CHALLENGE OF SECRETARIES IN MODEL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
A CASE STUDY OF FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC (FBN) OKPARA AVENUE ENUGU
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research study is to identify the real problem confronting secretaries in model financial institution and to proffer recommendation which if applied will lead to solution of the problems.
Procedure in order to tackle the task involved with a research of this magnitude the work has been arranged in chapter each naturally linking the other.
Chapter one introduced the topic and goes to state the statement of the problems objectives of the study limitation encountered and definition of some terms used
Chapter two review essential literary works and discourse of renowned writer and speakers while.
Chapter three outlined the research design used in gathering  data necessary for the work.
Chapter four systematically discussed presented and analyzed  the data results collected  and finally
Chapter five rolls out necessary recommendation for effective and efficient running of secretarial profession
The entire work is presented in a coherent easy to understand manner that makes for an interesting reading.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE  
Introduction
1.1    The background to the study
1.2    Statement of the problem
1.3    Objectives of the study
1.4    The significance of the study
1.5    Research question
1.6    Scope or delimitation of study
1.7    Definition of term
CHAPTER TWO
Literature
CHAPTER THREE
Research methodology
3.1    Research design
3.2    Area of study
3.3    Population of study
3.4    Sample and sampling procedure
3.5    Instrument for data collection
3.6    Validation of instrument
3.7    Reliability of instrument
3.8    Method of data collection
3.9    Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR      
Data presentation and result
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1    Discussion of result
5.2    Conclusion
5.3    Implication of  result
5.4    Recommendations
5.5    Suggestions for further research
5.6    Limitation of study
References
Appendix
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix     C
Appendix  D
Appendix E                                      
 
      
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
It is necessary to start the study by knowing what is meant by the Phrase  “secretarial profession” it is the profession of trained executive who combine  the skill of shorthand and typewriting with other essential  duties such as record-keeping making traveling arrangement and appointment for their bosses.  However emphasis that would be laid on the secretary may have a Varity of interpretation to people but according to.
“Evelyn Austin (1988) a secretary is a person who has acquired the basic secretarial skills of shorthand and typewriting plus enough knowledge and practical experience in office work to  able to cope with filling simple  office machines and reception duties.
Furthermore a good secretary needs also to have accumulated enough knowledge about commercial work in general and office management in particular. By this implication a secretary is deemed to be genius.
A   secretary in other word is a person employed in an office to take care of correspondences rewards and in addition keep the day to day engagement of his/.her executive in line with the various demands. Based on these facts one can now say that a secretary is an indispensable factors in any office or organization.
A secretary has outstanding qualities she understands the principles of keeping secrets being polite to customer caller and visitors no matter how highly or lowly the visitors may be placed in the society.
She appreciates the aims or goal of the organization in office or business and conscientiously work towards the achievement of the goals together with the boss and other staff.
The secretary working in an industry should know all about the place she should know the products how they are produced how raw materials are obtained how the machinery works and how and where parts of the machines are bought. The directors and their individuals assignment should be know to the secretary also and must know the policy of the whole organization.
A good secretary is always alert she read newspaper listens to new on electronic  media and listens to other people as they discusses she discharge her  duties with minimum delay for the smooth running of the organization
Other attribute of a good secretary includes:
Self control neatness politeness cheerfulness
Self comportment ability to work without greenling with other staff and above all ability to keep secrets and absolute trust worthiness with good memory and sweet saying in fact the services of secretaries is indispensable in every establishment this not with standing secretaries suffer one form of maltreatment or another form their employers in the course of carrying out their duties.  
Many writer have expressed their disappointment with the way secretaries   are treated. However secretaries    in model financial institution as seen in this   write-up experience such problem also yet without the services of secretaries    there will be a vacuum in both the administrative sector and in the world organization so it could be summed up that “a secretary is the centre while that turns any organization
”In Spite of the important roles that secretaries   play in the organization Nigeria secretaries   still face the following problems:
1.    They are not well recognized in our society
2.    They are not well paid
3.    Their  working environment is not encouraging.        
1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM      
The secretaries   profession has become completely indispensable in every management in  recent time.  But unfortunately the profession is yet to gain high and adequate recognition in financial houses that is why the profession suffer numerous problem such as not being sent on training neglected by director lack of modern equipment discrimination in promotion and sexual harassment of female secretaries   by their bosses to mention but a few the inability of establishment to send their secretaries    on training reduce their efficiency.
Lack of fund with which to provide modern equipment coupled with sexual harassment of female secretaries   from their bosses is all parts of the challenges which secretaries   encounter in their work places the successes or failure of every establishment depends largely on the effectiveness and efficiency of the secretary in the performance of he duty.
In recent time there has been a great influx into the profession as the secretarial  profession seems to have become a lucrative and flourishing  yet it is faced with great problem which are obstacles to the effectiveness of the secretaries  this on the other hand makes secretaries   have negative attitude towards their profession and some go as far as quitting the profession in favour of other.
 This write-up is aimed at paving they way to gaining the attention for the secretaries   profession  by making both financial institution and secretaries   know their place in this matter secretaries  are the life wire of every functioning office and establishment in our country today’s yet they have a host of challenges which include:
1.    The status is neglected in the society
2.    The remuneration is very poor
3.    The working environment is also poor
a.    The social status of secretary:    This is not quite high as many people have already misunderstood the secretary as a mere typist and shorthand writer. This misunderstanding has led to low rating of secretaries   in the  society. A typical example of this is what is happening in our polytechnics in general and Oke in particular where secretarial administrative department is being looked down. Many address the student as “Secee –Nkwali even the school management has more often than not shown that erroneous attitude by not recognizing the department at all especially in allocation of classrooms and examination venues.
b.    The remuneration of secretary:  The salary paid to secretaries    are in no way commensurate with the functions  they carry out in their various offices.  A good example of this is what happens  in model financial  houses particularly  in first bank of Nigeria plc where secretaries are paid lower salaries than their contemporary staff even when those in banking line are in the same grade and notch with them their salaries are comparatively lower.
secretaries  an we have discussed constitute an indispensable  factors in any organization and the nature of their duties does not engage  them in any other private business besides their official   duty therefore any low and unjustified salary will not be able to solve the secretaries   various private problem.
c.    The poor working environment:  The working environment of our secretaries   are not so good compared to their counterparts  in other advanced and developed countries  who actually understood who secretary is and how he should be  motivated for maximum efficiency.
According to Nwachukwu (1988) the improvement  of human labour suggests that for human labour to be tapped to the brim working environment must be very conducive.  This is just an opposite of what is observed in the offices of our secretaries   and this cannot according to Nwachukwu bring out the maximum output in our secretaries    instead it affects their morale.
Well-furnished and equipped office should be the pride of a secretary so as to prepare the minds of our secretaries  against the demanding office work. But all these incentives have eluded most of our model financial institutions secretaries   and however contributed towards the lack of respect and poor rating of secretaries.
The study is therefore designed to finish out these challenges and suggest ways of improving or solving the problem.                           

