CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The secretary is said to be the life blood of an organization, this is because he/she is the custodian of records, the representative of the organization as well as the implementer of the decisions of management. Every transaction carried out by an organization is documented and the secretary handles all correspondence, hence the success or failure of the organization lies in the hands of the secretary. This is to say that the roles of the secretary are necessary to the success of any organization. To buttress this fact, no organization can function without somebody who records and that is the secretary. All these characteristics and duties are also the functions of the personal secretary who works under a superior officer called 1the boss who may be the manager, director or head of department as the case may be.

Training will help the secretary meet up the challenges that may arise in course of carrying out her duties, thus, there must be planned process to modify attitude, knowledge or skill behaviour through learning and experience to achieve effective performance in a range of activities. The purpose of the work situation is to develop the ability of the secretary and to satisfy the current and future needs of the organization.

All organizations either private or public are set up to achieve certain aims and objectives and to do so within minimum cost and available resources and the personal secretary is expected to live up to expectation in course of discharging her duties. This is necessary to determine the effect of training on the job performance of the personal secretary.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Every organization aims at maximizing profit. This depends on the secretary who is centered on the business transaction of the organization. Technology is what organization depends on to meet up with competitive nature of the society. Any organization that is not able to cope with the new technology in place will be left behind if nothing is done in that respect.

The inability of the personal secretary to cope with the challenges of the world of science and technology is a problem hence this study of the effects of raining on the secretary’s performance.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The aims of this study are:

1. To reduce cost and waste of resources.
2. To increase output for the growth of the organization.
3. To identify the benefits associated with training.
4. To ascertain the usefulness of modern office machines in the training of the secretary.

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is significant in the following way:

1. It helps to identify the need for training.
2. It helps to identify the problems and difficulties associated with training.
3. It helps to encourage secretaries to imbibe the habit of training in them and also encourage the management to make provisions for training to enable the personal      secretary meet up with the technological challenges ahead          of him.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Does training reduce cost and waste resources?
2. Does training of secretary increase the output for the growth of the organization?
3. What are the benefit associated with training and development of the secretary?
4. Does the issue of modern office machines increase the productivity of the secretary?

1.6 THE SCOPE (DELIMITATION) OF THE STUDY

The area of the study/investigation involves integrated logistics (INLETS) and Agip Oil Company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. These firms were chosen for easy access to information.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is limited by the following factors:

1. FINANCE: There are no enough funds to enable the researcher carry out extensive work on the research work.
2. RESPONDENTS: some secretaries rejected the questionnaires given to them as they would not like to expose the policy of the companies on training.
3. Time frame for the completion of the research was too short, thereby limiting its coverage.

1.8     DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms used in the research work have the following meaning in context.

1. TRAINING: A planned process aimed at modifying behaviour, skill or Knowledge to improve performance.
2. SECRETARY: a person who employed to handle Correspondence, keeps fills, to other Clerical work for another person or organization, and also keep records and take records and takes minutes of meetings.
3. MACHINE: any tool or instrument that makes work easier.
4. PERFORMANCE: Is the accomplishment of given Task measured against present Known standards of accuracy, completeness cost and speed. It is a fulfillment of an obligation.
5. IMPLEMENT: These are letters and other office documents that come in and out of the organization.
6. IMPACT: The influence of the automation system on an individual in a work place or it is an automation technology on the society.
7. DEVELOPMENT: A change from a particular level to a more advanced form.