CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
            Business organization exist because they have goals to attain. It is through people that organizational goals are achieved. In fact people are the most important assets of any organization. Their performance determined the success or failure of an organization. It is the concern of management that workers carry out their task effectively.
            Therefore the human factor must be managed properly for positive impact on productivity by provision of a goal. Job design is the way job are structured, designed or tailored towards achievement of organizational goals. Organizations needs job designed that will enhance their performance and help them achieve their self-esteem.
            Job design is important to an organization because the way job are structured designed or coordinated has direct and significant impact on the performance of the organization. Job design concerns the content functions and relationships of jobs that are directed towards the accomplishment of organizational purpose and satisfaction of the personal needs of the individuals job holders.
            This also showed that a secretary needs a good job design that will help her to enhance her potentials as well as help in accomplishing organizational goals.
            Onasanya (1990) stated that the secretary is an important officer in any establishment. The contributions and effectiveness of a secretary can either enhance or diminish the efficiency of an organization. He also stated that the title secretary may either refer to a chief administrator of an organization or to a person who performs the functions of organizing and recording the proceedings of a meeting.
            The duties of a secretary could be likened to that of the executive because the secretary is aware of nearly every action of the executive, many organizations attach little or no importance to the qualities of a secretary not to talk of giving them a benefiting job design.
            Stanwell and show (1978) defined secretary as an staff who is concerning with the preparation, preservation and transmission of all types of communication as well as the conventional secretarial duties of confidential nature at various levels. Eni (1989) also defined the secretary as a member of clerical staff whose fundamental function are concerned with the preparation of correspondence or communication in all form with and outside the organization.
            From the above definitions, it can be seen that secretary is an indispensable management personnel in an organization and outside environment. Considering the job of a secretary in an organization they deserve a job design that is motivating.
            Durcker (1978) asserted that an organization needs the best performance a man is capable of and a man needs more than a job he can perform. He need a job that will provide the greatest scope of his abilities and talent the best opportunity for growth and for superior performance.