THE ROLE OF COMPUTER IN IMPROVING SECRETARIAL FUNCTIONS IN COMMERCIAL BANKS

Although banks are developed with the major aim of providing financial assistance to business organizations, the commercial banks in Enugu Urban are short-term lenders. This research work sought out the role of the computer in improving secretarial functions. The instrument used for the research included questionnaire and oral interview. The population of the study consisted of confidential secretaries in ten commercial banks from where the sample of seven were drawn. From the data collected the following consisted the major findings: that commercial banks in Enugu Urban make use of manual and computerized form of storing documents; that the manual form has a lot of disadvantages, while the computerized form has a lot of improvement and has contributed greatly to the improvement of secretarial functions; that some banks make provisions for the training of their secretaries and also the problems associated with the use of computer. From the findings, the researcher made the following recommendations; every higher institution of learning should include computer in the school curriculum. Banks should organize training course for secretaries and also access the health of staff from time to time and proper documentation should be made using the highlighted methods.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The banking industry has been seen as the total and major provider of finance for business in our urban areas.  In as much as these financial houses are made up of so many banks, they can be categorized into different classes, depending on the type of financial support they render to our business organizations. The commercial banks, which are the oldest of the banking institution, are known to be short-term lenders, who prefer to assist by providing temporary financial accommodation and accepting liquid assets as security or collateral for their assistance. These liquid assets accepted from the assisted companies are also documented in the banking office.  And it is one the basis of proper documentation of agreements that these assets can be withdrawn/released to the customer who made the proposal.

The system of documentation of assets and information is carried out by the secretary of every bank, and such secretarial functions are done by only the professionals in the field.  Hence, they are called “confidential secretaries”. This group of secretaries are said to be confidential because most of the banks secrets are expose to them as they carry out their secretarial duties.  However, humans, being what they are might be subjected to misfortunes and carelessness in a crowded environment.  Hence, it is better to device a means for proper documentation to safeguard the banks assets.

The introduction of computer to assist the secretary, will help in the improvement of these functions by, presenting the records on time and when need.  It also makes these information’s to be confide to only those concern.  This confidence is based on the ability of the computer to store give assess aid to only those who know where and how it is safeguarded. Finally, the computer also have some special skills built within to help the secretary handle, process and compile other office duties which will need further improvement on its needs.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The secretarial section in the banking hall is positioned in a confine area of the building.  This shows that the duties of a secretary in the industry is completely personal and private.  Therefore, it should safeguarded from public affairs. However, all information, which involves customers account data, staff (bankers) data and bank’s information are compiled and stored in this section. As the banking activities increase, the processing and compilation of account in the industry becomes cumbersome to the secretary and in turn will involve mistakes and misinterpretation of information in the system. Hence, there is need to improve one t he working tools used in the bank, and this improvement is based on the typewriter used for producing data forms and passbooks.

Secondly, in the communication of information from one banking location to the banking industry to reduce the idea of piling files in the office. The computer was introduced to assist the secretaries in their functions, but the researcher does not know if actually it has improve the secretary’s duties or if the secretary knows how to operate the computer. This research work sought out the contribution of the computer on improving the functions of secretaries in commercial banks in Enugu Urban.

1.3       PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to

1. Find out if secretaries in commercial banks within Enugu Urban use the computer.

2. Find out if the use of such computer improves societies reference.

3. Find if they are trained to use the computer for their official assignments

4. Find out the problems they encounter by using the computer

5. Recommend other appropriate ways to improve the secretary’s job.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions were developed to guide the study

1. Do secretaries in commercial banks use the computer to perform their jobs?

2. To what extent does the use of computer improve secretaries performance?

3. To what extent are the secretaries trained to use the computer?

4. What problem do secretaries encounter by suing the computer?

5. What recommendations should be given to guide the use of computer in our office today?

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The introduction of computer technology in the field of secretarial studies will benefit the secretary by making secretaries to be lucrative in the labour market, increase working skills in a reduced time and strength by making all jobs to be ready, neat improved and impressive to the customers and bank as a whole. It will benefit the banking industry in turn by presenting all information’s on time and for what and how it is needed.  It will also create increase in the acceptability and reliability of bank’s information to the outside world. Finally, this study will benefit the society, as it will help in the increase of idea of computer literacy and bring about a modern business life.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

This research work covered only the contributions of the computer on improving the secretary’s performance. The study was conducted in some commercial banks within Enugu Urban.

1.7       ASSUMPTION OF THE STUDY

1. The researcher assumes that the contributions of the computer will improve the standard in the system of processing, filling and documentation of bank’s information.  Its introduction in the secretarial field will go a long way by presenting the secretary more equipped to meet up union the challenges of the modern business world.

2. It is also assumed that the use of computer shall improve the secretary effectively and efficiency, which would out rightly result to, improved productivity.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

SECRETARY: Secretary is used in this project to refer to one who possesses a mastery of office skills, who can assume responsibilities with or without direct supervision, can exercise initiative and above all can make decisions within the a re of delegated authority.

COMPUTER: Computer is used in this project mean a machine that accept data from an input device, performs arithmetic and logical operations in accordance with certain pre-defined sets of instruments (programs) and finally transfers the processed data to an input device.

DATA: Is defined by Anuform et al (2014) as unprocessed information or a raw fact.

FILE: The Advanced Learners Dictionary of English defined file as a holder used for keeping papers together.

DISKETTE: Is a hardware device that is used in storing information.

OFFICE: Obodo and Ogbu (2015) take office to be a place where clerical or administrative activities are carried out.

INFORMATION: Is used here to mean a processed data.

SOFTWARE: Anuforom et al (2014) defined software as a collection of programs that work together to accomplish a task.

PROGRAM: Is used in this project to mean a set of instructions that tell the computer what to do and how to do it.

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