenge as secretaries are involved in diverse activities in the organization. It is recommended that secretaries avail themselves to their jobs to avoid laziness in any way.
v. Because of the complex nature of computerized method, the training programme should be made as easy as possible, lively and interesting, practical sessions should be allowed to facilitates understanding. Through the training, the complexity of this method will be reduced.
vi. Notwithstanding, the manual of data preservation cannot be totally ignored, arrangements should be made to make them more tidy and well arranged so that they do not consume too much space, arrangement should equally be made so that only those data which original are needed for references purpose are preserved through the manual method. This will reduce monotony and time wastage
vii. The manual method should be made more secure by using fir-proof cabinet to avoid fire and damage. Special locks to be provided to avoid theft or removal by authorized persons.
viii. Still on the manual method, it is recommended that file tracing equipments are used to trace missing files so that they can be easily accessed when needed, this is to reduce the time spent on looking for preserved data.
Recommendations
In the contemporary world of Information and Communication Technology, where lots of activities are taking place simultaneously, the secretary should be utilized to enable the various chief executives have the time to attend to very important issues in the organizations and beyond. In addition, organizations should ensure that only trained and qualified secretaries are employed.
Suggestions for further research
The findings of this study is only limited to the banking sector in Enugu Metropolis hence it is suggested that research should be carried out on alll sectors like data preservation in enhancing the efficiency of secretarial function in Small and Medium Scale businesses and government parastatal in other states in Nigeria.
Limitations of the study
A lot of problems were encountered during the course of this work. One major constraint to this work was financial constraint, time constraint and attitude of the respondent owing to the nature of bank operations which staff were skeptical in answering the research question. More so the researcher was engaging in other academic work while carrying out the research which limited the time invested in the researcher. However all these factors were downplayed to ensure that the result of the study were accurate and appropriate.
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