EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE SECRETARYS JOB PERFORMANCE

EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE SECRETARYS JOB PERFORMANCE [A CASE STUDY OF ANAMMCO AND EMENITE ALUMINUM COMPANY ENUGU]

Code No: 742153

₦5,000.00

ABSTRACT

According to research studies into the relationship between a workerâ€™s life and his job, stress is assuming a position as number one killer disease in the modern society. The purpose of his work was to find out the effects of stress on the secretaryâ€™s job performance, what factors caused this stress and how their effects were manifested and could be controlled.
To do this, literature review relating to the effects of stress on the workers especially the sedentary worker, was conducted. A questionnaire was drawn up with which data were collected. This was supplemented by face-to-face interviews with secretaries and observations. The respondents were from Anammco Company and Emenite Aluminium Company, Enugu. In all, 100 questionnaires wee distributed and 88 were returned while 12 were not returned.
The researcher from data analysis found out that secretaries under-face a lot of stressing situations in the course of doing their job but that some were more devastating in the effects than others. The three most significant stressors identified were:
1. Lack of adequate and sufficient working materials and equipment.
2. Strenous human relation in the workplace and
3. lack of necessary qualification, both physically and mentally on the part of the secretary to handle the job efficiently.
Recommendation were however made that adequate training of the secretary physically and mentally should be provided. Provision of good working materials for the secretary as well as adequate co-operation from the boss will help to go a long way in helping reduce the stressful situation in the secretaryâ€™s job.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION:
The secretary works in a dynamic environment pack full with conflicting situations and instruments â€“ so much that no two working days are exactly the same. These conflicting decisions and instructions crop up all the time and they demand prompt attention and decisions, but the role of it is that the time to perform these function does not increase rather, it seems to diminish and with this apparent shortage of time comes â€œstressâ€.
The roles and functions of the secretary are basic to the organizational roles and so cannot be confined within the purview of a job description. They range from covering of meetings, taking care of office duties, keeping schedules in both hers and her bossâ€™s desk diaries for complete and effective job performance up-to-date and supervising subordinates as well as keeping order generally in the office. All these to be done without a pause to enable the smooth flow of work. Thus, she is also important to the organization because of her ability to remain calm under extraordinary condition of work pressures and human demands.
The secretaryâ€™s obligations to the boss can sometimes be strenuous and conflicting with her other obligations to herself and to the company. This view of secretaryâ€™s function is an archaic one in view of the changes that have taken place in her training and job, but some employers still cling to it and cause her stress on the job when she finds difficulty in obeying these instructions.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
The medium organization operates in the dynamic and ever changing environment. Because the modern organization exists in rapidly changing environment, the secretary is faced with a lot of physical and mental hazards on the job which may cause her stress â€“ noise, lack of preparations for certain jobs or duties, attitude of the public to the job she does and the societal and organizational structures and their effects on her job are some of these factors that may affect her performance on the job. As well, the sitting arrangements, dangerous chemicals and substances used in the course of her work and lack of proper qualifications for the job may cause her stress.
Added to these stressors is the fact that technology may eventually make her learned skills unwanted in the work place. Though not manifest in quantifiable terms, these threats cause stress that may eventually spell doom to the secretary mentally as well as physically.
Fache (1981) said â€œfor every successful businessman, executive or organization, there is always an efficient and hardworking secretaryâ€. In view of the adverse effects of stress on the performance of the secretary on her job, which may in turn cause her boss or even her organizational performance not to be up to what it would have been or not to realize its goals, it becomes of urgent need to take a very keen look at the job the secretary does and find out what does cause her stress. If this is done, then plans on how to eliminate in control than can be successfully made and executed.