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ABSTRACT
This study was designed to research on the “Application of modern technology in Office Management: problems and Prospects. A study of selected firms in Khana L.G.A.” the study adopted simple percentage to be able to analyze data and answer questions posed in the questionnaire. Findings revealed that the application of modern technology in office management is very essential in today’s business world. Based on the findings, it was recommended that staff members of organizations must be trained to handle modern equipments among others.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE:
ABSTRACT ii
CERTIFICATION iii
DEDICATION iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
LIST OF TABLES ix
CHAPTER ONE 1
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 9
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 9
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 10
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 11
1.6 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS 13
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 13
1.8 DEFINITION OF RELATED TERMS 14
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 15
2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 15
2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: THE GOAL THEORY 15
2.3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON STUDY VARIABLES 18
2.4 THE CONCEPT OF AN OFFICE 20
2.5 OFFICE MANAGEMENT 24
2.6 MODERN TECHNOLOGY 27
2.7 MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND OFFICE MANAGEMENT 29
2.8 PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT OF APPLYING MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT OF AN OFFICE 30
CHAPTER THREE 33
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 33
3.0 INTRODUCTION …..33
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN…………………………………………………………………………………34
3.2 POPULATION OF THE STUDY…………………………………………………………………34
3.3 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE ……………………………………………………35
3.4 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN……………………………………………………………….……35
3.5 SOURCES AND METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION……………………………..….36
CHAPTER FOUR……………………………………………………………..……..…37
4.1 DATA PRESENTATION………………………………………………………………………………………..37
4.2 DATA ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………………………………….……..38
CHAPTER FIVE……………………………………………………………….….…..49
5.1 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS……………………………………………………….………….49
CHAPTER SIX………………………………………………………………………..51
6.0 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………51
6.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS………………………………………………………………………..52
6.2 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………….53
6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………………………………………………………..54
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………….55
APPENDIX I……………………………………..…………………………………………………………….56
APPENDIX II…………………………………………………………………………………………….…….57
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The industrial revolution of the nineteenth century ushered in an unprecedented change in the practice of office management.
The change occurs at an increasing speed that turned-around office manager’s attitude towards the adoption of it by-products to improve on their efficiency and effectiveness. Reducing of official workload through specialization, division of labour and mechanized devices become a reality.
This introduction of technology of labour serving devices brought a revolution in office occupation.
According to the views of Eze and Paul, (2002: 187) “there are numerous invention of recent years in the field of office machine and equipment in an effort to facilitate work in the office”. Machines are necessary tools that facilitate the attainment of organizational goals since every organization strives to meet set goals, it is then imperative that modern technologies must be used in an office.
The above line of reasoning does not loose bearing on the stand of Elendu (1985:142). “The place of machines and equipment in the office cannot be over-emphasized”. In the office, such basic tasks as analyzing, sorting of data and files, calculating, writing etc. can’t efficiently be done with machines.
Modern equipment facilitates official functions such as; duplication of documents, calculating of both grouped and ungrouped data, typing and photocopying of documents. Suffice it to say that work, the complementary functions and services of modern technologies are in dispensable in office technologies are indispensable in office management.
It is therefore the focus of this research work to see to how these modern technologies can be judiciously applied in office management to ensure and enhance high productivity, the attainment of congruency of goals. That is the achievement of both organizational and employee’s goals.
The application of these equipment, pre-supposes a detailed and scholarly study of the behaviours and productivity level of these machines. It must be noted that, most at times, they are what Baridam (2002) called “Abnormalities” in the functioning of office machines. Therefore, studying the effectiveness and efficiency of these machines are necessary. “In the words of Eze and Paul (2002:189). In purchasing any of the equipment” a careful study must be made on the work of equipment explicit from the above quotation is the fact, the working of the equipment must agree with the needs of the office or organization purchasing it.
Therefore, the following factors need to be considered by office or organization longing to acquire modern technologies in office management. The first is “the time saving” ability of the machine. Machines should be capable of performing the job more quickly than a manual worker. This implied that, machines that accomplished a task at the same rate of organizational resources. The time requirement should be short as compared with that of manual work. Attention must also be tailored toward the “flexibility nature of the machines” it should be such that can do more than a task. The machine should be capable of being put to more than one use.
The life-span of the equipment must also be determined according to Ndolo (2009); he opined that, since the procurement of office equipment constitutes a high capital expenditure, the life-span of the equipment must be longer. This paves way for maximum utilization of the ones available to an office. These machines must serve for years so that office will maximize the amount used in procuring them, there must be standardization of machines. The machines should produce accurate and standard work when operated properly. It must not fall short of its expected functionality.
From the above, it should be understood clearly that the office is a management tool and as such, its services are useful to those responsible for the overall direction of operation in the organizations had been given by scholars in this field of study. According to Mills and Standingford (1968), office management is seen as the act of guiding the personnel of the office in the use of means appropriate to its environment in order to achieve its specific purpose.
Separating management from the concept of office, Baridam (2002:5), citing the work of Carliste (1963) defined management as “the process by which the elements of a group are integrated, co-ordinated and or utilized so as to efficiently achieve organizational objectives.
Similarly, Filley, House and Ker (1976), defined management as “a process, mental and physical, whereby subordinates are brought to execute prescribed formal duties and to accomplish certain given objectives”.
Definitions go on and on but particular attention must be paid to the use of modern technologies in the practices of management principle in an office.
As it is clear in the above management definitions, the importance of applying modern technology in office management is not that it establishes specific components which can be said to comprise an organizational system but rather, it stresses the reality and the existence of inter-relationship and interaction among management components.
