CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

There’s a revolution going on in offices. This revolution is transforming many of the basic ways business is done by organisations. An organization’s success, now more than ever, is concentrated on managing capacity. “People management is essential to any organization’s achievement” (Belker, 1997). Historically, it was the duty of the administrative office manager to handle the office staff and the office tasks of the organization. But the administrative office manager has started to have an effect on the entire organisation in the evolving company setting.

With the advent of increased office technology, the administrative office manager must also manage information for the organization. Today, the administrative office manager interacts with all components of the organization by providing needed information, when needed, and in a useable format (Quible, 2001). The function of the administrative office director is quickly developing due to the enhanced use of office technology and the interaction with the entire organisation.

Administrative assistants’ job has evolved over the years with technological inventions that are often complex to separate from its environment. The presence and use of older office communication technology such as Dictaphone, tape recorder, radio or television, typewriter in offices and people’s lives does not have the same significance that it once did, although it still plays its role. According to my Typewriter.com when the idea of writing machines became technologically feasible, more than one hundred prototype models were created but Christopher Latham Sholes of Milwaukee invented their first typewriter in 1867. In 1961, International Business Machines (IBM) introduced the electric typewriter which administrative assistants’ used to type correspondences. In recent years, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has received a great deal of attention from both the academic and business world, because of its increasing deployments.

The administrative office manager must be knowledgeable not only in office tasks, personnel management, and information management, but also in areas such as modifications in technology, system design and evaluation, problem solving, cost management, budgeting, workplace diversity, and company globalization. The office manager’s role has “extended tremendously, often without further training” (Gadener & Lea, 2000). This was facilitated by the use of computers.

The first mechanical computer ever recorded was created in 1822 by Charles Babbage. In the 1970s, integrated circuit technology made the production of small and relatively inexpensive personal computers possible. Yet, even with this technology, many computer companies chose not to adopt personal computers (PC). At first, the PC was utilized to replace traditional typewriters and calculators, but persistent technological advances and innovation over the past two decades have put powerful PCs at the center of daily activities for people worldwide. According to the Medical Website (historical perspective of office automation) in the mid-1970s, computers began to support offices and organizations in more complex ways. In 1992, Microsoft lunched its new operating system (OS), Microsoft for workgroups, which enabled the collaboration of groups of people. Microsoft Office helps workers to complete common business tasks, including word processing, e-mail, presentations, data management and analysis which made business transactions much easier. More so, the original Internet was invented in 1967 for military purposes.  At first, it was used primarily by corporations for collaboration purposes. Today the Internet is available everywhere and to everyone.

With regards to ICTS in Cameroon, NDE. N (Hydra project international), BP 474 Bamenda Cameroon, says ICT has evolved rapidly over the years. Before 1990, the only means of communication was the fix phone and typewriter used in offices for the preparation of document. There was no computer let alone the internet connection. The internet came to Cameroon in 1998 and only major businesses had internet connection in their offices, which greatly influence business transactions and lowered the cost of communication. Also the Impact of ICT on enterprises, businesses, especially banks, has been great especially as they now have modern software and hardware to facilitate and safeguard Information and transactions.

In this light, we have noticed that, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a vital engine of growth for organizations.  It has created opportunities for many individuals, firms and communities globally. It has transformed the nature of organizational work and has equally changed work itself. The computer has metamorphosed from being a mainframe to the mainstream of office use.  It has certainly made office work more interesting and more productive. Computers have replaced typewriters, and mobile (cell) phone are computing with calculators, as well as fax machines are struggling with e-mails. The way businesses operate these days have changed all due to the advancement of ICT.

Due to these advances in Information and Communication Technology, devices such as computers have become smaller and more effective, and they eventually become a necessity to every business today. Instant messaging, the Internet, internal and external telephone systems especially mobile devices and Intranets are now integral to the works of office life. These advances in Information and Communication Technology have shaped the development of the modern offices. Most business offices of today have turned their desks into “workstations,” with desktop, computers or laptops connected to a network of other PCs in the same office and even beyond.

