AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF JOB DESIGN ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SECRETARIES (A CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED CITY COUNCIL IN CAMEROON)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Certainly, the people in an organization are its greatest assets. Their performance directly impacts whether the organization thrives or falters. Management prioritizes efficient task execution among staff. Therefore, it's vital to adeptly handle the human aspect to boost productivity by setting clear goals. However, organization seek job designs that maximize performance and foster employee satisfaction. Job design refers to the arrangement of tasks, responsibilities, and connections in a job, with the aim of achieving organizational goals and meeting the personal needs of employees. Additionally, it involves shaping roles to meet organizational objectives and plays a crucial role in an organization as it directly and significantly affects the organization's performance (Bates, 2019). Beyond that, the way jobs are structured, designed, and coordinated is of utmost importance. This also demonstrated the importance of a well-designed job for a secretary, as it can facilitate the development of his/ her abilities and contribute to the achievement of organizational objectives. According to Onasanya (2020), the secretary holds a crucial position in every organization. The contributions and performance of a secretary can either improve or reduce the efficiency of an organization. He further mentioned that the term "secretary" includes either a principal executive of an organization or an individual responsible for coordinating and documenting the proceedings of a gathering. Furthermore, the responsibilities of a secretary can be compared to those of an executive, as the secretary is knowledgeable about almost every action taken by the executive. However, many organizations do not value the qualities of a secretary and do not provide them with a rewarding job design. Similarly, Marcus (2019) defined the secretary as a clerical staff member whose primary role involves preparing correspondence or communication in various forms, both within and outside the organization. According to Stanwell and Show (2018), a secretary is an employee responsible for the preparation, preservation, and transmission of all forms of communication, as well as performing confidential secretarial tasks at different hierarchical levels. Based on the definitions provided, it is evident that a secretary is a crucial member of management in an organization. Nevertheless, when it comes to the role of a secretary in an organization, they should be provided with a job design that is both stimulating and inspiring. Durcker (2021) claimed that an organization needs the finest performance an employee is capable of and an employee needs more than a job he/ she can perform. Every employee need a job that will provide the widest scope of their abilities and talent the finest potential for advancement and for outstanding performance. Job design as recommended by Taylor (2018) is one of the most significant components of scientific management. In its fundamental format, it assures that jobs should be simplified standardized and specialized for each components of the required labour. Typically, organizations streamline their operations by adopting a fundamental job design approach. This involves breaking down each job into highly manageable parts, standardizing procedures for completing these tasks, and motivating employees to work with maximum efficiency. Hence, it's crucial to structure tasks and work systems in a way that meets both the psychological and social needs of a secretary. Achieving success in secretary job design requires balancing task completion with the secretary's responses to the job (Hepworth, 2018). On the other hand, failure to empower job design can lead to issues like miscommunication between secretaries and employers, and a decrease in the status of the secretary within the organization. Therefore, a survey will be conducted in order to investigate on the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The importance of secretarial professionals in contemporary organisations cannot be overlooked, as they are responsible for performing technical and support activities such as filing, agenda management, and minute-taking during meetings (Lima and Soares, 2019). Nevertheless, with the introduction of computerization and office automation, there have been several perspectives that consider the secretarial profession as replaceable (Sabino and de Andrade, 2021). These schools of thought have shaped the perspectives of those interested in pursuing careers in secretarial work, as well as employers. Furthermore, according to Kobernovicz et al (2018), the limited comprehension of how the secretarial profession contributes to improving organisational performance has resulted in prejudices that are progressively eroding the reputation of the profession. However, Durante et al.(2021) argued that the prevailing stereotypes about secretarial professionals have had a detrimental impact on the morale, self-esteem, and identity of these professionals. Consequently, their qualifications and experience are often disregarded when negotiating their compensation, despite the increased workload and responsibility associated with their job. Recently, the secretarial profession has encountered numerous challenges due to various job titles such as technicians, managers, bilingual executives, general assistants, receptionists, executive secretaries, and advisors, all of which contribute to the diminishing status of the secretarial profession. According to Nonato (2019),secretaries are now faced with the challenge of consolidating their understanding of their own identity in order to improve their position in the employment market.Thus, it is in the light of this, the study seeks to investigate on the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate on the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries. Specifically, the study will;

Find out the job design strategies existing in some selected city council in Cameroon.

Find out the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries in some selected city council in Cameroon.

Find out the relationship between job design and performance of secretaries.

Find out the impact of job design on the job satisfaction of secretaries.

1.4 Research Questions 

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

What are the job design strategies existing in some selected city councils in Cameroon?

What is the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries in some selected city councils in Cameroon?

Is there a relationship between job design and the performance of secretaries in selected city councils in Cameroon?

What is the impact of job design on the job satisfaction of secretaries in selected city councils in Cameroon?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H0: There is no significant effect of job design on the performance of secretaries.

Ha: There is a significant effect of job design on the performance of secretaries.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study aims to provide managers with a comprehensive understanding of how an efficient job design can significantly improve the performance of their secretaries. It will also assist them in identifying the intrinsic components of the secretarial job design that will impact their secretary's performance. Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries. Empirically, this study will find out the job design strategies existing in some selected city council in Cameroon, the effect of job design on the performance of secretaries, find out the relationship between job design and performance of secretaries and find out the impact of job design on the job satisfaction of secretaries.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to secretaries in some selected city council in Cameroon.

1.8 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. 

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Job design: the process of structuring and organizing tasks, responsibilities, and roles in banking jobs to optimize efficiency, productivity, and employee satisfaction

Secretary: a person who is in employment and who does office duties as well as helping subordinates to perform their duties (Clement, 2020.