ABSTRACT

This research sought to examine the impacts of information technology skills on office records management effectiveness Akwa Ibom State in civil service, Uyo. Expose facto research design was used to carry out the study with a simple random sampling technique in selecting 20 respondents from each of the ministries; Ministry of finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Information. Data from 80 completed questionnaire forms were used for the analysis which were tested with simple percentages. The instrument used for the collection of data was a questionnaire and the validity of the instrument was ascertained by one of the expert and the validity of the instrument was ascertained by one of the expert in the Department of Office Technology and Management. The result of findings indicated that the impact of information technology skills and office records management have effect on civil service, the level of competence of civil servant in information technology is not encouraging. Recommendations were made that Civil servants should embark on ICT training courses, seminars, workshops both for existing and prospective secretaries at regular intervals to keep in pace with the current wave in this technologically changing world. Furthermore, Appropriate legislation and implementation procedures should be in place that will encourage more public organizations to adapt to the use of suitable or appropriate ICT in the performance of office records management functions by the civil servants.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

Cover Page  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Approval Page       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Certification           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Acknowledgements         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v

Table of Contents  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         vi-viii

List of Tables         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ix

Abstract       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         x

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the study                  –         –         –         –         –          1-3

1.2       Statement of the Problem      –         –         –         –         –         4

1.3       Purpose of the Study    –         –         –         –         –         –         4-5

1.4     Significance of the Study                   –         –         –         –         –          5

1.5     Research Questions       –         –         –         –         –         –         5-6

1.6     Delimitations of the Study         –         –         –         –         –         6

1.7     Limitations of the Study  –         –         –         –         –         –         6

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1     Introduction           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         7

2.2     Information Technology Skill    –         –         –         –         –         8-9

2.3     Competence           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         9-10

2.4     Office Personnel/Civil Servant and their Functions           –         10-15

2.5     Limitations of Information Technology Skill           –         –         15-17

2.6     Effectiveness         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17

2.7     Office Record Management       –         –         –         –         –         18

2.8     Summary of the Related Work            –         –         –         –         19-20

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1     Introduction           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         21

3.2     Area of the Study  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         22

3.3     Research Design    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         22

3.4     Population of the Study   –         –         –         –         –         –         22

3.5     Sample and Sampling Technique         –         –         –         –         22-23

3.6     Instrumentation      –         –         –         –         –         –         –         23-24

3.7     Validation of the Instrument      –         –         –         –         –         24

3.8     Data Collection Technique        –         –         –         –         –         24

3.9     Data Analysis        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

Introduction           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26

4.1     Data Presentation   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26-30

4.2     Discussion of Findings    –         –         –         –         –         –         30-31

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1     Introduction           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         32

5.2     Restatement of the Problem       –         –         –         –         –         32

5.3     Summary of Findings      –         –         –         –         –         –         33-34

5.4     Conclusion  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         34

5.5     Recommendation   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         34-35

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Responses/Analysis of research question one      –         –         27

Table 2: Responses/Analysis of research question two      –         –         28

Table 3: Responses/Analysis of research question three    –         –         29

Table 4: Responses/Analysis of research question four     –         –         30

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the study

Today’s office business, professional and the Government is in a state of change. This change is reflected in the office structure and office positions from entry level to Executive Office Manager Level. Hence attention is now given to what the office does and the way in which office activities can be accomplished in an efficient and an effective way, and so the need for information technology had to come into play as information technology has replaced the traditional equipment used by an office manager to perform his tasks.
Agbamu, (2005) defines information technology as the handling of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical Information by means of micro-electronic based equipment in computing and telecommunication. This clearly brings about the advantages of information delivery through technological means, since almost all aspects of office work can adequately be taken care of.

Records and information are vital resources in any organization. They are the life-blood of every organization. Making of key decisions by an organization all depend on retrieval and availability of records required on time. It is important to note that not all documents are records. A record is a document consciously retained as evidence of an action (Chuke, 2005).

There are rapidly growing opportunities afforded by modern technology to support RM in organizations. While paper records will continue to exist, and be generated for the conceivable future, technological systems are needed to assist organizations to manage their records effectively. ICTs offer unprecedented capacities and potentials in administration and management of various kinds of records in an organization. A number of activities such as records creation, distribution and storage can be done using technological devices such as computers thereby playing a crucial role in RM (Chopra and Gauri, 2015).

Organizations round the world are making significant investments in information technologies and services that enable the digital transformation of their records management systems and services (Help Net Security, 2019). In other words, organizations and governments have now turned to information technologies as a “solution” to their records management problems because of their potential to address key records management problems such as communication barriers, storage constraints and time constraints to retrieve the records. There is a paradigm shift in the way information is created, gathered, distributed, used, communicated, stored and retrieved with ICTs. For instance, they have become a critical element for records creation. ICTs such as computers, recorders and cameras make easy the process of creating records. According to Mulauzi et al (2012), today, a record can be easily conceived and created by its initiator on the computer terminal and records can be produced effortlessly in multiple copies with very little extra cost. Mulauzi et al (2012) further stated that documents created using ICTs can be output in a variety of formats such as paper, microform, or electronic from just one source document and these extra outputs can be achieved cheaply and with little extra effort.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The poor performances of businesses in organizations have grossly affected the overall gross domestic product of economic productivity of Nigeria; this has led to the present harsh economic condition, this may be as a result of the poor knowledge and application of information technology in businesses and organizations. There is a problem of complexity of managing information technology and systems especially in the corporate environment (such as civil service) where a lot is required in the effective application of information technology which has a lot to do with the competency of managers and office personals in the adoption of information technology.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to ascertain impact of Information Technology Skills and Records Management in Civil service, inclusive other specific objectives;

Specific objectives are:

1. To determine the level of competence in information technology among office personnel and civil servants.
2. To know whether office personnel and civil servants are up to date with information technological skills.
3. To ascertain the factors limiting the use of information technology by civil servant and office personnel.
4. To ascertain the impact of information technology skills on the effectiveness of office management.

1.4     Significance of the Study

This research will serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research on information technology and its effect in the business world. This study also seeks to unravel the importance of information technology skill and the level of competency of civil servants and office personnel in terms of the applicability of information technology.

1.5     Research Questions

1. Does the Impact of information technology skills and office records management have effect on the civil servants?
2. Does the level of competence in information technology among office personnel and civil servants encouraging
3. Are the office personnels and civil servants appear prepared to have information technological skills?
4. Are there factors limiting the use of information technology by civil servant and office personnel

1.6     Delimitations of the Study

The study was delimited to Information Technology Skills and Office Records Management Effectives in the Civil Service of Akwa Ibom State.

1.7     Limitations of the Study         

The study was limited to the following reasons:  lack of fund, time constraint and inadequate materials to back up the study.