EMPLOYERS ASSESSMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCIES POSSESSED BY SECRETARIES IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS IN ONITSHA LOCAL COUNCIL AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE

ABSTRACT

This study assessed from the point of view of employers, the information and communication technology competencies possessed by secretaries in business organizations in Onitsha North and South local government areas of Anambra State. Four research questions guided the study and four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was carried out in 200 business organizations in Onitsha North and South. A total of 34 questionnaire items arranged in four clusters and structured on a 4point response options was the instrument used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts in vocational education and one expert from measurement and evaluation. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The reliability coefficient of 0.73 was obtained and considered high for the instrument to be reliable. A total of 200 copies of the questionnaire were administered to employers in 200 business organizations. The collected instrument was analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, ztest, analysis of variance ANOVA and Scheffe test for multiple comparison. ANOVA and ztest were used to test null hypothesis 1 and 2, 3, 4 respectively. Based on the results of analysis of data, it was found that secretaries in business organizations in Onitsha LGAs were competent in communication technology, information technology management, internet usage and in handling office equipment except in handling digital satellite control equipment and Fax machine. It was recommended that secretaries in business organizations in Onitsha LGAs should attend various forms of inservice trainings in ICT to improve their competencies in those areas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL PAGE ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF APPENDICES x

CERTIFICATION PAGE xi

DEDICATION PAGE xii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 1

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 4

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 6

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 6

SCOPE OF THE STUDY 9

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 9

HYPOTHESES 10

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 11

Conceptual Framework 12

Concept of Secretary 13

Concept of Competence 14

Concept of Business Organization 17

Information and Communication Technology 23

Theoretical Framework 26

Attribution theory 26

Dialectic Theory of Relationship 28

Expectancy Theory 29

Theoretical Studies 31

Categories of Secretaries in Business Organization 31

Benefits of ICT usage in Business Organization 41

Challenges of ICT usage in Business Organizations 45

ICT Competencies Possessed by Secretaries 51

Training and Retraining of Secretaries 67

Empirical Studies 77

Summary of Review of Related Literature 83

CHAPTER THREE: METHOD 85

Design of the Study 85

Area of the Study 86

Population of the Study 87

Instrument for Data Collection 88

Validation of the Instrument 89

Reliability of the Instrument 90

Method of Data Collection 90

Method of Data Analysis 91

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 93

Results of Demographic Data 93

Data Relating to Research Question 1 95

Data Relating to Research Question 2 97

Data Relating to Research Question 3 99

Data Relating to Research Question 4 100

Result of Test of Null Hypotheses 1 102

Result of Test of Null Hypotheses 2 104

Result of Test of Null Hypotheses 3 105

Result of Test of Null Hypotheses 4 106

Summary of Findings 107

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSION

AND RECOMMENDATIONS 109

Discussion of the Findings 109

Secretaries Competencies in Communication Technology 110

Secretaries Competencies in Information Technology 112

Management

Secretaries Competencies in Internet Usage 113

Secretaries Competencies in Manipulating Office Equipment 114

Conclusion 115

Implications of the Study 116

Recommendations 117

Limitations of the study 118

Suggestion for Further Studies 119

REFERENCES 120