The typewriter, and to some extent the pen and paper now belongs to a different era in office history. Today’s administrative assistants are exposed to office technology including the internet that make work much easier and knowledge more accessible. ICT has changed the equipment and work groups, of course; nobody today would like to work in an office where information processing and other activities are done manually.  So, the mechanized office is gradually given way to the automated office.

Nwaokwa .E et al (Information of Communication Technology on the Influence Performance of Secretaries) observed that due to the introduction of sophisticated technological office equipment into today’s office, administrative assistants need to play a great role in ensuring accuracy and efficiency in their jobs. The administrative assistants need to meet the challenges by acquiring new skills and competencies for efficient operations in the electronic office. The roles of the administrative assistants have been turned around by technology. It has provided the tools that have shifted the role of administrative assistants from that of information recorders to business strategists. Therefore, administrative assistants are supposed to be abreast with modern technologies to meet up with present challenges in their offices.  As the office becomes increasingly dependent on technology, computers have become standard equipment. Eze (2000) maintains that any office staff of today who is lacking in Information Communication Technology would be boring, repetitive and would produce very little. Administrative assistants have to get themselves acquainted on how to operate new office automation such as information storage systems, the internet and other new software packages. The effective performance of any administrative assistant depends upon the office equipment, knowledge and his competences.

 

1.2 Statement of The Problem:

The effectiveness and efficiency of the administrative assistants in every business organization depend on the availability of office technologies as well as the skills and competencies of the administrative assistant (Akpomi, 2003). Information and communication devices are becoming important aspect in most organization. ICT led to the homogenization and convergence in organization strategies and processes as well as the roles performed by the administrative assistants

Much has been said about the possible elimination of the task being performed by modern administrative assistant as a result of the introduction of ICT in the business world.

The ministry of wild life which is one of the renounce ministry nowadays is facing a lot of challenges and threats as far as the effectiveness and efficiency in the management of administrative affairs is concerned. With the world fast becoming a global village, administrative environment has become complex and unpredictable considering the rapid growth in technology which has come to boast the effectiveness and efficiency in the accomplishment of administrative tasks.

Observation at MINFOF reveals that, as far as effective and efficient management of administrative affairs is concerned, tasks handed to executive assistance, were seldom accomplished in time and even when it was done, it was rarely at the satisfaction of their bosses.  It was also realized that, some of these offices whose task were hardly satisfactory, had adequate office automation which were rarely or in adequately exploited while on the other hand, some of the offices did not have adequate office automation and at times have to seek assistance from other offices in other to accomplished their task. This usually led to time wastage, unsatisfied output and inadequate conservation of professional secrecy. In a nutshell, Ministry of Wild Life faces challenges of inefficiency in the execution of administrative assistants’ job.  The emergence and the introduction of these office technologies in organizations have challenged the occupational skills of employees especially the administrative assistants and have rendered skills such as transcription skills, typing on the manual typewriter insufficient, given rise to some unknown skills such as webpage design, desktop publishing, networking, internet skills in modern organizations. Again these advancements have led to the need for executive assistants to reposition themselves in other to continue to be relevant in their performance of office functions as well as cope with the trend of technological changes in today’s modern offices. In view of the mentioned problems, the researcher wishes to find out if there is any significant relationship between this information and communication technology competences and executive assistants’ job efficiency.

 

1.3 Research Objectives

1.3.1 General Research Objective

To examine if there is any significant relationship between ICT competences of administrative assistants and their job efficiency

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. Determine the extent to which the availability of ICT resources influences Administrative assistants job efficiency.
2. Establish the ICT skills needed by an administrative assistant to enhance their job efficiency
3. Ascertain the relationship between executive assistants’ in-service training in ICT and his or her job efficiency.