ABSTRACT

The objective of the study was to find out factors responsible for low productivity of secretaries in modern Business organization especially in Rivers State. A population of 100 secretaries was used. The sample size consists of 70 secretaries from 13 establishments in Rivers State which was grouped into 4. These were tagged as consultancy firms, supplies estate values and secretarial bureaus. Questionnaires were used for data collection. The statistical tools used were the frequencies and percentage distribution. Findings showed that low productivity of secretaries was caused by a number of factors like poor attitude to work inability to operate modern envelopments, poor skill in the use of office equipment, poor working environment and lack of motivation. The management of such organization should have a focus on supervision and timely appraisal of staff in order to avert such problems. They must also ensure that they are adequate skills personnel and man power to check this problem so that it will not be a routine occurrence. There should be adequate provision for the materials need and give the managers the desired training on how to operate new equipment that are being introduced in most Business organization to day so that they can face challenges in today’s offices.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The working conditions of Managers in establishments are very important. The improvement of any organization mainly depends on the performance of Managers. There are basically two types of working conditions. Both types are very vast if vividly considered. But for the purpose of this work and its clarity, we shall limit our scope to the effects of working conditions on performance of the managers.

The influence of such may be sub-consciously subtle but real, this promoted a group industrial psychologist to stress the importance of such working conditions as salary, or wages safety training sanitary, facilities, manager’s privacy, working hours accommodation, shift work availability of working equipments, transport facility and other factors or conditions that make up the general conditions of services other use wise called remuneration. It is therefore the aim of this research work, to find out how working conditions, where they improved or unimproved, contribute to mp1eyee performance both negatively and positively. Talking about wages or salary, it is a monthly or yearly recompense or reward. In form of money for work done. The higher the value, the better motivated the employees would likely be.

The safety, sanitary conditions and privacy of the managers and his performance almost go together. When a manager is guaranteed of his safety at work washroom and safe drinking water, he automatically agrees to go an extra mile knowing that if anything goes wrong he will be properly taken care by the employer or the company.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Managerial responsibilities are quite broad and somehow complex and in most cases can be identify or given the needed attention. Primarily amongst these, are the working conditions of managers which could be said to be directly proportional to their performance and productivity, though there is a problem in measuring the extent to which workers are motivated because different individual have different factor that could satisfy them.

In some business organizations were benefits such as training for managers, retirement benefits, appraisal, and season bonuses, befitting wages, housing, transport and other working conditions scarcely exist, the general working condition play a major role in determining the performance of the manager.

This research work stresses on work conditions and problems faced by office managers which are:

It has been observed that most organizations still keep their staff under poor conditions such as:     Poor wages and condition of services, Lack of fringe benefit such as transport, housing, retirement benefit, Poor working environment, Lack of equipments, Lighting safety gadgets etc.

These and many more are the reason why the research intends to assess the effect of poor working conditions on the office manager’s performance.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to assess the effect of working conditions on the office manager’s performance. Specifically, the study seeks to:

1)      Find out the effect of physical working environment on the office manager’s performance.

2)      Find out how remuneration affects the office manager’s performance.

3)      Find out how social working environment affect the office manager’s performance.

4)      Find out how lack of facilities affect the office manager’s performance.

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will state the good work condition of the office manager in an organization the ways the office manager can improve their working conditions. It will also help organizations (small and big) to identify working conditions and the way which they can use to improve effectiveness of working conditions.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

(i)      To what extent does physical working environment affect the office manager’s performance?

(ii)     To what extent does social working environment affect the office manger’s performance?

(iii)    To what extent does remuneration affect the office manager’s performance?

(iv)    To what extent does lack of facilities affect the office manager’s performance?

1.6     DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The research was carried out in Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori and Shell Petroleum Development Company, Rivers State.

1.7     LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The problems or constraints faced by the researcher in carrying out this research are time: Time factor is one major factor faced by the researcher in the research because enough time was not allotted to the researcher to effectively gather enough data for the study. Also, the researcher also encountered some financial constraints since the fund available for the study was not enough. The researcher suffered some material problems since there were not enough data and materials for the study.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

Managers:   These are individuals employed into an organization to work manage the activities of that organization (department).

Employees:          These are individuals employed into an organization to work under the supervision of the employer.

Working Condition: These include the conditions necessary for service or work.

Performance:        This is the ability to work effectively its measurement then involved. The method of procedures that provide quantitative index of the extent to which employees demonstrate certain work behaviours. Performance can also be measure by productivity.

Personal Management: This is concerned with the acquisition and maintenance of the human 1resources in an organization.

Industrial Conflict: This is the struggle over values claims resources in which the claims of the conflicting parties are not only go again the desired values but also to neutralize, injure or eliminate their rivals in an industry.