1.3    THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study is being carried out so as to identify the challenges of secretaries   especially in model financial institutions  secondly a good number of people believe that  secretaries   in our society to day are being very will paid and besides that they have an outstanding regulation but some equally share the view that secretaries   are mere typewriter and shorthand writer and as such misunderstood the actual status of a secretary so by this study we shall be able to find out who the secretaries   are how they are being treated in the office assess their working environment and make recommendation.

1.4    THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is strongly believed that this study when complete will be of immense benefit to all groups of interest in the society for one thing this  study will identify the challenges of secretaries   help their employer to have a clearer view of these problem and device a means of motivating their secretaries  so as to enhance productivity.  Ti will also help manager to know what relationship that should exist between them and their secretaries.
Again it will be beneficial to the secretaries   themselves to enhance their prospects if they adhere to the recommendations set out by this study it will Nigeria having known the problem and ways of averting them. It will also serve as a framework in improving the wages status. And working conditions of the secretaries in Nigeria.
However this project will serve as indicator to the employers in order for them indicator to the employer in order for them to know how to treat their secretaries   and make provision for environment that will be best for maximum efficiency and productivity of secretarial work and the entire work of the organization which will eventually improve their business in general.
Finally the research will provide an up-to-date of secretarial challenges to future researcher.
    
1.5    RESEARCH QUESTION
This research work will try to find answer to the following question
1.    How qualified are the secretaries    and do they undergo in services training  like others
2.    Are secretaries  well rapid and promoted in line with other profession
3.    How are they rated in the society especially by their bosses
4.    Do they have job security with suitable working environment?
 
1.6    SCOPE OR DELIMITATION STUDY
This study  or this research work will focus on the challenges facing secretaries in model financial institutions. It is obvious that Nigeria secretaries are not well taken care of and that a host of problem are facing them. It is in order to prove this that an intensive research on the real proof of the hypotheses had been based.

1.7    DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.    Secretary-A secretary is one employed in an office to handle correspondence. By law a qualified secretary should at least have shorthand and typewriting speed of 100/50 words per a minutes
2.    Date- A term used to represent information in the research
3.    Sample: A selected number of secretaries used to represent the entire population in the study
4.    Population: A number of the entire secretaries used for the research study