PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY MARRIED FEMALE SECRETARIES IN PARASTATALS

Every profession faces a number of problems. Some of these problems are inherent in the profession while others arise as a result of the workers attitude. The secretarial profession is not an exception to these problems. This study has been designed to look into the problems encountered by married female secretaries. According to the National Secretaries Association of United States of America, a secretary is an assistant to executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, who display initiative, exercise judgment and make decision within the scope of her authority. From the above definition, secretaries are indispensable in business organization both small and large organizations.  Unfortunately, the role of a secretary especially in Nigeria is not quite understood by most people. It therefore, follows that most of the problems confronting the secretarial profession are as a result of misconception by people. People don’t seem to understand what secretarial profession entails. Consequently, the married female secretaries in the profession always faced with numerous problems.

The problems encountered by married female secretaries are numerous and are ranged from their homes, their jobs and from people with whom they work and transact business with. Other hurdles they faced are those bearing labels such as sexual harassment, job stress and office politics. The greatest conflicts which married female secretaries has to live within their day-to-day activities is marrying their official duties with their domestic affairs. In the same vain, married female secretaries also faced with some positive problems such as expecting them to exhibit a sense of responsibility show a sign of maturity, loyalty and reliability in the performance of their duties. A secretary is that person in an organization who deals with the correspondences, keeps accounts, keeps records and in addition, arranges appointments for her executives. The nature of secretarial work is such that a certain degree of confidence and rapport must exist between her and her boss and this may lead to a social suspicion in such a relationship and this may trigger matrimonial hassles.

In the same vain, a secretary is required to have administrative ability to keep an office running smoothly, insight to assign priorities and judgment to know when to issue orders in the boss’s name. They conserve the boss’s time by screening telephone calls, visitors and the mail. Moreso, a secretary is that person who has undergone some training in secretarial courses and has acquired good speed in shorthand and typewriting and knowledge of secretarial duties, office practice and English language. In addition, she should have a full measure of common sense and unfailing memory. Furthermore, a personal assistant or secretary means any person that works for another in the company no matter what she does have. Secretary could be a typist or it could be a full blown personal assistant or administrative officer. No one can say that they are secretaries without doing certain tasks regardless of whether they have got the qualification or not. A senior executive in a large Syndey based company defined secretary as an “appendage” of the boss.

The boss secretary relationship is the subject of rumour and gossip and a secretary may either save or destroy their bosses. Consequently, a word processing assistant portrayed as the extension of her boss loyal trustworthy and devoted. She is expected to have honour and obey, relieving her boss of the routine and the trial, creating the condition for his detachment from the mundane rituals of everyday life. She is the gate keeper, protecting her boss from those who would waste his time and went to know his private business, meditating his relationship with the outside world. In the same vein, a secretary is a kind of co-partner with the employer. It is the duty of a secretary to save the boss a great deal of detail and as much routine work as you can. Think for him and anticipate his needs, learn his preferences and obey them even if you do not always agree with his ideals. Assume that he is always right. She should be a person who is on the conservative side of dressing simple and neat. Secretaries are the center of attraction all the time in the office, for both the employer and the callers. Always be a person who save the management and create the pre-conditions for their bosses advancement. Most of the pressure of the job is in the sense of being close to the center of power, participating in decision making, having confidential knowledge, having power to act on behalf of the boss. When a person has successfully undergone training as a word processor, or secretary, such a person is then vested with some responsibilities like copying typed word production of official document like letters, news, reports, he or she also cleans and maintains the word processor as well as the general orderliness of the offices.

STATMEENT OF THE PROBLEM

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study include:

1. To identify the reasons why some employers prefer unmarried female secretaries?

2. To find out whether the official duties of the married female secretaries prevent them from paying proper attention to their families.

3. To find out whether the husbands of these secretaries interfere with their wives’ job.

4. To find out whether marriage on the part of the female secretaries plays any part in the secretary/boss relationship.

5. To find out whether unmarried female secretaries have more changes of advancement on the job than the married ones.

6. To find out whether married female secretaries divulge official secrets.

7. Finally, to offer suggestion on how a married female secretaries can successfully combine her official duties with her domestic affairs to avoid conflicts.

RESEACH QUESITON

The study shall have a look into the following research questions;

1. Do organizations consider marital status in their employment policy?

2. Do married female secretaries have equal change of recognition with their unmarried female counterparts.

3. Does the secretarial work expressly affect the private lives of married female secretaries?

4. Are female secretaries treated as inferior to their male counterparts?

5. do married female secretaries divulge official secrets.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The investigation will no doubt help both married and unmarried female secretaries to tackle their problems successfully. It will also help to allay the fears of those involving to go into the secretarial profession. This study will also offer more areas that students may wish to make further research of the problems encountered by the married female secretaries. This study will help to improve the chances of advancement of the female married secretaries.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is designed to study some six parastatals in Enugu metropolis.
In order to have a fair representation, the following have been randomly chosen:

1. National Electric Power Authority

2. Nigerian Telecommunication Limited

3. Nigerian Postal Services

4. (NCC) Nigerian Coal Corporation

5. Nigeria Water Corporation

6. Nigerian Railway Corporation

7. Universal Trust Bank.

LIMITATIONS

The problems of degenerating trend in the successful secretarial career is a very wide scope to cover. The researcher could not carry out the investigation on all the parastatals in Enugu urban and therefore limited her work to selected parastatals in Enugu urban. The main problem in carrying out this investigation to all parastatals, organizations in Enugu State is chiefly due to the high cost of transportation. Another factor worthy of mention was the difficulty encountered in finding married female secretaries who are actually qualified for this study.