HUMAN RELATIONS AND SERVICE DELIVERY OF SECRETARIES IN PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENT

March 1, 2024 Evano Comments 0 Comment

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine human relations and service delivery of secretaries in private establishment. To accomplish this, 30 respondents comprising of secretaries in private establishment within Ikot Ekpene were randomly selected to constitute sample. The instruments used for collecting data in this study were a structured questionnaire, titled “Human Relations and Service Delivery of Secretary”, distributed and retrieved by hand. The statistical techniques used for the analysis was simple percentage. The findings showed that interaction among people, co-operative effort and group relationship among workers in an organization influence service delivery in private establishment. It was recommended that managers and directors of firm and organizations should endeavour to train their secretaries and staff on human relations skills and also monitor the relationship among group in their establishment so as to enhance service delivery and increase the growth and profitability of the firm or establishment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Title – – – – – – – i

Approval – – – – – – – ii

Certification – – – – – – – iii

Acknowledgement s – – – – – – – iv

Table of Contents – – – – – – – v

List of Tables – – – – – – – vi

Abstract – – – – – – – vii

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study – – – – – – 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem – – – – – 4

1.3 Purpose of the Study – – – – – 6

1.4 Significance of the Study – – – – – – 6

1.5 Research Questions – – – – – 7

1.6 Delimitation of the Study – – – – – – 7

1.7 Limitation of the Study – – – – – 8

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction- – – – – – – – 9

2.2 Concept of Human Relations – – – – 10

2.3 Concept of Group/Team Work – – – – – 13

2.4 Types of Groups in the Workplace – – – – 14

2.5 Cooperative Effect of Group Members/Co-workers- – 15

2.6 Group Relationship- – – – – – – 16

2.7 Conflict- – – – – – – – – 18

2.8 Features of Sustainable Service Delivery – – – 20

2.9 Approaches to Service Delivery – – – – – 22

2.10 Tools for Effective Service Delivery – – – – 25

2.11 Financing Service Delivery – – – 26

2.12 Positive Social Environment Impact – – – – 27

2.13 Summary of Reviewed Literature – – – 29

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODS

3.1 Introduction – – – – – – – 31

3.2 Area of the study – – – – – – – 31

3.3. Research Design – – – – – – 31

3.4 Population of the Study – – – – – – 32

3.5 Sample and Sampling Techniques – – – – 32

3.6 Research Instruments – – – – – 32

3.7 Validation of the Instrument (s) – – – – 32

3.8 Reliability of Research Instruments- – – – – 33

3.9 Data Collection Techniques (s) – – – – – 33

3.10 Data Analysis Techniques (s) – – – – – 33

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction – – – – – – – 34

4.2 Data Presentation – – – – – – – 34

4.3 Discussion of Findings – – – – – – 38

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction – – – – – – 40

5.2 Restatement of the Problem – – – – 40

5.3 Findings of the Study – – – – – 41

5.4 Conclusion – – – – – – – 41

5.5 Recommendation – – – – – – – 42

5.6 Suggestion for Further Research – – – – 43

References

Appendices

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Percentage Analysis of Secretaries Interaction among People and Service Delivery – 35

Table 2: Percentages Analysis of Secretaries Cooperative Efforts and Service Delivery – – – – 36

Table 3: Percentage Analysis of Secretaries Group Relationship and Service Delivery – 37

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Service Delivery is how to design an effective service sector to drive sustainability in smallholder dominated sectors (according to Aidenvironment New Foresight and LLEDD Publication, 2015). In a broader context, service also refers to the actual delivery of service and products to the customer or clients (Lovellock and Wright, 2022). It is therefore concerned with the where, when and how a service product is delivered to the customer and whether this is fair or unfair in nature.

Human Relations covers all types of interactions among people, their conflicts, co-operative efforts and group relationships. More so, human relations emphasizes the analysis of human behaviour, prevention strategies, resolution of behavioural problems and self-development.

Private sector refers to organization that have a core strategy and mission to engage in profit-seeking activities, whether by production of goods, provision of services and/or commercialization. This includes financial institutions and intermediaries, small and medium sized enterprises (SME), individual entrepreneurs, farmers, cooperatives and large corporations, which operates in the formal and informal sectors.

Due to advances in civilization, the pattern of businesses and operations in business organizations have witnessed a rapid change especially in the private establishments whose main aim is profit making. The changes in the operation of business organization is fuelled by changing taste of the customers and massive competition among the business organization as every business is trying to gain an edge in the market and their specific business world.

In organization secretaries play important roles in the promotion of the organization and the growth of the organization since they give the customers/clients the first welcome visit to an organization and the impression they create goes a long way to portray the image of the organization. Therefore there is need for secretaries to exhibit a high degree of human relations skills in order to be effective in his/her service delivery. Some of the human relations skill needed by secretaries to excel in their carrier are: good communication skill, good interpersonal skills, ability to work under pressure, capacity to manage stress, self-confident, intelligent, empathy, conflict resolution, multi-tasking etc.

Since private establishment are profit oriented enterprise, there is need for secretaries who are mostly the face of the organization to exhibit a high degree of competency and carrier skills so as to attract more customers/clients to the organization/business because customers are the life of an organization (i.e. without patronage from customers the business cannot make profit and growth will be retarded in the organization). Human Relations are also required among the staffs of the organization in order to enhance socialization and foster productivity in the organization/business.

Therefore effective service delivery system is paramount in an establishment which will enhance sustainability of the organization, appropriate approaches must be undertaken coupled with the mobilization of the right tools in order to be able to maximize the potential of effective service delivery which will create a good environment for workers and as well as the customers. This can be achieved through the incorporation of human relations skills of which the organization should make a core value and must be exhibited by all workers obtained through training. Therefore this study was designed to examine human relations and service delivery of secretaries in private establishment.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Secretaries in the Nigerian private establishment, tend to fall short of the expectations of customers in the provision of services. William et al., (2012) assert that an organization world-wide face a growing gap between the level of services expected by customers and what customers believe they actually receive. There is also a growing concern that in large and complex organizations such as an organizations, the problem of secretaries’ inefficiency seems to delay the rate of operations and procedures.

Since there seems to be no clear evidence of effective performance of the secretaries this research is therefore an effort to ascertain the level of secretaries’ utilization of service delivery skills i.e. human relations in an organization by office secretaries.

Some secretaries do not have good cordial relationship with their customers and their employers. Some of the secretaries failed to carry out good human relations practice which is expected of them, and failure to do so, the organization suffers low production and patronage and even the job would not be effectively done.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was Human Relations and Service Delivery of Secretaries in private establishment, and other specific objectives include as follows:

To determine how Secretaries interactions among people influence and services delivery.
To determine how Secretaries co-operative efforts influence service delivery.
To determine how secretaries groups relationships influence service delivery.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The findings of the study are considered vital in the present reforms for best practices in Nigeria. The outcome of the study should be beneficial to secretaries of an organization in identifying their needs for professional development in service delivery in line with the SERVICOM principles as that will enhance institutions reputation and increase profits.

It will also provide an insight into the extent to which secretarial roles and responsibilities may have changed due to the changes in technology.

The findings of this study, if implemented, will help in curricular development of business education programs, plans and organization of in-service training for secretaries in their areas of need.

This work will also serve as a useful guide to organization in view for improving the human relation activities of their secretaries and to suggest the need for an organization to employ a qualified and competent secretary. The research work is also meant to serve as a reference for further research work that would be carried out by students and other researchers.

1.5 Research Questions