Office management generally is dynamic and task demanding in modern practice clerical and administrative services are obviously increasing impetration phenomenon in various work. Concerned business organizations, etc. need, and mechanization for greater efficiency. There is the need to complements the effort of manual workers towards greater productivity.
For the purpose of this research work, attention is focused on the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, Ndolomatic Ventures, and the Khana Local Government Council. To what extent has the emergence of new technology helped and enabled the office operations achieve higher cost. It is also in view that, there are existence of scientific and managerial techniques, dictating the pace of adoption of uniform office systems and procedures. For instance, the availability of automated work processing equipment and other sophisticated office equipment used in organizations like the military, civil services and schools enabled the organization to keep up to date security, it is therefore imperative to note that, in this offices, adequate and qualified personnel.
Resources, equipment and facilities are made available to meet the office equipment and challenges of the era. This assertion recognizes the fact that, office management is an essential spoke in the wheel of administration success.
Frankly speaking, office management is becoming more complex in organizations, especially in large ones because of the capabilities of modern equipment and the desire for highly skilled manpower. It is worthy of note in this research work that, because of the rapidly improving technology, management and office managers have been able to tackle many contingent case relating to correspondence, shufflers and customers, internal and external public etc. the government internal auditing, budgeting for new office operating and labour unions matters.
In view of this pivotal roles performed by the organization, the offices have been described as the nerve that pumps blood into the other vessels and arteries round the center system. It then means that if the nervous stop functioning, the organization also ceases to exist.
This research work is geared towards establishing a pathway of thinking in the field of office management for greater efficiency. For this to be achieved, the study is being initiated in three organizational set-ups, that is kenpoly, Ndolomatic Ventures and Khana Local Government Council. In a bid to achieve, it is predetermined motive, detailed and thorough examination is conducted to set the pace.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The most stressing research problem is to find out the differences between the output level of organization using modern technology and those of organization using manual equipment.
Based on the financial standing of organization, and the huge capital requirement in the acquisition of some modern equipment, the application of some modern equipment becomes the exclusive reserve of multi-national companies and organizations. Organizational offices with low capital base learn of the usefulness of modern equipment with using them to boost their productivity.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The preliminary discussion and statements made with reference to the objectives of this study necessitated the under-listed questions:
1) Is office mechanization influenced by the size of the organization?
2) Are the costs of modern office equipment very expensive?
3) Does office mechanization create new job?
4) Has the need for office mechanization been fully realized in most organization?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This fact finding mission was set out with the following goals:
- To find out the level of automation in large educational institutions.
- Private as well as local government councils whether there automation are part of the factors that rendered the office workers redundant or make them more efficient and result oriented in terms of productivity.
- To examine the impacts created by office mechanization in the selected organizations, the types and the sophisticated office equipment used, particularly in local government councils and higher institutions of learning.
- The problems secretaries and other official management workers encounter in adopting these machines and equipment, especially in the cause of computerization.
It therefore implies that, this research work has a lot to contribute to the far available knowledge in the field of office mechanization, such that special attention needs to be given.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This assiduous and painstaking scholarly study will go a long way to assist in advancing the knowledge of office mechanization especially in modern organizations and co-operations where much outputs are expected from the workers.
It will contribute meaningful to x-ray how office mechanization can be managed to enhance maximum productivity and efficiently in organizations with diverse responsibility.
The outcome of this study will provide useful information and explain new concepts for large firms, due to the fact that previously management of an office merely involved little group of people to do work. But with increasing expectation from organizations, public and clients, the need for mechanization arose.
Presently, office management has developed to be a specialized area, which requires expertise, knowledge and accurate handling. Therefore, modern office managers, will have better insight and understanding of the complexities involved in the use of modern technology in office management in order to review most of desired goals.
This study will also create an avenue for present day office managers to improve on their management principles, procedures and doggedness in their day-to-day administration of their various offices.
It is also a focal point in this research work to private fundamental variables that must be considered in a manager’s quest for office equipment.
This knowledge will be an access to managers in their use of limit resources (finance) since finance plays a major role in the acquisition of office mechanization as well as other managerial functions.
Finally, this research has worked out a cafeteria line of action for students of management, Business Administration, Mass Communication, Secretarial Studies etc.
1.6 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
- Office mechanization has a significant relationship with the size of organization.
- The cost of modern office equipment has a significant relationship with their purchase.
- Office mechanization has a significant relationship with the creation of new jobs.
- The need for office mechanization has a significant relationship with organization’s desire to purchase them.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study is limited to three organizations namely: Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, Ndolomatic Ventures and the Khana Local government council, selected by the researcher for the purpose of this work.
These organizations were selected because of their various sizes and scope of operation. The researcher acknowledged the fact that due to restriction posed by time and finances. The period under study dated back to 2000; making it possible to look at the trend in the past years thereby, paving any comparisons.
1.8 DEFINITION OF RELATED TERMS
Office: In the word of Geoffrey Whitehead, as cited in Elendu (1985), an office is defined as “a room or building where clerical process are carried out to stark, develop and control the many activities of business.
Management: This is the effective utilization of human and material resources to achieve the enterprise objectives.
Mechanization: The introduction of labour saving devices into an office.
Machines: These are mechanical devices that are used in the office to enhance office performance and efficiency.
Modern: This means something that has just been discovered or invented to meet the challenges of the time.
Technology: A special skill or a way of doing something, especially that has to be learned or knowledge about scientific or industrial methods.
Research: This is a fact finding mission embarked upon that add to an existing knowledge.