ABSTRACT

Management in every endeavour of life cannot be practiced in isolation with human elements.  It is therefore pertinent that a manager, particularly an office manager be skilled in handling human elements in and outside the organisation.  The aim of this research is to ascertain the impact possession of human relations skill has on the effectiveness of an office manager.

The population was office managers and administrative managers of business organisations in Enugu metropolis.  Data were collected from office managers and staffs through the use of questionnaires, other data that are being used were observations of visits and researcher’s personal experience.

The data were carefully analyzed and interpreted.  Based on this summary, conclusions were made.  The findings revealed that possession of human relations skills makes an office manager generally more effective.

The researcher recommends that office managers and all other managers should avoid being tribalistic and nepotic for they destroy human relations and bring distrust and hatred.  Rather they should treat all with equal objectivity.  By so doing, management by objective is practiced which in turn enhances human relations.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

The efficiency and effectiveness of office workers depend on the effectiveness of the office manager in relating to them as asserted by Mills et al (1981) that “the office manager is responsible for the efficiency and effectiveness of his subordinates”.  The motivation of office workers requires more human relations skill than it demands monetary and physical incentives.  This is exemplified in the statement of Afolayan (1982) that “human factors of administration have greater motivational strength on workers than monetary rewards and physical emphasized.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is quite unfortunate that that personnel department could not undergo a uniformity of the workers, to enable the execution of reasonable and effective productivity of their desired objectives.  Each department of the organization extend on carrying out their functions or activities in a way that is not comprehensive to the public.  Due to this effect, no sharing of idea, no communication network, job design and description, job analysis and specification, job enlargement and rotation and job enrichment, that could or may ensure effective and efficient productivity for production expansion and growth.

Human et al (1990) comment in more complex view of organizational behaviour, that these three elements are concerned with what a person actually does in order to synergize the office manager, interactions, interpersonal contact and relationship that one has with others.