CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Secretaries play important roles in the implementation of the office work. The nature of their jobs is universally acknowledged as indispensable in caring out their duties effectively in the offices. Despite the indispensable nature of the secretary’s functions, the secretary continues to be seen as an executive assistant. This is more so when many writers have defined secretary in different ways and from their various definitions we will see that secretaries have so much functions to perform, which are the most indispensable functions in every organization.
The word “Secretary” is derived from the Latin word “Secretarius” meaning, something known only to one or few and kept secret or hidden from the views or knowledge of others.
According to Advance Learners Dictionary of current English< a secretary is “an employee in an office who deals with correspondence, keeps records, makes arrangements and appointment for a particular member of staff or other organizations”. She is one who combines or has mastery skills of shorthand and typewriting, and with a sound knowledge of secretarial duties. According to Stanwell et al, (1979), a secretary is a staff who is concerned with the preparation. Presentation and transmission of all type of communications as well as the conventional secretarial duties of confidential nature at various levels.
The company and Allied Matters Act of 1990, s.273 (1) stated that “a secretary is an executive assistant who possess a mastery of office skills”.
Copeland, L., (1980), in his Encyclopedia of useful information states that a successful secretary must have stenographic skill, a clear and intelligent understand of the rules and personality as a result of good training and exposure.
Mr. Aniche G.C, (1990), aptly defined a secretary as “the window in the organization”.
Hanna et al, (1974), in her book, Secretarial Procedures and Administration, defines the modern secretary as an executive assistant, who possesses a mastery of skills, who demonstrates the ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision and who makes decision within the scope of assigned authority.
The National Secretaries Association of United States has defined as secretary as an executive assistant who possesses a mastery of office skills, who demonstrates ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, who exercises initiatives and judgment and who makes decisions within the scope of assigned authority. However, the pertinent question is in what way does the secretary assist the executive? The answer to this question is partly individualistic and partly organization dependent.
For the boss, the secretary can be described as his indispensable assistant who possesses mastery of office skills, demonstrates the ability to assume responsibility without direction or supervision, exercises initiative and judgment, and makes decisions within the scope of assigned authorities. Eni, 91987), Also she serves as the interlace in the organization’s public relations image. She therefore, is a vital link between the public and the organization which makes Duru, (1991), to say that the secretary.